Governor of Pitcairn facts for kids

The flag of the Governor of Pitcairn

The Governor of Pitcairn is a very important person. They represent the British King or Queen in the Pitcairn Islands. These islands are the last British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. Even though the Governor is in charge, the people of Pitcairn mostly manage their own local affairs.

The Pitcairn Islands have a very small population. It was highest in the 1930s with 233 people. By 2023, only 35 people lived there. Because of this, the British government never sent a Governor to live on Pitcairn.

Instead, the Governor of Fiji also served as the Governor of Pitcairn starting in 1898. When Fiji became an independent country in 1970, the job of Governor of Pitcairn moved. It was then given to the British High Commissioner to New Zealand. A High Commissioner is like an ambassador between Commonwealth countries. Currently, Iona Thomas holds this important role.

Throughout history, the British Governor's power was rarely used on Pitcairn. This shows how much the islanders manage their own lives.

Governors of Pitcairn Since 1970

This section lists the people who have served as Governor of Pitcairn since 1970.

Pitcairn Islands
No.	Name (Birth–Death)	Title	Portrait	Tenure		Notes	Monarch
				From	Until
1	Sir Arthur Norman Galsworthy (1916-1986)	Governor of Pitcairn		October 1970	January 1973		Elizabeth II
2	Sir David Aubrey Scott (1919–2010)	Governor of Pitcairn		January 1973	1975
3	Sir Harold Smedley (1920–2004)	Governor of Pitcairn		February 1976	1980
4	Richard Stratton (?–?)	Governor of Pitcairn		September 1980	1984
5	Terence Daniel O'Leary (1928–2006)	Governor of Pitcairn		July 1984	1987
6	Robin Byatt (1930–2019)	Governor of Pitcairn		December 1987	1990
7	David Moss (born 1938)	Governor of Pitcairn		September 1990	1994
8	Robert John Alston (born 1938)	Governor of Pitcairn		August 1994	10 February 1998
9	Martin Williams (born 1941)	Governor of Pitcairn		April 1998	2001
10	Richard Fell (born 1948)	Governor of Pitcairn		10 December 2001	April 2006
11	George Fergusson (born 1955)	Governor of Pitcairn		2 May 2006	18 May 2010
–	Mike Cherrett (?–?)	Acting Governor of Pitcairn		19 May 2010	3 June 2010
12	Victoria "Vicki" Treadell (born 1959)	Governor of Pitcairn		3 June 2010	July 2014
13	Jonathan Sinclair (born 1970)	Governor of Pitcairn		15 August 2014	9 December 2017
–	Robin Shackell (?–?)	Acting Governor of Pitcairn		9 December 2017	25 January 2018
14	Laura Clarke (born 1978)	Governor of Pitcairn		25 January 2018	7 July 2022
15	Iona Thomas	Governor of Pitcairn		9 August 2022	Incumbent
							Charles III

See also

• List of rulers of the Pitcairn Islands, for local rulers since 1790
• List of governors of Fiji, for governors from 1898 until 1970
• List of high commissioners of the United Kingdom to New Zealand, for governors since 1970