British Western Pacific Territories

From Wikipedia, the free 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 (compare other uses of this title), of a series of relatively minor Pacific islands in and around Oceania

Contents 1 The island entities 1.1 In Polynesia 1.2 In Micronesia 1.3 In Melanesia 2 List of High Commissioners for the Western Pacific (1877–1976) 2.1 High Commissioners for the Western Pacific and Governors of Fiji (1877–1953) 2.2 High Commissioners for the Western Pacific and Governors of the Solomon Islands (1953–1976) 3 References

[edit] The island entities

• Gilbert and Ellice Islands to 1971 (currently: Kiribati in Micronesia respectively Tuvalu in Polynesia)
• Phoenix Islands to 1939 (The nearly uninhabited eight atolls are currently part of Kiribati)

[edit] In Polynesia

• Cook Islands (The 15 small islands are now a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand)
• Niue [to 1901] (also known as "Rock of Polynesia"; currently self-governing, in free association with New Zealand)
• Union Islands [to 1926] (currently Tokelau)
• the native kingdom of Tonga [to 1952]
• The Pitcairn Islands [to 1952] (five islands, of which only Pitcairn Island — the second largest — is inhabited, the only remaining British colony in the Pacific; became home of the descendants of the Bounty mutineers and accompanying Tahitians)
• cfr. supra Tuvalu

[edit] In Micronesia

• Nauru till 1921 (After World War I, Nauru became a League of Nations Mandate territory in 1920, administered by Australia; in 1947, a trusteeship was approved by the United Nations; it achieved independence in 1968)
• cfr. supra Kiribati

[edit] In Melanesia

• Fiji; its governor, in Suva, was also the joint High Commissioner until it was separated from the High commission in 1952
• the British Solomon Islands [to 1974]; their governor, in Honoria, was also the High Commissioner, after Fiji had left, since 1952
• New Hebrides (present Vanuatu), a condominium shared with France, which appointed its own Haut commissaire here

[edit] 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

[edit] 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

[edit] 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.

