Governor of Pitcairn

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Flag of the Governor of Pitcairn

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The Governor of Pitcairn[1] is the representative of the British monarch in the Pitcairn Islands, the last remaining British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. They have considerable local autonomy, but are under the authority of the colonial Governor.

Because of the dependency's small population (it peaked at 233 in the 1930s, and has since dwindled to 56), the British never considered it worthwhile to station a resident Governor on Pitcairn. Instead, the Governor of Fiji doubled as Governor of Pitcairn from 1898 onward. When Fiji became independent in 1970, the governorship of Pitcairn was transferred to the British High Commissioner to New Zealand. The office is currently held by Jonathan Sinclair.

Throughout most of its history, the authority of the British Governor was, in practice, nominal. However, Richard Fell, Governor of the Pitcairn Islands between 2001 and 2006, used the authority vested in him to dismiss the Mayor Steve Christian, involved in the Pitcairn rape trial of 2004.

List of Governors since 1970

Term Incumbent Notes
October 1970 to January 1973 Sir Arthur Norman Galsworthy, Governor
January 1973 to 1975 David Aubrey Scott, Governor [2]
February 1976 to 1980 Harold Smedley, Governor [3]
September 1980 to 1984 Richard Stratton, Governor [4]
July 1984 to 1987 Terence Daniel O'Leary, Governor
December 1987 to 1990 Robin Byatt, Governor
September 1990 to 1994 David Moss, Governor
August 1994 to 10 February 1998 Robert John Alston, Governor
April 1998 to 2001 Martin Williams, Governor
10 December 2001 to April 2006 Richard Fell, Governor
2 May 2006 to 18 May 2010 George Fergusson, Governor
19 May 2010 to 3 June 2010 Mike Cherrett, acting Governor
3 June 2010 to July 2014 Victoria "Vicki" Treadell, Governor
15 August 2014 to present Jonathan Sinclair, Governor

See also

References

  1. ↑ While the territory is commonly called 'Pitcairn Islands', the official title of the office of her Governor is 'Governor of Pitcairn' under section 27(1) of the Pitcairn Constitution Order, 2010.
  2. ↑ From 1 January 1974, Sir David Aubrey Scott.
  3. ↑ From 31 December 1977, Sir Harold Smedley.
  4. ↑ From 1982, Sir Richard Stratton.
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