Governor of Tasmania

{{Short description|Vice-regal representative of the Australian monarch in Tasmania}}

{{Infobox official post

| post = Governor

| body = Tasmania

| flag = Flag of the Governor of Tasmania.svg

| flagsize = 150px

| flagcaption = Flag of the Governor

| insignia = Royal Cypher of King Charles III.svg

| insigniasize = 65px

| insigniacaption = Royal Cypher of King Charles III

| image =Barbara Baker 2022.jpg

| imagesize = 150px

| incumbent = Barbara Baker

| incumbentsince = 16 June 2021

| department = Viceregal

| style = Her Excellency {{pre-nominal styles|size=100%|Hon}}

| residence = Government House, Hobart

| seat = Hobart

| appointer = Monarch

| appointer_qualified = on the advice of the premier

| termlength = At His Majesty's pleasure

| termlength_qualified = (usually 5 years by convention)

| constituting_instrument =

| formation = 8 January 1855

| first = Sir Henry Fox Young

| deputy =

| salary =

| website = {{URL|govhouse.tas.gov.au}}

}}{{Politics of Tasmania}}

The governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of the monarch, currently King Charles III. The incumbent governor is Barbara Baker, who was appointed in June 2021. The official residence of the governor is Government House located at the Queens Domain in Hobart. The governor's primary task is to perform the sovereign's constitutional duties on their behalf.Australia Act 1986, s 7.

As with the other state governors, the governor performs similar constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as the governor-general of Australia does at the national level. The position has its origins in the positions of commandant and lieutenant-governor in the colonial administration of Van Diemen's Land. The territory was separated from the Colony of New South Wales in 1825 and the title "governor" was used from 1855, the same year in which it adopted its current name. In accordance with the conventions of the Westminster system of parliamentary government, the governor now almost always acts on the advice of the head of the elected government, the premier of Tasmania.

Tasmania retained British-born governors longer than most other states. The first Australian-born governor was Sir Stanley Burbury (appointed 1973) and the first Tasmanian-born governor was Sir Guy Green (appointed 1995). Since Burbury, all Tasmanian governors have been Australian-born, except for Peter Underwood who was born in Britain but immigrated to Australia when a teenager.

Titles

Since December 2014, the incumbent and all future Tasmanian governors have been entitled to be styled as The Honourable for life.{{cite news|title=Tasmanian Gazette |url=http://www.gazette.tas.gov.au/editions/2014/december_2014/21486_-_Special_10_December_2014.pdf|date=10 December 2014}}

Governor's personal flag

The personal flag of the governor of Tasmania is the same design as the British blue ensign with the Union Flag at the upper left quarter. On the right side, the state badge of Tasmania, consisting of a white disk with a red lion passant, is surmounted by St. Edward's Crown. The flag was adopted in 1977.

If the standard is flying at Government House, on a vehicle or vessel, or at an event, this indicates that the governor is present.

;Past and present flags of the governor

File: Flag of the Governor of Tasmania (1875–1876).svg |1875–1876

File: Flag of the Governor of Tasmania (1876–1977).svg|1876–1977

File: Flag of the Governor of Tasmania.svg|1977–present

Divided in two

Between 1804 and 1813, Van Diemen's Land was divided along the 42nd parallel, and the two sections governed as separate lieutenant-governorships under the governor of New South Wales.[http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/governor/pastgovs.html Past Governors] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060617194420/http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/governor/pastgovs.html |date=2006-06-17 }}.{{cite web|url=http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item.asp?dID%3D69 |title=Documenting Democracy |access-date=2007-05-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403174545/http://foundingdocs.gov.au/item.asp?dID=69 |archive-date=2007-04-03 }} Collins was the only officially appointed lieutenant-governor—upon his death in 1810, the government in Hobart Town was administered, by the Commandants at Hobart Town (Lord, Murray and Geils). The northern settlement at Port Dalrymple (now George Town) was administered by four commandants until the settlements were merged to form the single colony under the governorship of Thomas Davey in 1813.Widowson, Henry: Present State of Van Diemen's Land, 1829.

=Lieutenant-governors and commandants in the south=

border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse:collapse;"

style="background:#ccc;"

! style="width:4%;"| No.

! colspan=2 style="width:56%;"| Lieutenant-governor

! style="width:20%;"| From

! style="width:20%;"| To

border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse:collapse;"
style="background:#ccc;" ! style="width:4%;"\| No. !! colspan=2 style="width:56%;"\| Lieutenant-governor !! style="width:20%;" \| From !! style="width:20%;"\| To
1	80px \| Colonel Thomas Davey \| 4 February 1813	9 March 1817
2	80px \| Colonel William Sorell \| 9 March 1817	14 May 1824
3	80px \| Sir George Arthur \| 14 May 1824	29 October 1836
4	80px \| Sir John Franklin {{postnom\|country=UK\|KCH\|FRGS}} \| 5 January 1837	21 August 1843
5	80px \| Sir John Eardley-Wilmot \| 21 August 1843	13 October 1846
6	80px \| Sir William Denison \| 25 January 1847	8 January 1855

Governor of Tasmania

Titles

Governor's personal flag

Divided in two

=Lieutenant-governors and commandants in the south=

=Commandants in the north=

List of governors of Tasmania

=Lieutenant-governors=

=Governor-in-chief=

=Governors=

References

Sources