1788 (Jan 26) to 1792  (Dec 10) Captain Arthur Phillip, Governor-in-Chief.  

                                                   More about Captain Arthur Philip

1792 (Dec11) to 1794 (Dec 12) Major Francis Grose administered.

1794 (Dec 12) to 1795 (Sept 11) Captain William Paterson administered.

1795 (Sept 11) to 1800 (Sept 27) Captain John Hunter, Governor of NSW and its dependencies.

1800 (Sept 28) to (1806 (Aug 12) Captain Philip Gidley King, Governor.

1806 (Aug 13) to 1808 (Jan 26) Captain William Bligh, Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of NSW and  its dependencies. In 1808, he was unlawfully removed from office by officers of the NSW Corp.

The Bligh Museum of Pacific Exploration website

Log of HMS Bounty - William Bligh          

Elizabeth Betham - William Bligh's wife, as well as their family tree

1808 (Jan 26 to July 28) Major George Johnson administered.

1808 (July 29) to 1809 (Jan 8) Major Joseph Foveaux administered.

1809 (Jan 9 to Dec 31) Colonel William Paterson administered. (Not sure if he was the same man in 1794 as Captain William Paterson.)

1810 (Jan 1) to 1821 (Dec 1) Colonel Lachlan Macquarie (later Major-General), Governor.

1821 (Dec 1) to 1825 (Dec 1) Major-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, Governor.

1825 (Dec 1) to 1825 (Dec 18) Lieutenant-Colonel William Stewart administered.

1825 (Dec 19) to 1831 (Oct 21) Lieutenant-General Ralph Darling, Governor.

1831 (Oct 22)  to (Dec 2) Colonel Patrick Lindesay administered.

1831 (Dec 3) to 1837 (Dec 5) Major-General Sir Richard Bourke, Governor

1837 (Dec 6) to 1838 (Feb 23) Lieutenant-Colonel Kenneth Snodgrass administered.

1838 (Feb 24) to 1846 (July 11) Sir George Gipps, Captain-General and Goveror-in-Chief of NSW and Van Dieman’s Land and their dependencies.

1846 (July 12 to August 2) Sir Maurice Charles Philip O'Connell administered

1846 (Aug 3) to (Jan 17) Sir Charles Augustus Fitz Roy. Australian possessions and Captain- General and Governor-in-Chief of NSW, Van Diemen’s Land and South Australia and their dependencies.

1855 (Jan 20 to Dec 19) Sir William Thomas Denison, Govenor-General of her Majesty’s colonies of NSW, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.

1855 (Dec 19) to 1861 (Jan 22) Sir William Thomas Denison, Captain- General, Governor - in- Chief and Vice-Admiral of NSW and its dependencies.

1861 (Jan 22 to Mar 22) Lieutenant- Colonel John Francis Kempt administered.

1861 (Mar 22) to 1867 (Dec 24) Sir John Young ( later Lord  Lisgar ), Captain- General, Governor-General-in-Chief and Vice-Admiral of NSW and its dependencies.

1867 (Dec 25 to 1868 (Jan 7). Major-General Sir Thevor Chute administered

1868  (Jan 8) to 1872 (Feb 22) Earl of Belmore (Sir Somerset Richard Lowry-Corry), Governor, Commander-in-Chief and Vice-Admiral of NSW.

1872 (Feb 23 to June 2) Sir Alfred Stephen administered.

1872 (June 3) to 1879 (Mar 19) Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson ( later Lord Rosemead ), Governor.

1879 (Mar 20 to  Aug 3) Sir Alfred Stephen administered.

1879 (Aug 4) to 1885 (Nov 9) (Baron?) Lord Loftus (Augustus William Frederick Spencer), Governor-in-Chief of  NSW and its dependencies.

1885 (Nov 10) to (Dec 11) Sir Alfred Stephen administered.

1885 (Dec 12) to 1890 (Nov 3)  (Baron?) Lord Carrington (Charles Robert Wynn-Carrington , Governor.

1890 (Nov 3) to 1891 (Jan 15) Sir Alfred Stephen administered.

1891 (Jan 15) to 1893 (Mar 2) Earl of Jersey (Rt Hon Albert George Child Villliers) Governor.

1893 (Mar 3 to May 29) Hon Sir Frederick  Matthew Darley administered.

1893 (May 29) to 1895 (Mar 15) Rt Hon Sir Robert William Duff, Governor.

1895 (Mar 16 to Nov 22) Hon Sir Frederick  Matthew Darley administered.

1895 (Nov 22) to 1899 (Mar 5) Viscount Hampden (Rt Hon Henry Robert Brand), Governor.

1899 (Mar 5 to May 18) Hon Sir Frederick Matthew Darley administered.

1899 (May 18) to 1901 (Apr 30) Earl Beauchamp (Rt Hon William Lygon), Governor.

The above information was taken from "Australians: A Historical Library", and "Australians: The Guide and Index", State Library of N.S.W, Copyright Fairfax, Syme & Weldon Associates 1987, National Library of Australia.
 

The following is a list of Governors-General of Australia since the inception of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901, and of persons appointed to administer the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia since its establishment.

