# Sumatra's West Coast Residency

West Coast Sumatra (Dutch: Sumatra's Westkust Residentie, abbreviated SWK) refers to the administrative region in the Dutch East Indies that covered the west coast of Sumatra, including the Mentawai, Nias, Banyak and Batu Islands.

## Background

The area originally had the status of a keresidenan in 1819, rose to gouvernement from 1837, and became a keresidenan again from 1914 until it was occupied by the Japanese in 1942. The administrative centre of the West Coast of Sumatra is located in Padang.
When the region had gouvernement status, the West Coast of Sumatra once housed a number of keresidenan, namely Padangsche Bovenlanden, Padangsche Benedenlanden, Bengkulu, Tapanuli, Singkil, Rokan Hulu, Kampar, Kuantan Singingi, and Kerinci. Today, part of the West Coast of Sumatra is inherited by the Province of West Sumatra, while other parts are incorporated into the Provinces of Aceh (Singkil), North Sumatra (Batu Islands, Nias and Tapanuli), Riau (Rokan Hulu, Kampar and Kuantan Singingi), Jambi (Kerinci) and Bengkulu.
Until 1862, the West Coast of Sumatra was ruled by middle-ranking officers, and between 1862-1915 by civilian governors. Notable leaders in this area were Andreas Victor Michiels (1838-1849), Jan van Swieten (1849-1858) and Elisa Netscher (1870-1878).

## Chronic

In early October 1842, overseer Eduard Douwes Dekker arrived on the West Coast of Sumatra.
Pastor Marius Buys travelled in this area between 1878-1879. The prints were published as serialised stories in the Opregte Haarlemsche Courant between 1878-1882, and later published as a book.
During the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945, the West Coastal region of Sumatra, which had the status of a prefecture, was called Sumatora Nishi Kaigan Shu.

## List of authorities
### Dutch East Indies

The ruler who once reigned in Sumatra's Westkust.
| Name | Took office | Occupation |
| James du Puy | May 1819 – November 1823 | Assistant Resident |
| Antoine Theodore Raaff | November 1823 – April 1824 | Assistant Resident |
| Jean Chrétien Baud | April 1824 – December 1824 | Assistant Resident |
| Hubert Joseph Jean Lambert de Stuers | December 1824 – July 1829 | Assistant Resident |
| Hendrik Mauritz Gillavry | July 1829 ‒ March 1831 | Assistant Resident |
| Cornelis Pieter Jacob Elout | March 1831 – February 1834 | Assistant Resident |
| Emanuel Alexander Intveld Francis | February 1834 – November 1837 | Assistant Resident |
| A.V. Michiels | November 1837 – February 1849 | Governor |
| J. Van Swieten | February 1849 – September 1858 | Governor |
| A. Meis | September 1858 – 3 August 1861 | Governor |
| Cornelis Albert de Brauw | 3 August 1861 – November 1862 | Governor |
| Jules Félicien Romain Stanislas van den Bossche | 6 November 1862 – 28 July 1868 | Governor |
| N.A.T. Arriens | 28 July 1868 – 24 February 1870 | Governor |
| Elisa Netscher | 24 February – 3 April 1878 | Governor |
| Hendrik Dirk Canne | 3 April 1878 – 12 June 1885 | Governor |
| R.C. Kroesen | 12 June 1885 – 13 July 1889 | Governor |
| O.M. De Munnick | 13 July 1889 – 5 June 1894 | Governor |
| W.J.M. Michielsen | 5 June 1894 – 29 September 1898 | Governor |
| A. M. Joekes | 29 September 1898 – 22 April 1902 | Governor |
| E. A. T. Weber | 22 April 1902 – 12 February 1905 | Governor |
| F. A. Heckler | 12 February – 16 February 1910 | Governor |
| J. Ballot | 16 February 1910 – 12 August 1915 | Governor dan Assistant Resident |
| J.D.L. Le Febvre | 12 August 1915 – 15 September 1919 | Assistant Resident |
| W.A.C. Whitlau | 15 September 1919 – 10 June 1926 | Assistant Resident |
| P.C. Arends | 10 June 1926 – 29 July 1927 | Assistant Resident |
| George Francois Elbert Gonggrijp | 29 July 1927 – 2 January 1932 | Assistant Resident |
| B.H.F Van Heuven | 2 January 1932 – 28 February 1935 | Assistant Resident |
| Adriaan Isaac Spits | 28 February 1935 – 7 May 1937 | Assistant Resident |
| Gerardus Arnoldus Bosselaar | 7 May 1937 – 1942 | Assistant Resident |