Nauru
 

21 Oct 1887 - 4 Aug 1914                         4 Aug 1914 - Jun 1921       Jun 1921 - 26 Aug 1942; 13 Sep 1945 - 31 Jan 1968               26 Aug 1942 - 13 Sep 1945                           Adopted 31 Jan 1968   Map of Nauru Hear National Anthem "Nauru Bwiema" (Song of Nauru) Text of National Anthem Adopted 1968 Constitution (29 Jan 1968) Capital: no official capital; government offices in Yaren District Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD)  National Holiday: 31 Jan (1968) Independence Day Population: 13,528 (2007) GDP: $60 million (2005) Exports: $640,000 (2004) Imports: $19.8 million (2004) Ethnic groups: Nauruan 68.9%, other Pacific Islander 23.7% (of which Kiribati 12.8%, Tuvaluan 8.7%), Asian 5.9% (of which Filipino 2.5%, Chinese 2.3%), other 1.5% (1992) Total Police Force: 67 (1998) Informal agreement, defense assured by Australia Merchant marine: None (2006)  Religions: Protestant 53.5% (of which Congregationalist 35.3%,  Pentecostal 4.8%, other Protestant 13.4%), Roman Catholic 27.5%,other 19% (1995)  International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, ADB, APM, C (special member), CTBT, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, KP, NPT, OPCW, PC, PIF, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UPU, WHO  Nauru Chronology  8 Nov 1798                Discovered by British Capt. John Fearn, named                               Pleasant Island. 1878 - 1888                Civil war among the 12 traditional clans. 21 Oct 1887                German protectorate (Nauru). 14 Apr 1888                Part of (German) Marshall Islands.  1 Apr 1906                Part of German New Guinea (see Papua New Guinea).  4 Aug 1914                Australian naval forces remove German officials                              and a German radio post, then depart.  7 Sep 1914                Australian occupation. Sep 1914 - Jun 1921        Part of the British Western Pacific Territories. 17 Dec 1920                League of Nations mandate (to Australia,                               New Zealand, and United Kingdom; actual                               administration by Australia). 26 Aug 1942 - 13 Sep 1945  Japanese occupation.  1 Nov 1947                United Nations trust territory (to Australia,                               New Zealand, and United Kingdom; actual                              administration by Australia). 31 Jan 1968                Independence (Republic of Nauru).

Head Chiefs (styled 'Kings' by Europeans)

18.. - 1878?               Auweyida (1st time)                (b. 18.. - d. c.1920)

                            (deposed during the civil war;
                             mentioned as no longer ruling in 1881) 
1878? - 1888               ....
1888 - c.1920              Auweyida (2nd time)                (s.a.) 
Reichskommissare (imperial commissioners)

1886 - 1887                Wilhelm Knappe                     (b. 1855 - d. 1910)

1888 - 1889                Franz Leopold Sonnenschein         (b. 1857 - d. 1897)

District officers

 2 Oct 1888 - May 1889     Robert Rasch (acting)

May 1889 - 1895            Christian Johannson

1895 - 1898                Fritz Jung

1899 - 1906                Ludwig Kaiser                      (b. 1862 - d. 1906)

Station Chiefs (Stationsleiter)

(from 1911, subordinated to administrators of Ponape district)

1906 - 1908                Konrad Geppert                     (d. 1908) 

1908 - 1911                Joseph Siegwanz

1911 - 1912                Warnecke

1912 -  6 Nov 1914         Wilhelm Wostrack

Australian Commanders

 7 Sep 1914 -  6 Nov 1914  William Holmes                     (b. 1862 - d. 1917)

 6 Nov 1914 - 1914         E.C. Norrie 

Administrators

25 Dec 1914  - 1917        Charles Rufus Marshall Workman     (b. 1874 - d. 1942)

1917 - 1921                Geoffrey Whistler Bingham          (b. 1878? - d. 1927)

                             Smith-Rewse

Jun 1921 - Jun 1927        Thomas Griffiths                   (b. 1865 - d. 1947)

Jun 1927 - 1933            William Augustus Newman

Jan 1933 - Nov 1938        Rupert Clare Garsia                (b. 1887 - d. 1954)

Nov 1938 - 26 Aug 1942     Frederick Roydon Chalmers          (b. 1881 - d. 1943)

26 Aug 1942 - 25 Jun 1943  .... (Japanese commanders)

25 Jun 1943 - 13 Sep 1945  Hisayuka Soeda -Japanese commander

13 Sep 1945 -  1 Nov 1945  J.L.A. Kelly

 1 Nov 1945 - Aug 1949     Mark Ridgway                       (b. 1891 - d. 1984)

Aug 1949 - Nov 1949        Harold Hastings Reeve (acting)

Nov 1949 - Jan 1953        Robert Stanley Richards            (b. 1885 - d. 1967)

Jan 1953 - Dec 1953        John Keith Laurence (acting)

Dec 1953 - Jul 1954        K.A. Read (acting)

Jul 1954 - May 1958        Reginald Sylvester Leydin          (b. 1905)

                             (1st time)

May 1958 - Apr 1962        John Preston White                 (b. 1914)

1962 - Apr 1966            Reginald Sylvester Leydin          (s.a.)