[edit] References

• WorldStatesmen

v • d • e British Empire and Commonwealth of Nations Legend Current territory  ·   Former territory * now a Commonwealth Realm  ·   now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations Europe  18th century 1708-1757  Minorca since 1713  Gibraltar 1782-1802  Minorca 19th century 1800-1964  Malta 1807-1890  Heligoland 1809-1864  Ionian Islands 1878-1960  Cyprus 20th century since 1960  Akrotiri and Dhekelia North America  16th century 1583-1907  Newfoundland 17th century 1607-1776  Thirteen Colonies since 1619  Bermuda 1670-1870  Rupert's Land 18th century Canada (British Imperial)    1763-1791  Quebec    1791-1841  Lower Canada    1791-1841  Upper Canada 19th century Canada (British Imperial)    1841-1867  Province of Canada    1849-1866  Vancouver Island    1858-1871  British Columbia    1859-1870  North-Western Territory    1862-1863  Stikine Territory *Canada (post-Confederation)    1867-1931  Dominion of Canada1 20th century *Canada (post-Confederation)    1907-1934  Dominion of Newfoundland2 1 In 1931, Canada and other British dominions obtained self-government through the Statute of Westminster. 'Dominion' remains Canada's legal title; see Canada's name. 2 Remained a de jure dominion until 1949 (when it became a Canadian province); from 1934 to 1949, Newfoundland was governed by the Commission of Government. Latin America and the Caribbean  17th century 1605-1979  *Saint Lucia 1623-1883  Saint Kitts (*Saint Kitts & Nevis) 1624-1966  *Barbados 1625-1650  Saint Croix 1627-1979  *St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1628-1883  Nevis (*Saint Kitts & Nevis) 1629-1641  St. Andrew and Providence Islands3 since 1632  Montserrat 1632-1860  Antigua(*Antigua & Barbuda) 1643-1860  Bay Islands since 1650  Anguilla 1651-1667  Willoughbyland (Suriname) 1655-1850  Mosquito Coast (protectorate) 1655-1962  *Jamaica since 1666  British Virgin Islands since 1670  Cayman Islands 1670-1973  *Bahamas 1670-1688  St. Andrew and Providence Islands3 1671-1816  Leeward Islands 18th century 1762-1974  *Grenada 1763-1978  Dominica since 1799  Turks and Caicos Islands 19th century 1831-1966  British Guiana (Guyana) 1833-1960  Windward Islands 1833-1960  Leeward Islands 1860-1981  *Antigua and Barbuda 1871-1964  British Honduras (*Belize) 1882-1983  *St. Kitts and Nevis 1889-1962  Trinidad and Tobago 20th century 1958-1962  West Indies Federation 3 Now the San Andrés y Providencia Department of Colombia. Africa  18th century 1792-1961  Sierra Leone 1795-1803  Cape Colony 19th century 1806-1910  Cape Colony 1816-1965  Gambia 1856-1910  Natal 1868-1966  Basutoland (Lesotho) 1874-1957  Gold Coast (Ghana) 1882-1922  Egypt 1884-1966  Bechuanaland (Botswana) 1884-1960  British Somaliland 1887-1897  Zululand 1888-1894  Matabeleland 1890-1980  Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) 1890-1962  Uganda 1890-1963  Zanzibar (Tanzania) 1891-1964  Nyasaland (Malawi) 1891-1907  British Central Africa 1893-1968  Swaziland 1895-1920  British East Africa 1899-1956  Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 20th century 1900-1914  Northern Nigeria 1900-1914  Southern Nigeria 1900-1910  Orange River Colony 1900-1910  Transvaal Colony 1906-1954  Nigeria Colony 1910-1931  South Africa 1911-1964  Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) 1914-1954  Nigeria Protectorate 1915-1931  South West Africa (Namibia) 1919-1960  Cameroons (Cameroon) 4 1920-1963  Kenya 1922-1961  Tanganyika (Tanzania) 4 1954-1960  Nigeria 4 League of Nations mandate. Asia  18th century 1757-1947  Bengal (West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh) 1762-1764  Philippines 1795-1948  Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1796-1965  Maldives 19th century 1819-1826  British Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore) 1826-1946  Straits Settlements 1839-1967  Colony of Aden 1841-1997  Hong Kong 1841-1941  Kingdom of Sarawak (Malaysia) 1858-1947  British India (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Burma) 1882-1963  British North Borneo (Malaysia) 1885-1946  Unfederated Malay States 1891-1971  Muscat and Oman protectorate 1892-1971  Trucial States protectorate 1895-1946  Federated Malay States 1898-1930  Weihai Garrison 20th century 1918-1961  Kuwait protectorate 1920-1932  Iraq4 1921-1946  Transjordan4 1923-1948  Palestine4 1946-1948  Malayan Union 1946-1963  Sarawak (Malaysia) 1948-1957  Federation of Malaya (Malaysia) since 1965  British Indian Ocean Territory 4 League of Nations mandate. Oceania  18th century 1788-1901  New South Wales 19th century 1803-1901  Van Diemen's Land/Tasmania 1807-1863  Auckland Islands6 1824-1980  New Hebrides (Vanuatu) 1824-1901  Queensland 1829-1901  Swan River Colony/Western Australia 1836-1901  South Australia since 1838  Pitcairn Islands 1840-1907  *Colony of New Zealand 1850-1901  Victoria (Australia) 1874-1970  Fiji5 1877-1976  British Western Pacific Territories 1884-1949  Territory of Papua 1888-1965  Cook Islands6 1888-1984  Sultanate of Brunei 1889-1948  Union Islands (Tokelau)6 1892-1979  Gilbert and Ellice Islands7 1893-1978  British Solomon Islands8 20th century 1900-1970  Tonga (protected state) 1900-1974  Niue6 1901-1942  *Commonwealth of Australia 1907-1953  *Dominion of New Zealand 1919-1949  Territory of New Guinea 1949-1975  Territory of Papua and New Guinea9 5 Suspended member. 6 Now part of the *Realm of New Zealand. 7 Now Kiribati and *Tuvalu. 8 Now the *Solomon Islands. 9 Now *Papua New Guinea. Antarctica and South Atlantic  17th century since 1659  St. Helena (On African Continent) 19th century since 1815  Ascension Island9 (On African Continent) since 1816  Tristan da Cunha9 (On African Continent) since 1833  Falkland Islands11 (South America) 20th century since 1908  British Antarctic Territory10 since 1908  South Georgia and                     the South Sandwich Islands10, 11 9 Dependencies of St. Helena since 1922 (Ascension Island) and 1938 (Tristan da Cunha). 10 Both claimed in 1908; territories formed in 1962 (British Antarctic Territory) and 1985 (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands). 11 Occupied by Argentina during the Falklands War of April-June 1982.