Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster

The Right Honourable The Lord Forster GCMG, PC
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	(1866-01-31)31 January 1866 Catford, Kent, England
Died	15 January 1936(1936-01-15) (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.