British Western Pacific Territories

The British Western Pacific Territories was the name of a colonial entity, created in 1877, for the administration, under a single representative of the British Crown, styled High Commissioner, of a series of relatively minor Pacific islands in and around Oceania. The position of Western Pacific High Commissioner was created by the Western Pacific Order in Council 1893 made by the Privy Council. It was initially aimed at extending the jurisdiction of British law to British subjects in the Western Pacific Region.

Island Groups

Canton and Enderbury Islands (1939 to 1971) - Now a part of Kiribati.
Cook Islands (1893 to 1901) - Now a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand.
Fiji Father Colonial Fiji (1877 to 1952) - Now independent.
Gilbert and Ellice Islands (1916 to 1971) - Now independent as Kiribati and Tuvalu.
Nauru Protectorate Mandate (1914 to 1921) - Now independent.
New Hebrides (1906 to 1971) - Now independent as Vanuatu.
Savage Island (1900 to 1901) - Now Niue, a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand.
Pitcairn Islands (1898 to 1952) - Still a British overseas territory.
Solomon Islands (1893 to 1971) - Now independent.
Tonga Father Tonga Protected State (1900 to 1952) - Now independent.
Tuvalu Father Colony of Tuvalu (1892 to 1916) - Now independent.
Union Islands (1877 to 1926) - Now Tokelau, a dependent territory of New Zealand.

List of High Commissioners for the Western Pacific (1877–1976)

The office was never an independent one, but always filled ex officio the Governorship of one of the constitutive British islands colonies

High Commissioners for the Western Pacific and Governors of Fiji (1877–1953)

Administered from Suva, Fiji:

Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon, 1877–January 1880
Sir George William Des Vœux, January 1880–January 1887
Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell, January 1887–February 1888
Sir John Bates Thurston, February 1888–7 February 1897
Sir George Thomas Michael O'Brien, March 1897–1901
William Lamond Allardyce, 1901–10 September 1902, acting
Sir Henry Moore Jackson, 10 September 1902–11 October 1904
Sir Everard F. im Thurn, 11 October 1904–21 February 1911
Sir Francis Henry May, 21 February 1911–25 July 1912
Sir Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott, 25 July 1912–10 October 1918
Cecil Hunter Rodwell, 10 October 1918–25 April 1925
Sir Eyre Hutson, 25 April 1925–22 November 1929
Sir Arthur George Murchison Fletcher, 22 November 1929–28 November 1936
Sir Arthur Frederick Richards, 28 November 1936–16 September 1938
Sir Harry Charles Luke, 16 September 1938–1942

Between 1942 and 1945, the high commission was suspended. While most islands were under British military administration, the Solomon Islands, Gilbert Islands and Phoenix islands came under Japanese occupation.

Sir Alexander William George Herder Grantham, 1945–1946
Sir Leslie Brian Freeston, 20 January 1948–3 July 1952

High Commissioners for the Western Pacific and Governors of the Solomon Islands (1953–1976)

In 1953, Fiji was separated from the High Commission. Following this, the High Commissioner's post moved to Honiara, Solomon Islands, and the High Commissioner was also the Governor of the Solomon Islands.

Sir Robert Christopher Stafford Stanley, 3 July 1952–1952
Henry Graham Gregory-Smith, 1952–1955
John Gutch, 1955–4 March 1961
David Trench, 4 March 1961–16 June 1964
Sir Robert Sidney Foster, 16 June 1964–6 March 1969
Sir Michael David Irving Gass, 6 March 1969–July 1971

vacant

Donald Collin Cumyn Luddington, 1973–2 January 1976

On 2 January 1976 the office and the entity were abolished, after nearly all island groups had been given separate statehood.

In 2002 the archived records of this High Commission were transferred to New Zealand, and are now held at The University of Auckland Library, Special Collections.[1]

References

WorldStatesmen