High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia

High Commissioner of New Caledonia
Incumbent
Louis Le Franc
since 6 February 2023
ResidenceHigh Commission of the Republic in New Caledonia, Nouméa
AppointerPresident of France
Term lengthIndefinite
Inaugural holderAuguste Fervier Despointies
Formation24 September 1853
Websitehttp://www.nouvelle-caledonie.gouv.fr/
Politics of New Caledonia

The high commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia is the representative of the French Republic in New Caledonia, with the rank of prefect. The high commissioner is generally referred to locally in the media as "Haussaire". Its competences since the Nouméa agreement of 1998 and the organic law on New Caledonia of 1999 have been reduced. The part of the organic law which regulates the position of High Commissioner is Title VI.

He is “appointed by decree of the president of France deliberated in the Council of Ministers. He publishes the laws of the country with the countersignature of the president of the government of New Caledonia. He ensures their publication, as well as any administrative regulations, in the official journal. He chairs the Mining Council. It is responsible for the organization of services falling within the regal powers of the State: in particular security and justice. It is also he who manages the crisis cells linked to climatic events, such as cyclones. He attends by right the Committee of signatories of the Nouméa agreement and acts as the guarantor.

The High Commissioner has been known by other titles since New Caledonia was taken over by France in 1853, first by the title of Commander from 1853 to 1860, then by Governor from 1860 to 1981 (who also bore the title of Commissioner General of the French Republic in the Pacific Ocean from 28 February 1901 and High Commissioner of France for the New Hebrides Archipelago from 11 January 1907, these two positions being held by the Governor until 1981.

