| Surveyor General | Period in office | Notes |
|---|
| Felton Mathew | Feb 1840 – Dec 1841 | Appointed 1839 |
| Charles Whybrow Ligar | Jan 1842 – Feb 1856 | From 1852 to 1876 the office of Surveyor-General lapsed. Control of surveys was ceded to the provinces. |
| John Turnbull Thomson | May 1876 – Oct 1879 | Surveyor-General was appointed in 1876 as head of the Department of the Surveyor-General. |
| James McKerrow | Nov 1879 – Jan 1889 | Secretary for Crown Lands and Surveyor-General |
| Stephenson Percy Smith | Feb 1889 – Jun 1901 | Secretary for Crown Lands and Surveyor-General |
| Alexander Barron | Jul 1901 – Dec 1901 | Secretary for Crown Lands and Acting Surveyor-General |
| John William Allman Marchant | Jan 1902 – Jun 1906 | Secretary for Crown Lands and Surveyor-General |
| Thomas Humphries | Jul 1906 – Jun 1909 |
| John Strauchon | Jul 1909 – Mar 1912 |
| James Mackenzie | Apr 1912 – Mar 1914 |
| Ernest Herbert Wilmot | Apr 1914 – Mar 1920 |
| Thomas Noel Brodrick | Apr 1920 – Oct 1920 | Under–Secretary for Lands and Surveyor-General |
| William Thomas Neill | Oct 1920 – Dec 1928 |
| Maurice Crompton Smith | Oct 1922 – Dec 1922 | Acting |
| John Baird Thompson | Jan 1929 – Mar 1929 |
| Harry Edward Walshe | Apr 1929 – Mar 1946 |
| Russell Gladstone Dick | Apr 1946 – Jun 1962 |
| Robert Philip Gough | Jun 1962 – Jun 1970 |
| William Seaton Boyes | Jul 1970 – Feb 1973 |
| Ian Francis Stirling | Mar 1973 – Jun 1981 |
| Warren Neil Hawkey | Jul 1981 – Sep 1987 |
| William Alexander Robertson | Oct 1987 – Jun 1996 | also Director General from Apr 1988 |
| Anthony John Bevin | Jun 1996 – Apr 2004 | Acting from Oct 1995 to Jun 1996 |
| Dr Donald Grant | Apr 2004 – Feb 2014 |
| Mark Dyer[1] | Mar 2014 – present |
|
1. ^http://www.linz.govt.nz/about-linz/news-publications-and-consultations/news-and-notices/linz-appoints-new-surveyor-general