Governor of Fiji
Appearance
Governor of Fiji | |
---|---|
Style | His Excellency The Right Honourable |
Residence | Government House, Suva |
Appointer | King/Queen of the United Kingdom |
Formation | 10 October 1874 |
First holder | Sir Hercules Robinson |
Final holder | Sir Robert Sidney Foster |
Abolished | 10 October 1970 |
Succession | Governor-General of Fiji |
Fiji was a British Crown colony from 1874 to 1970, and an independent dominion in the Commonwealth from 1970 to 1987. During this period, the head of state was the British monarch, but in practice his or her functions were normally exercised locally by the governor prior to independence (on 10 October 1970), and by the governor-general prior to the proclamation of a republic on 7 October 1987.
From 1877 to 3 July 1952, governors of Fiji were also high commissioners for the Western Pacific.
List of governors of Fiji (1874–1970)
[edit]Following is a list of people who have served as governor of Fiji.
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Monarch | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | ||||
Colony of Fiji | |||||
1 | Sir Hercules Robinson (1824–1897) |
10 October 1874 | June 1875 | Victoria | |
2 | Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon (1829–1912) |
19 August 1875 | 1880 | ||
3 | Sir William Des Vœux (1834–1909) |
20 December 1880 | 21 January 1885 | ||
— | John Bates Thurston (1836–1897) Acting Governor |
21 January 1885 | 1 January 1887 | ||
4 | Sir Charles Mitchell (1836–1899) |
1 January 1887 | February 1888 | ||
5 | Sir John Bates Thurston (1836–1897) |
February 1888 | 7 February 1897 | ||
6 | Sir George T. M. O'Brien (1844–1906) |
March 1897 | 1901 | ||
— | Sir William Allardyce (1861–1930) Acting Governor |
1901 | 10 September 1902 | Edward VII | |
7 | Sir Henry Jackson (1849–1908) |
10 September 1902 | 11 October 1904 | ||
8 | Sir Everard im Thurn (1852–1932) |
11 October 1904 | 1910 | ||
— | Sir Charles Major (1860–1933) Acting Governor |
1910 | 21 February 1911 | ||
George V | |||||
9 | Sir Francis May (1860–1922) |
21 February 1911 | 25 July 1912 | ||
10 | Sir Ernest Sweet-Escott (1857–1941) |
25 July 1912 | 10 October 1918 | ||
— | Sir Eyre Hutson (1864–1936) Acting for Sweet-Escott |
1915 | 1916 | ||
11 | Sir Cecil Hunter-Rodwell (1874–1953) |
10 October 1918 | 25 April 1925 | ||
— | Sir Eyre Hutson (1864–1936) Acting for Hunter-Rodwell |
1919 | 1919 | ||
12 | Sir Eyre Hutson (1864–1936) |
25 April 1925 | 22 November 1929 | ||
13 | Sir Murchison Fletcher (1878–1954) |
22 November 1929 | May 1936 | ||
Edward VIII | |||||
— | Sir Juxon Barton (1891–1980) Acting Governor |
May 1936 | November 1936 | ||
14 | Sir Arthur Richards (1885–1978) |
28 November 1936 | August 1938 | ||
George VI | |||||
— | Sir Juxon Barton (1891–1980) Acting Governor |
August 1938 | September 1938 | ||
15 | Sir Harry Luke (1884–1969) |
16 September 1938 | 20 July 1942 | ||
— | Alexander Theodore Newboult (1896–1964) Acting Governor |
20 July 1942 | 22 July 1942 | ||
16 | Sir Philip Mitchell (1890–1964) |
22 July 1942 | 12 January 1944 | ||
— | Sir John Rankine (1907–1987) Acting Governor |
12 January 1944 | 4 May 1944 | ||
— | Sir John Nicoll (1899–1981) Acting Governor |
4 May 1944 | 23 October 1944 | ||
— | Sir John Rankine (1907–1987) Acting Governor |
23 October 1944 | 1 January 1945 | ||
17 | Sir Alexander Grantham (1899–1978) |
1 January 1945 | 21 March 1947 | ||
— | Sir John Nicoll (1899–1981) Acting Governor |
21 March 1947 | 8 October 1947 | ||
18 | Sir Brian Freeston (1892–1958) |
8 October 1947 | 6 October 1952 | ||
Elizabeth II | |||||
19 | Sir Ronald Garvey (1903–1991) |
6 October 1952 | 28 October 1958 | ||
20 | Sir Kenneth Maddocks (1907–2001) |
28 October 1958 | 6 January 1964 | ||
21 | Sir Derek Jakeway (1915–1993) |
6 January 1964 | December 1968 | ||
22 | Sir Robert Sidney Foster (1913–2005) |
December 1968 | 10 October 1970 |
In 1970, Fiji gained independence from the United Kingdom. After independence, the viceroy in Fiji was the governor-general of Fiji.
Governor's flag
[edit]Further reading
[edit]- Paul Knaplund, "Sir Arthur Gordon and Fiji: Some Gordon-Gladstone Letters." Historical Studies: Australia and New Zealand 8#31 (1958) pp 281–296.