# List of colonial and departmental heads of French Polynesia

The High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia (French: Haut-commissaire de la République en Polynésie française) is the highest representative of the French Republic in the overseas country of French Polynesia. The rank is equivalent to the one of a prefect (French: Préfet) and its powers are governed by Organic Law 2004–192.
The High Commissioner is directly appointed by the President of the French Republic. He enacts local laws (known as Lois du Pays) with the countersignature of the President of French Polynesia and ensures their publication in the Journal Officiel de la Polynésie française. He is competent for every matters not devolved to the Government of French Polynesia. Until 1984, he has assumed the powers now exercised by the President of French Polynesia.
The overseas minor territory of Clipperton Island falls also under the jurisdiction of the High Commissioner since it is uninhabited and has no local administration.
The official residence and the office of the High Commissioner are housed at the Haut-Commissariat in Papeete.

## List of state representatives in French Polynesia

The representative of France hold different titles throughout history. During the period of the protectorate on the Kingdom of Tahiti, this title reflected the political regime of France:
* Commissioner of the King (1842 – 1848)
* Commissioner of the Republic (1848 – 1852)
* Commissioner of the Empire (1852 – 1870)
* Commissioner of the Republic (1870 – 1880)
After the final annexation of Tahiti by the French Third Republic, the Kingdom of Tahiti was dissolved and the French Establishments of Oceania were created. The state representative was titled Governor until 13 July 1977 when the final name of High Commissioner of the Republic was adopted.
| Term start | Term end | Office holder | Title |
| French Protectorate of the Kingdom of Tahiti – Marquesas Islands annexed by the Kingdom of France ||||
| 8 January 1843 | 6 September 1846 | Armand Joseph Bruat | Commissioner of the King |
| 6 September 1846 | ?? ?? 1850 | Charles François Lavaud | Commissioner of the King, later Commissioner of the Republic |
| ?? ?? 1850 | 5 September 1851 | Louis Adolphe Bonard | Commissioner of the Republic |
| 5 September 1851 | 22 Mars 1854 | Théogène François Page | Commissioner of the Empire |
| 22 Mars 1854 | 19 May 1858 | Joseph Fidèl Eugène du Bouzet | Commissioner of the Empire |
| 19 May 1858 | 25 June 1858 | Jean-Marie Joseph Théodore Saisset de Mars | Commissioner of the Empire |
| 25 June 1858 | 11 October 1864 | Louis Eugène Gaultier de La Richerie | Commissioner of the Empire |
| 11 October 1864 | 6 June 1869 | Émile François Guillaume Clément de La Roncière | Commissioner of the Empire |
| 6 June 1869 | 1 June 1871 | Michel Louis Isidore de Jouslard | Commissioner of the Empire, later Commissioner of the Republic |
| 1 June 1871 | ?? ?? 1873 | Hippolyte Auguste Girard | Commissioner of the Republic |
| ?? ?? 1873 | 17 April 1876 | Octave Bernard Gilbert-Pierre | Commissioner of the Republic |
| 17 April 1876 | 25 August 1877 | Antoine-Léonce Michaux | Commissioner of the Republic |
| 25 August 1877 | ?? ?? 1877 | Joseph Henri Brunet-Millet | Commissioner of the Republic |
| ?? ?? 1877 | 5 February 1878 | Auguste Marie Édouard d'Oncieu de la Bâthie | acting Commissioner of the Republic |
| 5 February 1878 | 24 February 1880 | Jacques Ferdinand Planche | Commissioner of the Republic |
| 24 February 1880 | 6 September 1881 | Henri Isidore Chessé | Commissioner of the Republic |
| French Establishments of Oceania – Tahiti and its islands annexed by the French Third Republic ||||
| 6 September 1881 | 8 October 1883 | Frédéric Jean Dorlodot des Essarts | Governor |
| 8 October 1883 | 1 December 1885 | Marie Nicolas François Auguste Morau | Governor |
| 1 December 1885 | 2 September 1886 | Delphino Moracchini | acting Governor |
| 2 September 1886 | 29 October 1889 | Étienne Théodore Mondésir Lacascade | Governor |
| 29 October 1889 | 1 July 1890 | Maurice d'Ingremard | acting Governor |
| 1 July 1890 | 4 June 1893 | Étienne Théodore Mondésir Lacascade | Governor |
| 4 June 1893 | 24 October 1893 | Adolphe Jean Granier de Cassagnac | acting Governor |
| 24 October 1893 | 7 December 1893 | Lucien Jules Léon Bommier | acting Governor |
| 7 December 1893 | 29 April 1894 | Jean Joseph Aimé Ours | acting Governor |
| 29 April 1894 | 1 April 1896 | Pierre Louis Clovis Papinaud | Governor |
| 1 April 1896 | 31 January 1897 | Gustave Pierre Théodore Gallet | acting Governor |
| 31 January 1897 | 1 February 1898 | Marie Louis Gustave Gabrié | Governor |
| 1 February 1898 | 25 Mars 1899 | Gustave Pierre Théodore Gallet | Governor |
| 25 Mars 1899 | 14 July 1899 | Joseph-Marie de Pous | acting Governor |
| 14 July 1899 | 30 November 1899 | Victor François Ferdinand Rey | acting Governor |
| 30 November 1899 | 19 January 1900 | Gustave Pierre Théodore Gallet | Governor |
| 19 January 1900 | 25 February 1901 | Victor François Ferdinand Rey | acting Governor |
| 25 February 1901 | ?? ?? 1904 | Édouard Georges Théophile Petit | Governor |
| ?? ?? 1904 | 5 February 1904 | Victor Louis Marie Lanrezac | acting Governor |
| 5 February 1904 | 20 February 1905 | Henri François Charles Cor | acting Governor |
