Sir Robert Christopher Stafford Stanley, KBE, CMG, OBE (12 May 1899 – 15 November 1983) was a British

colonial administrator Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

. After serving as Chief Secretary of Northern Rhodesia, he was appointed

High Commissioner of the Western Pacific The British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT) was the name of a colonial entity, created in 1877, for the administration, under a single representative of the British Crown, styled High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, of a series of Pac ...

in January 1952, although he did not arrive in Suva, Fiji, until June, taking up his duties on 3 July. He was the first person to hold the office separately from the

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 his or her functions were normally exercised loca ...

, the two positions having been joined since 1877. After touring the British Western Pacific Territories, which included the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...

New Hebrides New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group ...

, and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in September, he moved the High Commission to Headquarters to Honiara in the Solomon Islands on 22 December. On 1 January 1953, he also became

Governor of the Solomon Islands This is a list of the resident commissioners of the British Solomon Islands protectorate (1893–1975) and the dependent Solomon Islands (1975–1978). Resident commissioners of the Solomon Islands Protectorate (1896–1953) The resident com ...

. He retired as High Commissioner and Governor in July 1955.

References

Governors of the Solomon Islands High Commissioners for the Western Pacific Members of the Legislative Council of Northern Rhodesia Chief Secretaries of Northern Rhodesia Governors of Northern Rhodesia British expatriates in Zambia British expatriates in Fiji 1899 births 1983 deaths {{Solomon Islands-stub