List of resident commissioners and governors of the Solomon Islands facts for kids
The Solomon Islands are a country made up of many islands in the Pacific Ocean. For a long time, they were under the control of Britain. This article lists the important people who were sent by Britain to lead the islands.
These leaders were called "resident commissioners" when the islands were a British protectorate (from 1893 to 1975). A protectorate means that Britain protected and partly controlled the islands. Later, when the islands were a "dependent territory" (from 1975 to 1978), the leaders were called "governors." This was just before the Solomon Islands became a fully independent country.
Early Leaders: Resident Commissioners (1896–1953)
The resident commissioners were like managers for the Solomon Islands. They reported to a higher boss called the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific. This High Commissioner was in charge of many British islands in the Pacific, known as the British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT).
Until 1952, the High Commissioner was also the Governor of Fiji. This meant the same person was the top leader for both Fiji and the British Western Pacific Territories.
| Term | Name |
|---|---|
| 1896–1915 | Charles Morris Woodford |
| 1915–1917 | Frederick Joshua Barnett |
| 1917–1921 | Charles Rufus Marshall Workman |
| 1921–1929 | Richard Rutledge Kane |
| 1929–1939 | Francis Noel Ashley |
| 1939–1943 | William Sydney Marchant |
| 1943–1950 | Owen Cyril Noel |
| 1950 – 1 January 1953 | Henry Graham Gregory-Smith |
New Leaders: Governors of the Solomon Islands (1953–1978)
Things changed on 3 July 1952. Fiji and Tonga became separate from the British Western Pacific Territories. A new High Commissioner for the Western Pacific was chosen, just for those islands.
At first, this new High Commissioner stayed in Fiji. But by the end of 1952, the office moved to Honiara, which is the capital of the British Solomon Islands. From 1 January 1953, the job of High Commissioner was combined with the job of Governor of the Solomon Islands. This meant the Governor was the main leader on the islands.
On 1 January 1972, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands also separated. They got their own governor. Finally, on 2 January 1976, the role of High Commissioner and the whole idea of the British Western Pacific Territories ended. This happened because most of the islands had become independent or were about to.
| Term | Name |
|---|---|
| 3 July 1952 – July 1955 | Sir Robert Stanley |
| July 1955 – 4 March 1961 | Sir John Gutch |
| 4 March 1961 – 16 June 1964 | Sir David Trench |
| 16 June 1964 – 1968 | Sir Robert Sidney Foster |
| 6 March 1969 – 1973 | Sir Michael Gass |
| 1973–1976 | Sir Donald Luddington |
| 1976 – 7 July 1978 | Sir Colin Allan |
See also
