This article lists the colonial governors of Samoa (or Western Samoa), from the establishment of German Samoa in 1900 until the independence of the Territory of Western Samoa in 1962.
List
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
TenurePortrait Incumbent NotesIn 1900, according to the Tripartite Convention and following the Second Samoan Civil War, the Samoan Islands were annexed by the German Empire, except for the part that is to become American Samoa.Ryden, The Foreign Policy of the United States in Relation to Samoa, p. 574; Great Britain vacated all claims to Samoa and accepted as quid pro quo termination of German rights in Tonga and certain areas in the Solomon Islands and in West Africa.Wilhelm II, the German Emperor, is styled "Tupu Sili o Samoa" ("Paramount King of Samoa"). Horst Gründer: Geschichte der deutschen Kolonien, 4. Aufl., Ferdinand Schöningh, Paderborn 2000, S. 183Governors of German Samoa (1900–1914)1 March 1900 to 19 December 1911Wilhelm Heinrich SolfAfterwards served as the Secretary of State in the Reichskolonialamt, from 1911 to 191819 December 1911 to 29 August 1914Erich Schultz-EwerthActing to 19 June 1912In 1914, as part of the Asian and Pacific theatre of World War I, an expeditionary force from the Dominion of New Zealand called the Samoa Expeditionary Force (SEF) captured and occupied the territory. In 1920, the territory was turned into a League of Nations mandate, administered by New Zealand. In 1946, the mandate was reformed as a United Nations trust territory and continued to be administered by New Zealand.Administrators of Western Samoa (1914–1948)29 August 1914 to 28 January 1919Colonel Robert Logan28 January 1919 to 16 March 1923 Colonel Robert Ward Tate16 March 1923 to 8 April 1928George Spafford RichardsonFrom 3 June 1925, Sir George Spafford Richardson5 May 1928 to 3 April 1931Stephen Allen18 April 1931 to 25 July 1935Herbert Ernest Hart25 July 1935 to 28 February 1946Alfred TurnbullFrom 1942, Sir Alfred Clarke Turnbull; acting to 1943March 1946 to 10 March 1948Francis William VoelckerHigh Commissioners of Western Samoa (1948–1961)10 March 1948 to 23 February 1949Francis William Voelcker1 March 1949 to 2 April 1960Guy Powles2 April 1960 to 31 December 1961Jack WrightActing to June 1960
On 1 January 1962, Western Samoa achieved independence following the passage of the 1961 referendum. For a list of heads of state after independence, see O le Ao o le Malo.
See also Samoa Politics of Samoa O le Ao o le Malo Prime Minister of Samoa Lists of office-holders New Zealand–Samoa relations
References
External links Rulers.org: Samoa World Statesmen.org: Samoa