# Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales

The lieutenant-governor of New South Wales is a government position in the state of New South Wales, Australia, acting as a deputy to the governor of New South Wales. The office was first created in October 1786, before the arrival of the First Fleet, to act as a deputy to the first governor, Arthur Phillip. At that time the lieutenant-governor, or its equivalent of "administrator of the government", was filled by military officers and was a position only created when needed or in times of long absences by the governor. Since 1872 this office has been held concurrently by the chief justice of New South Wales but the position may be retained by the chief justice after their retirement from the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

## Role

Originally, the lieutenant-governor had a legislative role with a seat on the first Legislative Council of New South Wales in 1824; this was later phased out due to the lessening of the powers of the state governor. The role of the governors are enshrined in part 2A of the New South Wales Constitution Act (1902). The office itself has no standing powers but holds a dormant commission to act in the governor's position when needed.
The current role of the lieutenant-governor is to take up the duties of the governor if the governor dies, resigns, or is absent such as in September 2008, when, in the absence of Governor Marie Bashir, the Lieutenant-Governor, James Spigelman, administered the swearing in of the new cabinet of the Nathan Rees government.
If the lieutenant-governor becomes incapacitated while serving in the office of governor or is absent when the governor is also absent, the next most senior judge of the Supreme Court is sworn in as the administrator. This occurred in May 1973 when Sir Leslie Herron died suddenly while the governor, Sir Roden Cutler was overseas. Sir John Kerr became the administrator until Cutler was able to return.

## Lieutenant-governors and administrators of NSW

| Name | Term start | Term end |
| Major Robert Ross | 7 February 1788 | 8 July 1792 |
| Major Francis Grose | 11 December 1792 | 12 December 1794 |
| Lieutenant-Colonel William Paterson | 13 December 1794 | 1 September 1795 |
| Office vacant | 20 September 1795 | 24 March 1806 |
| Colonel William Paterson | 24 March 1806 | 26 January 1808 |
| Major George Johnston | 26 January 1808 | 25 April 1808 |
| Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Foveaux | 25 April 1808 | 9 January 1809 |
| Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Maurice O'Connell | 10 January 1810 | 12 February 1814 |
| Colonel George Molle | 13 February 1814 | 12 September 1817 |
| Colonel James Erskine | 12 September 1817 | 25 February 1823 |
| Colonel William Stewart | 26 February 1823 | 23 March 1827 |
| Office vacant | 24 March 1827 | 4 December 1837 |
| Colonel Patrick Lindesay | 22 October 1831 | 2 December 1831 |
| Lieutenant-Colonel Kenneth Snodgrass | 5 December 1837 | 23 February 1838 |
| Office vacant | 24 February 1838 | 12 July 1846 |
| Sir Maurice O'Connell | 12 July 1846 | 2 August 1846 |
| Office vacant | 2 August 1846 | 21 January 1861 |
| Lieutenant-Colonel John Francis Kempt | 22 January 1861 | 21 March 1861 |
| Office vacant | 22 March 1861 | 21 May 1867 |
| Major-General Sir Trevor Chute | December 1867 | January 1868 |
| Office vacant | 1868 | 21 February 1872 |
| Lieutenant-Governors held concurrently by the Chief Justice ||||
| Sir Alfred Stephen | 22 February 1872 | 26 November 1891 |
| Sir Frederick Darley | 26 November 1891 | 30 March 1910 |
| George Bowen Simpson | 24 March 1909 | 27 January 1910 |
| Sir William Cullen | 30 March 1910 | 1 October 1930 |
| Sir Philip Street | 1 October 1930 | 17 October 1938 |
| Sir Frederick Jordan | 17 October 1938 | 4 November 1949 |
| Sir Kenneth Street | 27 February 1950 | 22 April 1972 |
| Sir Leslie Herron | 22 April 1972 | 3 May 1973 |
| Sir John Kerr | 30 August 1973 | 1 July 1974 |
| Sir Laurence Street | 1 July 1974 | 24 July 1989 |
| Anthony Murray Gleeson | 24 July 1989 | 18 June 1998 |
| James Spigelman | 18 June 1998 | 1 February 2012 |
| Tom Bathurst | 1 February 2012 | 5 December 2022 |
| Andrew Bell | 5 December 2022 | present |