Richard Trowbridge

Rear-Admiral Sir Richard John Trowbridge, (21 January 1920 – 4 May 2003), was a senior officer in the Royal Navy and the 25th Governor of Western Australia, serving from 25 November 1980 to 24 November 1983. He was the last non-Australian vice-regal representative in Australia. He was also the first officer to rise from boy seaman to captain of the Queen's yacht HMY Britannia. He was educated at Andover Grammar School and was fully expecting to become a farmer until a downturn in agriculture saw him leave school in 1935 at just 15 years of age to join the Royal Navy as a boy seaman. Trowbridge was quickly promoted through the navy ranks, and was commissioned as sub-lieutenant in 1940, serving throughout the Second World War at sea. At the end of hostilities, he was stationed in Singapore for a number of years where he was promoted to commander in 1953, and where he met and married Anne Perceval (1920–2013), on 26 February 1955.

From 1956 to 1958, Trowbridge captained the destroyer in the Mediterranean, and following this served as the second-in-command of the cruiser from 1958 to 1959. He then returned to the gunnery school at Whale Island in Portsmouth, where he was promoted to captain in 1960. From 1962 to 1964 he was captain of the frigate and in charge of the Fishery Protection Squadron, and from 1967 to 1969 he commanded the guided missile destroyer , which for many years was the flagship of the Western Fleet.

Following Kyle's term, Trowbridge was appointed Governor of Western Australia on Premier Court's recommendation, for a term from 25 November 1980 to 24 November 1983.

On completion of his term, Trowbridge returned to retirement in the United Kingdom living in Portsmouth. His life was overshadowed by exposure to asbestos which was being removed from Britannia during a long refit which he supervised, almost certainly leading to his death from lung cancer. He died on 4 May 2003, in Portsmouth.