Ronald Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar

The Right Honourable The Viscount Novar KT, GCMG, PC
Ferguson c. 1910s
6th Governor-General of Australia
In office 18 May 1914 – 6 October 1920
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	Joseph Cook (1914) Andrew Fisher (1914–15) Billy Hughes (1915–20)
Preceded by	Lord Denman
Succeeded by	Lord Forster
Secretary for Scotland
In office 24 October 1922 – 22 January 1924
Prime Minister	Bonar Law (1922–23) Stanley Baldwin (1923–24)
Preceded by	Robert Munro
Succeeded by	William Adamson
Member of Parliament for Leith Burghs
In office 21 August 1886 – 1 February 1914
Preceded by	William Ewart Gladstone Never took seat
Succeeded by	George Welsh Currie
Member of Parliament for Ross and Cromarty
In office 11 August 1884 – 19 December 1885
Preceded by	Sir Alexander Matheson, Bt
Succeeded by	Roderick Macdonald
Personal details
Born	(1860-03-06)6 March 1860 Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland
Died	30 March 1934(1934-03-30) (aged 74) Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Helen Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood ​ ​ (m. 1889)​

Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar, KT, GCMG, PC (6 March 1860 – 30 March 1934) was a British politician who served as the sixth Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1914 to 1920.

Munro Ferguson was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. He attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and initially pursued a military career. Munro Ferguson was elected to the House of Commons in 1884, defeated a year later, and re-elected in 1886. A Liberal Imperialist, he was an ally of Lord Rosebery and served as a Junior Lord of the Treasury in his government. Munro Ferguson was overlooked for ministerial office by Henry Campbell-Bannerman and H. H. Asquith, but in 1914 was appointed Governor-General of Australia. He was politically influential, forming a close bond with Prime Minister Billy Hughes, and was committed to his role as nominal commander-in-chief during World War I. His six years in office was a record until being surpassed by another wartime governor-general, Lord Gowrie. Munro Ferguson was raised to the viscountcy once his term ended, and from 1922 to 1924, returned to politics as Secretary of State for Scotland under Bonar Law and Stanley Baldwin. In retirement he held various company directorships.