John Hilary Smith
Sir John Smith CBE ATK | |
---|---|
Governor of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands | |
In office 23 Jul 1973 – 1 October 1978 | |
Preceded by | John Osbaldiston Field |
Succeeded by | Reginald James Wallace as Governor of the Gilbert Islands |
Personal details | |
Born | 20 March 1928 |
Nationality | British |
Spouse | Mary Sylvester |
Children | 3 |
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire Kiribati Grand Order | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Branch/service | British Army |
Years of service | 1948-1950 |
Unit | Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment |
John Hilary Smith,
Smith was educated at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, University College London, and University College, Oxford. He joined the Colonial Service in 1950 and was stationed in Nigeria from 1951 to 1970. From 1970 to 1973 he was the financial secretary in the British Solomon Islands.
In 1973, Smith became the governor of the
In 1978, Smith oversaw the granting of independence to the Ellice Islands as Tuvalu. Alongside the Tuvaluan Independence Movement came calls from Banaba (Ocean Island) for independence as well. However, due to the large phosphate deposits there, this was denied and Smith was ordered to suppress the Banaban Independence Movement. Upon Tuvaluan independence, Smith's tenure as governor came to an end. The Gilbert Islands continued as a colony headed by governor Reginald James Wallace until 1979, which it became independent Kiribati.
Following his retirement, in 1979, he was appointed College Secretary and Clerk to the Governors of
Smith donated his papers to the
References
- ^ "Smith, John Hilary". WHO'S WHO 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Kiribati Government Honours John Smith, CMG" (PDF). Kiribati Tungaru Association of the UK & the Republic of Ireland. 19 July 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
Sources
- "John Hilary Smith (1928-) Papers 1906-1979", adelaide.edu.au.
Further reading
- John Smith, An Island in the Autumn: How the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Gained Independence, (2011) ISBN 9781906775261. Publisher: Librario Publishing.