The Lord Forster | |
|---|---|
 Forster c. 1925 | |
| 7th Governor-General of Australia | |
| In office 6 October 1920 – 8 October 1925 | |
| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Billy Hughes Stanley Bruce |
| Preceded by | Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Stonehaven |
| Member of Parliament for Bromley | |
| In office 30 December 1918 – 12 December 1919 | |
| Preceded by | New constituency |
| Succeeded by | Cuthbert James |
| Member of Parliament for Sevenoaks | |
| In office 26 July 1892 – 30 December 1918 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Mills |
| Succeeded by | Sir Thomas Bennett |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 January 1866 Catford, Kent, England |
| Died | 15 January 1936 (aged 69) London, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Rachel Cecily Douglas-Scott-Montagu (m. 1890) |
| Children | 4 |
Henry William Forster, 1st Baron Forster, GCMG, PC (31 January 1866 – 15 January 1936) was a British politician who served as the seventh Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1920 to 1925. He had previously been a government minister under Arthur Balfour, H. H. Asquith, and David Lloyd George.
Forster was born in Catford, Kent. He attended Eton College and New College, Oxford, and in his youth played first-class cricket – in later life he served a term as president of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Forster was elected to the House of Commons in 1892, representing the Conservative Party. He was a Junior Lord of the Treasury under Arthur Balfour from 1902 to 1905, and later Financial Secretary to the War Office from 1915 to 1919. Forster was raised to the peerage in 1919, and appointed Governor-General of Australia the following year. Unlike his predecessor, Ronald Munro Ferguson, he faced no constitutional challenges and had no influence on the political scene. Forster travelled widely while in office and was popular among the general public, mainly concerning himself with ceremonial duties. He retired to England at the end of his five-year term.