Governor of Western Australia - Definition and Overview

List of Governors of Western Australia

See Governors of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Governor.

Lieutenant-Governor of Western Australia as a Crown Colony

• Captain James Stirling, 1828-1832

Governors and acting Governors of Western Australia as a Crown Colony

• Captain James Stirling, 1832-1839
• John Hutt, 1839-1846
• Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Clarke, 1846-1847
• Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Irwin, 1847-1848
• Captain Charles Fitzgerald, 1848-1855
• Sir Arthur Kennedy, 1855-1862
• John Hampton, 1862-1868

(Sir Benjamin Pine was appointed Governor in July 1868 but never took office)

• Sir Frederick Weld, 1869-1875
• Sir William Robinson, 1875-1877
• Major-General Sir Harry Ord, 1878-1880
• Sir William Robinson, 1880-1883
• Sir Frederick Broome, 1883-1889

Governors of Western Australia as a self-governing colony

• Sir William Robinson, 1890-1895
• Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Gerard Smith, 1895-1900

Governors of Western Australia as an Australian State

• Captain Sir Arthur Lawley, 1901-1902
• Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford, 1903-1909
• Sir Gerald Strickland, 1909-1913
• Major-General Sir Harry Barron, 1913-1917
• Sir William Ellison-Macartney, 1917-1920
• Sir Francis Newdegate, 1920-1924
• Colonel Sir William Campion, 1924-1931

(The post of Governor was not filled between 1931 and 1948. Sir James Mitchell held the posts of Lieutenant-Governor and Administrator 1933-1948.)

• Sir James Mitchell, 1948-1951
• Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Gairdner, 1951-1963
• Major-General Sir Douglas Kendrew, 1963-1973
• Air Commodore Sir Hughie Edwards, 1974-1975
• Air Chief Marshall Sir Wallace Kyle, 1975-1980
• Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Trowbridge, 1980-1983
• Professor Gordon Reid, 1983-1989
• Sir Francis Burt, 1990-1993
• Major-General Michael Jeffery, 1993-2000
• Lieutenant-General John Sanderson, from 2000