1 January 1901 - 9 January 1903 Rt Hon. John Adrian Louis Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun, KT, GCMG, GCVO

17 July 1902 - 9 January 1903 Rt Hon. Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, GCMG (Acting Governor-General)

9 January 1903 - 21 January 1904 Rt Hon. Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, GCMG

21 January 1904 - 9 September 1908 Rt Hon. Henry Stafford Northcote, 1st Baron Northcote, GCMG, GCIE, CB

9 September 1908 - 31 July 1911 Rt Hon. William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley, GCB, GCMG, GCVO

21 December 1909 - 27 January 1910 Rt Hon. Frederick John Napier Thesiger, 3rd Baron Chelmsford, KCMG (Administrator)

31 July 1911 - 18 May 1914 Rt Hon. Thomas Denman, 3rd Baron Denman, GCMG, KCVO

18 May 1914 - 6 October 1920 Rt Hon. Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro-Ferguson, GCMG

6 October 1920 - 8 October 1925 Rt Hon. Henry William Forster, 1st Baron Forster, GCMG

8 October 1925-22 January 1931 Rt Hon. John Lawrence Baird, 1st Baron Stonehaven, GCMG, DSO

3 October 1930 - 22 January 1931 Lieutenant-Colonel the Rt Hon. Arthur Herbert Tennyson Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers, KCMG, DSO, MC (Administrator)

22 January 1931 - 22 January 1936 Rt Hon. Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs, GCB, GCMG, KC

23 January 1936 - 30 January 1945 Brigadier-General the Rt Hon. Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1st Baron Gowrie, VC, GCMG, CB, DSO

29 March 1938 - 24 September 1938 Captain the Rt Hon. William Charles Arcedeckne Vanneck, 5th Baron Huntingfield, KCMG (Administrator)

5 September 1944 - 30 January 1945 Major General Sir Winston Dugan, GCMG, CB, DSO (Administrator)

30 January 1945 - 11 March 1947 HRH Prince Henry William Frederick Albert, Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden, KG, KT, KP, GCB, GCMG, GCVO

19 January 1947 - 11 March 1947 Major General Sir Winston Dugan, GCMG, CB, DSO (Administrator)

11 March 1947 - 8 May 1953 Rt Hon. Sir William John McKell, GCMG, QC

19 July 1951 - 14 December 1951 General Sir John Northcott, KCMG, CB, MVO (Administrator)

8 May 1953 - 2 February 1960 Field Marshal Sir William Joseph Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC

30 July 1956 - 22 October 1956 General Sir John Northcott, KCMG, KCVO, CB (Administrator)

8 January 1959 - 16 January 1959 General Sir Reginald Alexander Dallas Brooks, KCB, KCMG, KCVO, DSO (Administrator)

2 February 1960 - 3 February 1961 Rt Hon. William Shepherd Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil, GCMG, MC, QC

4 February 1961 - 3 August 1961 General Sir Reginald Alexander Dallas Brooks, KCB, KCMG, KCVO, DSO (Administrator)

3 August 1961 - 22 September 1965 Rt Hon. William Philip Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle, VC, KG, GCMG, GCVO

5 June 1962 - 3 October 1962, 22 November 1962 - 18 December 1962 General Sir Reginald Alexander Dallas Brooks, KCB, KCMG, KCVO, DSO (Administrator)

16 June 1964 - 30 August 1964 General Sir Eric Winslow Woodward, KCMG, KCVO, CB, DSO (Administrator)

7 May 1965 - 22 September 1965 Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith, KCMG, KCVO, DSO (Administrator)

22 September 1965 - 30 April 1969 Rt Hon. Richard Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey, KG, GCMG, CH, DSO, MC

24 April 1967 - 1 June 1967 Lieutenant General Sir Edric Montague Bastyan, KCMG, KCVO, KBE, CB (Administrator)

30 April 1969 - 11 July 1974 Rt Hon. Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck, KG, GCMG, GCVO

11 February 1971 - 18 February 1971, 12 October 1971 - 19 October 1971, 29 June 1972 - 9 August 1972, 5 April 1974 - 8 April 1974 Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe, KCMG, KCVO, KBE, CB, DSO (Administrator)

11 July 1974 - 8 December 1977 Rt Hon Sir John Robert Kerr, AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC

20 February 1975 - 13 March 1975, 12 May 1975 - 24 May 1975, 16 September 1975 - 17 September 1975, 23 December 1975 - 3 February 1976, 26 April 1977 - 14 June 1977, 23 August 1977 - 28 August 1977 Sir Roden Cutler, VC, AK, KCMG, KCVO, CBE (Administrator)

8 December 1977 - 29 July 1982 Rt Hon. Sir Zelman Cowen, AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC

1 September 1979 - 7 September 1979, 3 May 1981 - 28 June 1981, 26 July 1981 - 4 August 1981 Hon. Sir Stanley Charles Burbury, KCMG, KCVO, KBE (Administrator)

27 June 1982 - 30 June 1982 Commodore Sir James Maxwell Ramsay, KCMG, KCVO, CBE, DSC (Administrator)

29 July 1982 - 16 February 1989 Rt Hon. Sir Ninian Martin Stephen, AK, GCMG, GCVO, KBE

24 September 1984 - 8 October 1984, 8 April 1985 - 14 April 1985, 10 June 1985 - 18 June 1985 Commodore Sir James Maxwell Ramsay, KCMG, KCVO, CBE, DSC (Administrator)

18 August 1985 - 18 October 1985, 20 July 1986 - 26 July 1986, 14 January 1987 - 21 January 1987, 1 September 1987 - 8 September 1987, 15 September 1987 - 31 October 1987, 9 February 1988 - 16 February 1988 Air Marshal Sir James Anthony Rowland, KBE, DFC, AFC (Administrator)

16 February 1989 - 16 February 1996 Hon. William George Hayden, AC

23 February 1989 - 27 February 1989, 4 January 1990 - 5 January 1990 Lieutenant General Sir Donald Dunstan, KBE, CB (Administrator)

22 August 1993 - 6 September 1993 General Sir Phillip Harvey Bennett, AC, KBE, DSO (Administrator)

16 February 1996- June, 2001 Hon. Sir William Patrick Deane, AC, KBE    more on Sir William Deane

29 June 2001- Dr Peter Hollingworth - Australia's 23rd Governor-General