List of colonial governors of Papua New Guinea
Papua

Tenure
Portrait
Incumbent
Notes
Magistrate for Queensland in New Guinea (1883)
Magistrate for Queensland in New Guinea (1883)
Magistrate for Queensland in New Guinea (1883)
Magistrate for Queensland in New Guinea (1883)
3 April 1883 to 2 July 1883
-
Henry Majoribanks Chester
Police Magistrate on Thursday Island
Special Commissioners for Great Britain in New Guinea (1884–1885)
Special Commissioners for Great Britain in New Guinea (1884–1885)
Special Commissioners for Great Britain in New Guinea (1884–1885)
Special Commissioners for Great Britain in New Guinea (1884–1885)
6 November 1884 to 2 December 1885
-
Peter Scratchley
From 6 June 1885, Sir Peter Scratchley. Died in office
2 December 1885 to 1886
-
Hugh Hastings Romilly
Acting
1886 to 1887
-
John Douglas
-
Administrator of British New Guinea (1888–1895)
Administrator of British New Guinea (1888–1895)
Administrator of British New Guinea (1888–1895)
Administrator of British New Guinea (1888–1895)
1888 to 1895
-
Sir William MacGregor
-
Lieutenant-Governors of British New Guinea (1895–1904)
Lieutenant-Governors of British New Guinea (1895–1904)
Lieutenant-Governors of British New Guinea (1895–1904)
Lieutenant-Governors of British New Guinea (1895–1904)
1895 to 1897
-
Sir William MacGregor
-
1898 to 1903
-
George Le Hunte
-
1903 to 1904
-
Christopher Stansfield Robinson
Acting administrator
Lieutenant-Governors of Papua (1904–1942)
Lieutenant-Governors of Papua (1904–1942)
Lieutenant-Governors of Papua (1904–1942)
Lieutenant-Governors of Papua (1904–1942)
1904 to 1907
-
Francis Rickman Barton
Acting. The territory was renamed from British New Guinea to Papua with the passage of the Papua Act 1905
1908 to 27 February 1940
-
Sir Hubert Murray
Died in office
27 February 1940 to 1942
-
Hubert Leonard Murray
Acting
Military Administrator (1942–1946)
Military Administrator (1942–1946)
Military Administrator (1942–1946)
Military Administrator (1942–1946)
13 February 1942 to 31 October 1945
-
Major General Basil Morris
Commander of the 8th Military District
Head of the Papuan Civil Administrative Unit (1942)
Head of the Papuan Civil Administrative Unit (1942)
Head of the Papuan Civil Administrative Unit (1942)
Head of the Papuan Civil Administrative Unit (1942)
14 February 1942 to 10 April 1942
-
Sydney Elliott-Smith
In Port Moresby
General Officers Commanding of the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit [ANGAU] (1942–1946)
General Officers Commanding of the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit [ANGAU] (1942–1946)
General Officers Commanding of the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit [ANGAU] (1942–1946)
General Officers Commanding of the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit [ANGAU] (1942–1946)
10 April 1942 to August 1942
-
Kenneth Carlyle McMullen
In Port Moresby
August 1942 to 24 June 1946
-
Major General Basil Morris
In Port Moresby until October 1945, afterwards in Lae. Styled as Head of the ANGAU until 7 February 1944
4 September 1944 to 9 December 1944
-
Brigadier Donald Cleland
Acting for Morris

Question: Who was the Military Administrator in 1942?
Answer: In 1942, Basil Morris was the Military Administrator.