| 20 February 1905 | 28 March 1907 | Philippe Émile Jullien | Governor |
| 28 March 1907 | 4 December 1908 | Élie Adrien Édouard Charuer | acting Governor |
| 4 December 1908 | 12 August 1910 | Joseph Pascal François | Governor |
| 12 August 1910 | 6 April 1912 | Adrien Jules Jean Bonhoure | Governor |
| 6 April 1912 | 4 August 1912 | Charles Hostein | acting Governor |
| 4 August 1912 | 4 August 1913 | Baptiste Léon Géraud | acting Governor |
| 4 August 1913 | 21 September 1915 | William Maurice Fawtier | Governor |
| 21 September 1915 | 16 April 1919 | Gustave-Jacques-Henri Julien | Governor |
| 16 April 1919 | 17 May 1919 | Simoneau | acting Governor |
| 17 May 1919 | 13 February 1921 | Jocelyn Robert | acting Governor |
| 13 February 1921 | 10 April 1921 | Gabriel Henri Joseph Thaly | acting Governor |
| 10 April 1921 | 17 October 1921 | Auguste André Marius Guédès | Governor |
| 17 October 1921 | 18 September 1922 | Gabriel Henri Joseph Thaly | acting Governor |
| 18 September 1922 | 7 January 1927 | Louis Félix Marie Édouard Rivet | Governor |
| 7 January 1927 | 30 April 1928 | Jean Baptiste Dominique Solari | acting Governor |
| 30 April 1928 | 21 June 1930 | Joseph Louis Bouge | acting Governor |
| 21 June 1930 | 18 June 1932 | Léonce Alphonse Noël Henri Jore | Governor |
| 18 June 1932 | 17 June 1933 | Alfred Léon Bouchet | acting Governor |
| 17 June 1933 | 9 May 1935 | Michel Lucien Montagné | Governor |
| 9 May 1935 | 17 March 1937 | Henri Sautot | acting Governor |
| 17 March 1937 | 4 September 1940 | Frédéric Marie Jean-Baptiste Chastenet de Géry [fr] | Governor |
| 4 September 1940 | 14 September 1940 | Édouard Ahnne Georges Lagarde Émile Martin Georges Bambridge Teriieroo a Teriierooiterai | Provisional Government |
| 14 September 1940 | 6 November 1940 | Edmond Mansard | Governor |
| 6 November 1940 | 16 June 1941 | Émile de Curton | Governor |
| 16 June 1941 | 1 October 1941 | Richard Brunot | Governor |
| 1 October 1941 | ?? June 1945 | Georges Louis Joseph Orselli | Governor |
| ?? June 1945 | 27 October 1946 | Jean-Camille Haumant | acting Governor |
| French Establishments of Oceania – Overseas territory of the French Republic ||||
| 27 October 1946 | 10 August 1947 | Jean-Camille Haumant | Governor |
| 10 August 1947 | 2 April 1949 | Pierre Louis Maestracci | Governor |
| 2 April 1949 | ?? ?? 1950 | Armand Anziani | Governor |
| ?? ?? 1950 | 30 November 1950 | Louis Girault | acting Governor |
| 30 November 1950 | 28 September 1954 | René Petitbon | Governor |
| 28 September 1954 | 22 July 1957 | Jean-François Toby | Governor |
| French Polynesia – Overseas territory of the French Republic ||||
| 22 July 1957 | 7 March 1958 | Jean-François Toby | Governor |
| 7 March 1958 | 25 October 1958 | Camille Victor Bailly | acting Governor |
| 25 October 1958 | 12 December 1961 | Pierre René Sicaud | Governor |
| 12 December 1961 | 20 January 1965 | Aimé Grimald | Governor |
| 20 January 1965 | 11 March 1969 | Jean Charles Sicurani | Governor |
| 11 March 1969 | 1 August 1973 | Pierre Louis Angeli | Governor |
| 11 August 1973 | 1 January 1976 | Daniel Videau | Governor |
| 1 January 1976 | 1 November 1977 | Charles Schmitt | Governor, later High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 1 November 1977 | 16 July 1981 | Paul Cousseran | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 16 July 1981 | 15 January 1983 | Paul Noirot-Cosson | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 15 January 1983 | 9 March 1985 | Alain Robert Lucien Ohrel | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 9 March 1985 | 9 April 1986 | Bernard Gérard | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 9 April 1986 | 17 November 1987 | Pierre Louis Angéli | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 17 November 1987 | 3 January 1992 | Jean Montpezat | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 3 January 1992 | 8 August 1994 | Michel Jau | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 8 August 1994 | 9 October 1997 | Paul Roncière | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 9 October 1997 | 26 October 2001 | Jean Aribaud | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 26 October 2001 | 28 March 2003 | Michel Mathieu | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| French Polynesia – Overseas collectivity of the French Republic ||||
| 28 March 2003 | 27 February 2004 | Michel Mathieu | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| French Polynesia – Overseas country of the French Republic ||||
| 27 February 2004 | 18 July 2005 | Michel Mathieu | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 18 July 2005 | 13 June 2008 | Anne Boquet | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 13 June 2008 | 23 December 2010 | Adolphe Colrat | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 23 December 2010 | 1 August 2012 | Richard Didier | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 1 August 2012 | 22 August 2013 | Jean-Pierre Laflaquière | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 22 August 2013 | 6 May 2016 | Lionel Beffre | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 6 May 2016 | 7 June 2019 | René Bidal | High Commissioner of the Republic |
| 10 July 2019 | Incumbent | Dominique Sorain | High Commissioner of the Republic |