# High Commissioner for the Western Pacific

The high commissioner for the Western Pacific was the chief executive officer of the British Western Pacific Territories, a British colonial entity, which existed from 1877 until 1976. Numerous colonial possessions were attached to the Territories at different times, the most durable constituent colonies being Fiji (1877—1952) and the Solomon Islands (1893—1976).
The office of high commissioner never existed independently, but was always filled ex officio by the Governor of one of the constitutive British islands colonies. The high commissioners were concurrently Governor of Fiji from 1877 to the end of 1952, although the office was suspended from 1942 through 1945, with most of the islands under British military rule and others, namely the Solomon Islands, Gilbert Islands and Phoenix Islands, under Japanese occupation. From 1 January 1953 to 1976, when the office was abolished, the governor of the Solomon Islands doubled as high commissioner. On 1 January 1972, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands were taken off with their own governor. On 2 January 1976 after nearly all had been given separate statehood, the office of high commissioner and the entity of the Pacific Territories were abolished.
They administered from Suva and Honiara, respectively.

## List of high commissioners for the Western Pacific (1877–1976)

| # | Incumbent | Portrait | Tenure | Tenure | Monarch | Concurrent office |
| # | Incumbent | Portrait | Took office | Left office | Monarch | Concurrent office |
| High Commissioner for the Western Pacific |||||||
| 1. | Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon | | 13 August 1877 | 1880 | Victoria | Governor of Fiji |
| 2. | Sir William Des Vœux | | 20 December 1880 | 21 January 1885 | Victoria | Governor of Fiji |
| | John Bates Thurston Acting | | 21 January 1885 | 1 January 1887 | Victoria | Governor of Fiji (acting) |
| 3. | Sir Charles Mitchell | | 1 January 1887 | February 1888 | Victoria | Governor of Fiji |
| 4. | Sir John Bates Thurston | | February 1888 | 7 February 1897 | Victoria | Governor of Fiji |
| 5. | Sir George T. M. O'Brien | | March 1897 | 1901 | Victoria | Governor of Fiji |
| | Sir William Allardyce Acting | | 1901 | 10 September 1902 | Edward VII | Governor of Fiji (acting) |
| 6. | Sir Henry Jackson | | 10 September 1902 | 11 October 1904 | Edward VII | Governor of Fiji |
| 7. | Sir Everard im Thurn | | 11 October 1904 | 1910 | Edward VII | Governor of Fiji |
| | Sir Charles Major Acting | | 1910 | 21 February 1911 | Edward VII George V | Governor of Fiji (acting) |
| 8. | Sir Francis May | | 21 February 1911 | 25 July 1912 | George V | Governor of Fiji |
| 9. | Sir Ernest Sweet-Escott | | 25 July 1912 | 10 October 1918 | George V | Governor of Fiji |
| | Sir Eyre Hutson Acting for Sweet-Escott | | 1915 | 1916 | George V | Governor of Fiji (acting) |
| 10. | Cecil Hunter-Rodwell | | 10 October 1918 | 25 April 1925 | George V | Governor of Fiji |
| | Sir Eyre Hutson Acting for Hunter-Rodwell | | 1919 | 1919 | George V | Governor of Fiji (acting) |
| 11. | Sir Eyre Hutson | | 25 April 1925 | 22 November 1929 | George V | Governor of Fiji |
| 12. | Sir Arthur Fletcher | | 22 November 1929 | May 1936 | George V Edward VIII | Governor of Fiji |
| | Sir Cecil Barton Acting | | May 1936 | November 1936 | Edward VIII | Governor of Fiji (acting) |
| 13. | Sir Arthur Richards | | 28 November 1936 | August 1938 | Edward VIII George VI | Governor of Fiji |
| | Sir Cecil Barton Acting | | August 1938 | September 1938 | George VI | Governor of Fiji (acting) |
| 14. | Sir Harry Luke | | 16 September 1938 | 1942 | George VI | Governor of Fiji |
| | Office suspended | | 1942 | 1945 | |
| 15. | Sir Alexander Grantham | | 1945 | 21 March 1947 | George VI | Governor of Fiji |
| | Sir John Nicoll Acting | | 21 March 1947 | 8 October 1947 | George VI | Governor of Fiji (acting) |
| 16. | Sir Brian Freeston | | 8 October 1947 | 3 July 1952 | George VI Elizabeth II | Governor of Fiji |
| 17. | Sir Robert Stanley | | 3 July 1952 | July 1955 | Elizabeth II | Governor of the Solomon Islands (From 1 January 1953) |
| 18. | Sir John Gutch | | 1955 | 4 March 1961 | Elizabeth II | Governor of the Solomon Islands |
| 19. | Sir David Trench | | 4 March 1961 | 16 June 1964 | Elizabeth II | Governor of the Solomon Islands |
| 20. | Sir Robert Sidney Foster | | 16 June 1964 | 6 March 1969 | Elizabeth II | Governor of the Solomon Islands |
| 21. | Sir Michael Gass | | 6 March 1969 | 1973 | Elizabeth II | Governor of the Solomon Islands |
| 22. | Sir Donald Luddington | | 10 October 1973 | 2 January 1976 | Elizabeth II | Governor of the Solomon Islands |