                             (2nd time) 

Apr 1966 - 31 Jan 1968     Leslie Dudley King                 (b. 1909)

Chairman of the Constitutional Convention
31 Jan 1968                Hammer DeRoburt                    (b. 1922 - d. 1992)
Chairman of the Council of State

31 Jan 1968 - 18 May 1968  Hammer DeRoburt                    (s.a.)

Presidents

18 May 1968 - 22 Dec 1976  Hammer DeRoburt (1st time)         (s.a.)

22 Dec 1976 - 19 Apr 1978  Bernard Annen Auwen Dowiyogo       (b. 1946 - d. 2003)  NP 

                             (1st time) 

19 Apr 1978 - 11 May 1978  Lagumot Gagiemem Nimidere Harris   (b. 1938? - d. 1999)

                             (1st time) 

11 May 1978 - 17 Sep 1986  Hammer DeRoburt (2nd time)         (s.a.)

17 Sep 1986 -  1 Oct 1986  Kennan Ranibok Adeang (1st time)   (b. 1942?)           DP

 1 Oct 1986 - 12 Dec 1986  Hammer DeRoburt (3rd time)         (s.a.)

12 Dec 1986 - 22 Dec 1986  Kennan Ranibok Adeang (2nd time)   (s.a.)               DP

22 Dec 1986 - 17 Aug 1989  Hammer DeRoburt (4th time)         (s.a.)

17 Aug 1989 - 12 Dec 1989  Kenas Aroi

12 Dec 1989 - 22 Nov 1995  Bernard Annen Auwen Dowiyogo       (s.a.)               NP

                             (2nd time) 

22 Nov 1995 - 12 Nov 1996  Lagumot Gagiemem Nimidere Harris   (s.a.)

                             (2nd time) 

12 Nov 1996 - 26 Nov 1996  Bernard Annen Auwen Dowiyogo       (s.a.)               NP

                             (3rd time) 

26 Nov 1996 - 19 Dec 1996  Kennan Ranibok Adeang (3rd time)   (s.a.)               DP

19 Dec 1996 - 13 Feb 1997  Rueben James Kun

13 Feb 1997 - 18 Jun 1998  Kinza Godfrey Clodumar             (b. 1945)

18 Jun 1998 - 27 Apr 1999  Bernard Annen Auwen Dowiyogo       (s.a.)               NP

                             (4th time) 

27 Apr 1999 - 20 Apr 2000  René Reynaldo Harris (1st time)    (b. 1947)

20 Apr 2000 - 30 Mar 2001  Bernard Annen Auwen Dowiyogo       (s.a.)               NP

                             (5th time) 

30 Mar 2001 -  9 Jan 2003  René Reynaldo Harris (2nd time)    (s.a.)

 9 Jan 2003 - 17 Jan 2003  Bernard Annen Auwen Dowiyogo       (s.a.)               NP

                             (6th time) 
17 Jan 2003 - 18 Jan 2003  René Reynaldo Harris (3rd time)    (s.a.) 
18 Jan 2003 - 10 Mar 2003  Bernard Annen Auwen Dowiyogo       (s.a.)               NP
                             (7th time) 
10 Mar 2003 - 29 May 2003  Derog Gioura                       (b. 1931?)
                             (acting to 20 Mar 2003)
29 May 2003 -  8 Aug 2003  Ludwig Derangadage Scotty          (b. 1948)
                             (1st time)
 8 Aug 2003 - 22 Jun 2004  René Harris (4th time)             (s.a.)
22 Jun 2004 - 19 Dec 2007  Ludwig Derangadage Scotty          (s.a.)
                             (1st time)
19 Dec 2007 -              Marcus Stephen                     (b. 1969)

Head Chiefs of the Council of Chiefs
1927 - 1931                Daimon
1931 - 30 Jun 1943         Timothy Detudamo (1st time)        (d. 1953)
                             (1942 - 30 Jun 1943 "Governor of the Nauruans";
                             in Truk, Micronesia exile 30 Jun 1943 - 31 Jan 1945)
31 Jan 1946 - 18 Dec 1951  Timothy Detudamo (2nd time)        (s.a.)
Head Chiefs of the Local Government Council
18 Dec 1951 - Apr 1953     Timothy Detudamo                   (s.a.)
1953 - Dec 1955            Raymond Gadabu
Dec 1955 - 31 Jan 1968     Hammer DeRoburt                    (s.a.)