British Western Pacific Territories
Encyclopedia
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 in Council Order 1893 made by the Privy Council. It was initially aimed at extending the jurisdiction of British law to British citizens in the Western Pacific Region.
(1939 to 1971) - Now a part of Kiribati
. Cook Islands
(1893 to 1901) - Now a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand. (1877 to 1952) - Now independent. Gilbert and Ellice Islands
(1916 to 1971) - Now independent as Kiribati
and Tuvalu
. Nauru
(1914 to 1921) - Now independent. (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. (1900 to 1952) - Now independent. (1892 to 1916) - Now independent. Union Islands (1877 to 1926) - Now Tokelau
, a dependent territory of New Zealand.
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 Japan
ese occupation.
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.http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/about/speccoll/home.htm
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
, 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 in Council Order 1893 made by the Privy Council. It was initially aimed at extending the jurisdiction of British law to British citizens in the Western Pacific Region.
Island Groups
Canton and Enderbury IslandsCanton and Enderbury Islands
The Canton and Enderbury Islands consist of the coral atolls of Canton and Enderbury in the northeastern part of the Phoenix Islands, about 1,850 miles south of Hawaii in the central Pacific Ocean...
(1939 to 1971) - Now a part of Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
. Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
(1893 to 1901) - Now a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand. (1877 to 1952) - Now independent. Gilbert and Ellice Islands
Gilbert and Ellice Islands
The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976, when the islands were divided into two different colonies which became independent nations shortly after...
(1916 to 1971) - Now independent as Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
and Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
. Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
(1914 to 1921) - Now independent. (1906 to 1971) - Now independent as Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
. Savage Island
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
(1900 to 1901) - Now Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
, a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand. Pitcairn Islands
Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Pacific...
(1898 to 1952) - Still a British overseas territory. Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
(1893 to 1971) - Now independent. (1900 to 1952) - Now independent. (1892 to 1916) - Now independent. Union Islands (1877 to 1926) - Now Tokelau
Tokelau
Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of three tropical coral atolls with a combined land area of 10 km2 and a population of approximately 1,400...
, 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 coloniesHigh 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 ThurstonJohn Bates ThurstonSir John Bates Thurston was a British colonial official who served Fiji in a variety of capacities, including Premier of the Kingdom of Viti and later as colonial Governor.- Early life :...
, February 1888–7 February 1897 - Sir George Thomas Michael O'BrienGeorge Thomas Michael O'BrienSir George Thomas Michael O'Brien, KCMG was a British colonial official, who served as Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1892 to 1895, and as Governor of Fiji from 1897 to 1901. He died in 1906.O'Brien Road in Hong Kong was named after him....
, March 1897–1901 - William Lamond AllardyceWilliam Lamond AllardyceSir William Lamond Allardyce KCMG was a career British civil servant in the Colonial Office who served as governor of Fiji , the Falkland Islands , Bahamas , Tasmania , and Newfoundland .Allardyce was born near Bombay, India, the son of Georgina Dickson Abbott and Colonel James Allardyce...
, 1901–10 September 1902, acting - Sir Henry Moore JacksonHenry Moore JacksonSir Henry Moore Jackson R.A. GCMG was born in Grenada to the Anglican Bishop of Antigua and of the Leeward Islands. He received his education in England at Clifton College and the Royal Military Academy. After his education, Jackson went into the military, serving for the Royal Artillery from 1870...
, 10 September 1902–11 October 1904 - Sir Everard F. im ThurnEverard F. im ThurnEverard Ferdinand im Thurn was an author, explorer, botanist, photographer and Governor of Fiji. He was educated at Oxford University, Edinburgh University, and Sydney University...
, 11 October 1904–21 February 1911 - Sir Francis Henry MayFrancis Henry MaySir Francis Henry May, GCMG was a British colonial administrator who became Governor of Hong Kong.-Early life and education:...
, 21 February 1911–25 July 1912 - Sir Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott, 25 July 1912–10 October 1918
- Cecil Hunter RodwellCecil Hunter RodwellBorn in England, Rodwell attended Cheam School and Eton College and went up to Cambridge in 1892 to study at King's College. Upon the outbreak of the South African War, Rodwell joined the Suffolk Yeomanry and was awarded the Queen's Medal with two clasps for bravery....
, 10 October 1918–25 April 1925 - Sir Eyre HutsonEyre HutsonSir Eyre Hutson KCMG was an English colonial administrator who became Governor of British Honduras and later Governor of Fiji....
, 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 LukeHarry Charles LukeSir Harry Charles Luke KCMG, GCStJ, D.Litt. of Oxford and honorary LLD of Malta, was an official in the British Colonial Office. He served in Barbados, Cyprus, Transcaucasia, Sierra Leone, Palestine, Malta, the British Western Pacific Territories and Fiji...
, 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 Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese occupation.
- Sir Alexander William George Herder Grantham, 1945–1946
- Sir Leslie Brian FreestonLeslie Brian FreestonSir Brian Freeston, KCMG, OBE was a British colonial official.Freeston was educated at Willaston School and New College, Oxford. After military service in the First World War he joined the then Colonial Office in 1919...
, 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 GutchJohn GutchJohn Gutch was an Anglican clergyman and official of the University of Oxford. He was also an antiquarian, with a particular interest in the history of the university.-Life:...
, 1955–4 March 1961 - David Trench, 4 March 1961–16 June 1964
- Sir Robert Sidney FosterRobert Sidney FosterSir Robert Sidney Foster, GCMG, KCVO was a British colonial administrator, best remembered as the last colonial Governor of Fiji and the first Governor-General of the Dominion of Fiji.-Colonial service:...
, 16 June 1964–6 March 1969 - Sir Michael David Irving GassMichael David Irving GassSir Michael David Irving Gass, KCMG , was the penultimate High Commissioner of the Western Pacific and also in his junior days Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1965 - 1969.He married Elizabeth Periam Fuller Acland Hood in 1975....
, 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.http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/about/speccoll/home.htm