Hydraulic control apparatus for automatic remote control of a hydraulic actuating ram. The apparatus has a double-acting slave cylinder connectable hydraulically to an actuating ram, and a double-acting master cylinder the piston of which is mechanically connected to the piston of the slave cylinder, the master cylinder being operable by hydraulic pressure supplied via a pilot-operated valve arranged automatically to reverse the stroke of the master ram at limits set according to the desired stroke of the actuating ram. The control apparatus may be used for controlling actuating rams which effect reciprocating pivotal movement about one or more axes of a water jet monitor.