# List of high commissioners of New Zealand to the United Kingdom

The high commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom is New Zealand's foremost diplomatic representative in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and in charge of New Zealand's diplomatic mission in the United Kingdom.

## History

The High Commission of New Zealand is located in London, the United Kingdom's capital city. New Zealand has maintained a resident high commissioner in the United Kingdom since 1905, and a resident Agent-General since 1871. The high commissioner to the United Kingdom is concurrently accredited as high commissioner to Nigeria.
The high commissioner was formerly accredited as ambassador of New Zealand to Ireland, which is now a resident mission in Dublin since 2018.
As New Zealand was created as a part of the British Empire, its diplomatic relationship with the United Kingdom is its longest-standing; the position of high commissioner in London pre-dates New Zealand's Dominion status by two years, the Balfour Declaration of 1926 by 21 years, and the adoption of the Statute of Westminster of 1931 by 42 years. New Zealand appointed a high commissioner to Canada in 1942, and a high commissioner to Australia in 1943.
As fellow members of the Commonwealth of Nations, diplomatic relations between New Zealand and the United Kingdom are at governmental level, rather than between heads of state, with member countries exchanging high commissioners, rather than ambassadors.

## List of heads of mission

The following individuals have held the office:
| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Monarch |
| 1 | Isaac Featherston | March 1871 | September 1876 | Victoria |
| 2 | Julius Vogel | September 1876 | December 1880 | Victoria |
| 3 | Dillon Bell | December 1880 | September 1891 | Victoria |
| 4 | Westby Perceval | September 1891 | December 1895 | Victoria |
| 5 | William Pember Reeves | December 1895 | December 1908 | Victoria |
| 5 | William Pember Reeves | December 1895 | December 1908 | Edward VII |
| 6 | William Hall-Jones | December 1908 | August 1912 | Edward VII |
| 6 | William Hall-Jones | December 1908 | August 1912 | George V |
| 7 | Thomas Mackenzie | August 1912 | 19 June 1920 | George V |
| 8 | James Allen | 19 June 1920 | 1 July 1926 | George V |
| 9 | James Parr | 1 July 1926 | 9 January 1930 | George V |
| 10 | Thomas Wilford | 9 January 1930 | 25 January 1934 | George V |
| (9) | James Parr | 25 January 1934 | 3 September 1936 | George V |
| (9) | James Parr | 25 January 1934 | 3 September 1936 | Edward VIII |
| 11 | Bill Jordan | 3 September 1936 | 17 September 1951 | Edward VIII |
| 11 | Bill Jordan | 3 September 1936 | 17 September 1951 | George VI |
| 12 | Frederick Doidge | 17 September 1951 | 26 May 1954† | George VI |
| 12 | Frederick Doidge | 17 September 1951 | 26 May 1954† | Elizabeth II |
| 13 | Clifton Webb | 4 January 1955 | 31 March 1958 | Elizabeth II |
| - | Dick Campbell (acting) | 1 April 1958 | 30 September 1958 | Elizabeth II |
| - | George Laking (acting) | 30 September 1958 | 20 March 1961 | Elizabeth II |
| 14 | Thomas Macdonald | 20 March 1961 | 31 March 1968 | Elizabeth II |
| - | Hunter Wade (acting) | 31 March 1968 | 11 May 1968 | Elizabeth II |
| 15 | Denis Blundell | 11 May 1968 | 22 August 1972 | Elizabeth II |
| - | Merv Norrish (acting) | 22 August 1972 | 15 March 1973 | Elizabeth II |
| 16 | Terry McCombs | 15 March 1973 | 22 March 1975 | Elizabeth II |
| 17 | Hugh Watt | 22 March 1975 | 21 June 1976 | Elizabeth II |
| 18 | Douglas Carter | 21 June 1976 | 16 July 1979 | Elizabeth II |
| 19 | Les Gandar | 16 July 1979 | 27 September 1982 | Elizabeth II |
| 20 | Bill Young | 27 September 1982 | 21 February 1985 | Elizabeth II |
| 21 | Joe Walding | 21 February 1985 | 5 June 1985† | Elizabeth II |
| 22 | Bryce Harland | 15 October 1985 | 3 June 1991 | Elizabeth II |
| 23 | George Gair | 3 June 1991 | April 1994 | Elizabeth II |
| 24 | John Collinge | April 1994 | 1 May 1997 | Elizabeth II |
| 25 | Richard Grant | 1 May 1997 | 4 January 1999 | Elizabeth II |
| 26 | Paul East | 4 January 1999 | 4 January 2002 | Elizabeth II |
| 27 | Russell Marshall | 4 January 2002 | 4 January 2005 | Elizabeth II |
| 28 | Jonathan Hunt | April 2005 | March 2008 | Elizabeth II |
| 29 | Derek Leask | March 2008 | February 2013 | Elizabeth II |
| 30 | Lockwood Smith | 25 March 2013 | 24 March 2017 | Elizabeth II |
| 31 | Jerry Mateparae | 24 March 2017 | April 2020 | Elizabeth II |
| 32 | Bede Corry | April 2020 | 8 September 2022 | Elizabeth II |
| - | Shannon Austin (acting) | 8 September 2022 | January 2023 | Elizabeth II |
| - | Shannon Austin (acting) | 8 September 2022 | January 2023 | Charles III |
| 33 | Phil Goff | January 2023 | 6 March 2025 | Charles III |
| - | Chris Seed (acting) | 11 March 2025 | present | Charles III |
Table footnotes:
* ↑ the first Agent-General for the Colony of New Zealand
* ↑ the last Agent-General and the first High Commissioner for the Dominion of New Zealand