Governor 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 the functions of the crown 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)

Following is a list of people who have served as governor of Fiji.

Template:Abbr	Portrait	Name Template:Small	Term of office		Monarch
			Took office	Left office
Colony of Fiji
1	Sir Hercules Robinson Template:Small		10 October 1874	June 1875	Victoria
2	Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon Template:Small		19 August 1875	1880
3	Sir William Des Vœux Template:Small	File:Sir G. William Des Voeux.jpg	20 December 1880	21 January 1885
—	John Bates Thurston Template:Small Template:Small	File:John Bates Thurston.jpg	21 January 1885	1 January 1887
4	Sir Charles Mitchell Template:Small	File:Charles Mitchell.jpg	1 January 1887	February 1888
5	Sir John Bates Thurston Template:Small	File:John Bates Thurston.jpg	February 1888	7 February 1897
6	Sir George T. M. O'Brien Template:Small	File:George Thomas Michael O'Brien.jpg	March 1897	1901
—	Sir William Allardyce Template:Small Template:Small	File:William Lamond Allardyce.jpg	1901	10 September 1902	File:Edward VII in coronation robes.jpg Edward VII
7	Sir Henry Jackson Template:Small	File:Henrymoorejackson.jpg	10 September 1902	11 October 1904
8	Sir Everard im Thurn Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	11 October 1904	1910
—	Sir Charles Major Template:Small Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	1910	21 February 1911
					File:Kinggeorgev1923.jpg George V
9	Sir Francis May Template:Small	File:Francis Henry May.gif	21 February 1911	25 July 1912
10	Sir Ernest Sweet-Escott Template:Small	File:Sir (Ernest) Bickham Sweet-Escott.jpg	25 July 1912	10 October 1918
—	Sir Eyre Hutson Template:Small Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	1915	1916
11	Sir Cecil Hunter-Rodwell Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	10 October 1918	25 April 1925
—	Sir Eyre Hutson Template:Small Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	1919	1919
12	Sir Eyre Hutson Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	25 April 1925	22 November 1929
13	Sir Murchison Fletcher Template:Small	File:Sir Murchison Fletcher.jpg	22 November 1929	May 1936
					File:HRH The Prince of Wales No 4 (HS85-10-36416).jpg Edward VIII
—	Sir Juxon Barton Template:Small Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	May 1936	November 1936
14	Sir Arthur Richards Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	28 November 1936	August 1938
					File:King George VI of England, formal photo portrait, circa 1940-1946.jpg George VI
—	Sir Juxon Barton Template:Small Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	August 1938	September 1938
15	Sir Harry Luke Template:Small	File:Sir HC Luke.jpg	16 September 1938	20 July 1942
—	Alexander Theodore Newboult Template:Small Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	20 July 1942	22 July 1942
16	Sir Philip Mitchell Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	22 July 1942	12 January 1944
—	Sir John Rankine Template:Small Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	12 January 1944	4 May 1944
—	Sir John Nicoll Template:Small Template:Small	File:John Fearns Nicoll2.jpg	4 May 1944	23 October 1944
—	Sir John Rankine Template:Small Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	23 October 1944	1 January 1945
17	Sir Alexander Grantham Template:Small	File:Sir Alexander Grantham.jpg	1 January 1945	21 March 1947
—	Sir John Nicoll Template:Small Template:Small	File:John Fearns Nicoll2.jpg	21 March 1947	8 October 1947
18	Sir Brian Freeston Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	8 October 1947	6 October 1952
					File:Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1959).jpg Elizabeth II
19	Sir Ronald Garvey Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	6 October 1952	28 October 1958
20	Sir Kenneth Maddocks Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	28 October 1958	6 January 1964
21	Sir Derek Jakeway Template:Small	File:Yang Berhormat Tuan Francis Derek Jakeway.jpg	6 January 1964	December 1968
22	Sir Robert Sidney Foster Template:Small	File:Coat of arms of Fiji.svg	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.

Further reading

• Paul Knaplund, "Sir Arthur Gordon and Fiji: Some Gordon-Gladstone Letters." Historical Studies: Australia and New Zealand 8#31 (1958) pp 281–296.

See also

• Governor-General of Fiji
• List of heads of state of Fiji