List of officeholders

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Term Incumbent Notes
French Suzerainty
French colony
24 September 1853 to 1 January 1854 Auguste Febvrier Despointes, Commandant
1 January 1854 to 31 October 1854 Louis-Marie-François Tardy de Montravel, Commandant
18 January 1855 to 28 October 1856 Joseph Fidèle Eugène du Bouzet, Commandant
18 January 1855 to 21 December 1856 Jules Marcelin Albert Testard, acting Commandant Acting for Bouzet to 28 October 1856
25 May 1856 to 5 May 1857 Le Bris, acting Commandant Acting for Testard to 21 December 1856
21 December 1858 to 20 March 1859 Roussel, Commandant
20 March 1859 to 1 July 1860 Jean Pierre Thomas Durand, Commandant
22 May 1859 to 2 April 1860 Jean-Marie Saisset, acting Commandant Acting for Durand
2 June 1862 to 13 March 1870 Charles Guillain, Governor
13 March 1870 to 26 August 1870 Jacques Eugène Barnabé Ruillier, Governor
26 August 1870 to 25 September 1874 Eugène Gaultier de la Richerie, Governor
25 September 1874 to 27 February 1875 Louis Eugène Alleyron, Governor
27 February 1875 to 11 April 1878 Léopold Eberhard Ludovic de Pritzbuer, Governor
11 April 1878 to 8 August 1880 Jean Baptiste Léon Olry, Governor
8 August 1880 to 29 September 1882 Amédée Courbet, Governor
29 September 1882 to 22 July 1884 Léopold Augustin Charles Pallu de la Barrière, Governor
22 July 1884 to 13 May 1886 Adolphe Le Boucher, Governor
13 May 1886 to 5 June 1886 Orius, Governor
5 June 1886 to 30 July 1888 Louis Hippolyte Marie Nouet, Governor
30 July 1888 to 20 December 1888 Delphino Moracchini, Governor
20 December 1888 to 12 January 1889 Pons, Governor
12 January 1889 to 14 April 1891 Noël Pardon, Governor
14 April 1891 to 16 December 1892 Émile Gustave Laffon, Governor
16 December 1892 to 21 February 1894 Albert Jean Georges Marie Louis Picquié, Governor
21 February 1894 to 10 June 1894 Gauharou, interim Governor
10 June 1894 to 18 October 1902 Paul Théodore Ernest Marie Feillet, Governor
5 June 1896 to 2 June 1897 Aristide Le Fol, acting Governor Acting for Feillet
10 February 1900 to 12 December 1900 Colardeau, acting Governor Acting for Feillet
13 December 1900 to 2 May 1901 Édouard Émile Léon Telle, acting Governor 1st time, acting for Feillet
22 October 1902 to 14 November 1902 Édouard Émile Léon Telle, Governor 2nd time
14 November 1902 to 17 May 1905 Édouard Picanon, acting Governor
17 May 1905 to 17 September 1905 Charles Amédée Rognon, Governor
17 September 1905 to 18 March 1908 Victor Théophile Liotard, Governor
18 March 1908 to 24 May 1908 Pierre Brun, Governor
24 May 1908 to 6 June 1913 Richard, Governor
16 September 1909 to 6 July 1910 Adrien Jules Jean Bonhoure, acting Governor Acting for Richard
6 June 1913 to 27 July 1914 Auguste Charles Désiré Emmanuel Brunet, Governor
27 July 1914 to 15 August 1923 Jules Vincent Repiquet, Governor
23 May 1919 to 6 January 1921 Joseph Marie Eugène Joulia, acting Governor Acting for Repiquet
12 September 1923 to 14 March 1925 Henri Joseph Marie d'Arboussier, Governor 1st time
16 March 1925 to 2 July 1932 Marie Casimir Joseph Guyon, Governor
29 May 1929 to 22 May 1930 Henri Joseph Marie d'Arboussier, acting Governor 2nd time, acting for Guyon
23 May 1930 to 20 December 1930 Gabriel Henri Joseph Thaly, acting Governor Acting for Guyon
20 July 1932 to 6 April 1933 Léonce Alphonse Noël Henri Jore, Governor 1st time
3 May 1933 to 3 December 1936 Bernard Jacques Victorin Siadous, Governor
6 December 1936 to July 1938 Jean Marchessou, Governor
July 1938 to 7 August 1939 Léonce Alphonse Noël Henri Jore, Governor 2nd time
7 August 1939 to 20 September 1939 René Victor Marie Barthes, Governor
20 October 1939 to 4 September 1940 Marie Marc Georges Pelicier, Governor
4 September 1940 to 19 September 1940 Maurice Denis, Governor
19 September 1940 to 6 May 1942 Henri Sautot, Governor
29 July 1942 to 23 June 1943 Marie Henri Ferdinand Auguste Montchamp, Governor
15 September 1943 to 13 February 1944 Christian Robert Roger Laigret, Governor
14 February 1944 to 27 October 1946 Jacques Victor François Tallec, Governor
French overseas territory
27 October 1946 to 28 January 1947 Jacques Victor François Tallec, Governor
29 January 1947 to 10 May 1948 Georges Hubert Parisot, Governor
10 May 1948 to 5 July 1951 Pierre Charles Cournarie, Governor
5 July 1951 to 21 October 1951 Bordarier, Governor
21 October 1951 to 24 July 1954 Raoul Eugène Angammare, Governor
30 September 1954 to 3 February 1956 René Hoffherr, Governor
2 March 1956 to 1 December 1958 Aimé Grimald, Governor
1 December 1958 to 9 January 1963 Laurent Elisée Péchoux, Governor
18 March 1961 to 20 July 1961 Georges Poulet, acting Governor Acting for Pechoux
9 January 1963 to 14 February 1965 Marc Casimir Biros, Governor
14 February 1965 to 16 October 1969 Jean Risterucci, Governor
20 October 1969 to 1 December 1973 Louis Verger, Governor
9 January 1974 to 16 December 1978 Jean Gabriel Ériau, Governor
16 December 1978 to 11 December 1981 Claude Charbonniaud, Governor
19 December 1981 to 22 October 1982 Christian Léon Colombo Nucci, High Commissioner
October 1982 to 23 November 1984 Jacques Roynette, High Commissioner
Autonomy granted
23 November 1984 to 5 December 1984 Jacques Roynette, High Commissioner
January 1985 to 22 May 1985 Edgard Pisani, High Commissioner
31 May 1985 to 1 August 1986 Fernand Wibaux, High Commissioner
1 August 1986 to 12 August 1986 Bernard Lemaire, acting High Commissioner
12 August 1986 to 28 November 1987 Jean Montpezat, High Commissioner
1 December 1987 to 26 June 1988 Clément Bouhin, High Commissioner
Matignon Accords increase territorial autonomy
26 June 1988 to 15 July 1988 Clément Bouhin, High Commissioner
15 July 1988 to 11 January 1991 Bernard Grasset, High Commissioner
15 January 1991 to 29 July 1994 Alain Christnacht, High Commissioner
29 July 1994 to 12 August 1994 Thierry Lataste, acting High Commissioner 1st time
12 August 1994 to 16 August 1995 Didier Cultiaux, High Commissioner
16 August 1995 to 18 August 1995 Laurent Cayrel, acting High Commissioner
18 August 1995 to 20 July 1998 Dominique Bur, High Commissioner
French sui generis overseas collectivity
20 July 1998 to 15 July 1999 Dominique Bur, High Commissioner
19 July 1999 to 29 July 2002 Thierry Lataste, High Commissioner 2nd time
29 July 2002 to 31 July 2002 Alain Triolle, acting High Commissioner
31 July 2002 to 6 September 2005 Daniel Constantin, High Commissioner
6 September 2005 to 9 September 2005 Louis Le Franc, acting High Commissioner
9 September 2005 to 15 October 2007 Michel Mathieu, High Commissioner
15 October 2007 to 25 October 2007 Jean-Bernard Bobin, acting High Commissioner
25 October 2007 to 21 October 2010 Yves Dassonville, High Commissioner
21 October 2010 to 2 November 2010 Thierry Suquet, acting High Commissioner 1st time
2 November 2010 to 2 February 2013 Albert Dupuy, High Commissioner
2 February 2013 to 27 February 2013 Thierry Suquet, acting High Commissioner 2nd time
27 February 2013 to 23 July 2014 Jean-Jacques Brot, High Commissioner
23 July 2014 to 18 August 2014 Pascal Gauci, acting High Commissioner
18 August 2014 to 8? June 2016 Vincent Bouvier, High Commissioner
8? June 2016 to 20 June 2016 Laurent Cabrera, acting High Commissioner
20 June 2016 to 10 July 2019 Thierry Lataste, High Commissioner 3rd time
5 August 2019 to 6 June 2021 Laurent Prévost, High Commissioner
6 June 2021 to 6 February 2023 Patrice Faure, High Commissioner
6 February 2023 to present Louis Le Franc, High Commissioner

See also