The Pitcairn Islands, a group of islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, are the last remaining British Overseas Territory in Oceania. Settled by mutineers from the in 1790, the island was effectively sovereign until 1898, when it was annexed by the United Kingdom and placed under the jurisdiction of the governor of Fiji. When Fiji became independent in 1970, Pitcairn Island was placed under the authority of the British high commissioner (ambassador) to New Zealand. In practice, partly due to its isolation, Pitcairn has effectively had internal self-government throughout this period. From 1790 to 1829, the local head of government was known simply as the leader. They had a president from 1832 to 1838, and a magistrate from that time until 1999, except for an eleven-year gap from 1893 to 1904, when the chief official was the president of the Council. In 1999, the magistrate's non-judicial functions were transferred to the new office of mayor.
Local heads of government (1790–present) Pitcairn Islands NameTitlePortraitTenureNotesGovernor of PitcairnMonarch From Until 1 Fletcher ChristianLeader 23 January 1790 3 October 1793 rowspan="77" rowspan="5" 2 Edward "Ned" Young 3 October 1793 25 December 1800 3 John "Jack" Adams 25 December 1800 5 March 1829 –Vacant 5 March 1829 October 1832 4 Joshua Hill President October 1832 1838 5 Edward QuintalMagistrate 1838 1839Victoria 6 Arthur Quintal I 1840 1841 7 Fletcher Christian II 1842 1842 8 Matthew McCoy 1843 1843 1st term 9 Thursday October Christian II 1844 1844 1st term 10 Arthur Quintal II 1845 1846 1st term 11 Charles Christian II 1847 1847 12 George Adams 1848 1848 13 Simon Young 1849 1849 14 Arthur Quintal II 1850 1850 2nd term 15 Thursday October Christian II 1851 1851 2nd term 16 Abraham Blatchly Quintal 1852 1852 17 Matthew McCoy 1853 1853 2nd term 18 Arthur Quintal II 1854 1854 3rd term 19 George Martin Frederick Young 1855 3 May 1856 –Vacant due to relocation to Norfolk Island 1856 1864 20 Thursday October Christian IIMagistrate 1864 1864 3rd term 21 Moses Young 1865 1866 1st term 22 Thursday October Christian II 1867 1867 4th term 23 Robert Pitcairn Buffett 1868 1868 24 Moses Young 1869 1869 2nd term 25 James Russell McCoy 1870 1872 1st term 26 Thursday October Christian II 1873 1874 5th term 27 Moses Young 1875 1875 3rd term 28 Thursday October Christian II 1876 1877 6th term 29 James Russell McCoy 1878 1879 2nd term 30 Thursday October Christian II 1880 1880 7th term 31 Moses Young 1881 1881 4th term 32 Thursday October Christian II 1882 1882 8th term 33 James Russell McCoy 1883 1883 3rd term 34 Benjamin Stanley Young 1884 1885 1st term 35 James Russell McCoy 1886 1889 4th term 36 Charles Carleton Vieder Young 1890 1891 37 Benjamin Stanley Young 1892 1892 2nd term 38 James Russell McCoyPresident of the Council 1893 1896 5th term 39 William Alfred Young 1897 1897 1st term40James Russell McCoy189719036th termEdward VII 41 William Alfred Young 1904 1904 2nd term 42 James Russell McCoyMagistrate 1905 1906 7th term 43 Arthur Herbert Young 1907 1907 1st term 44 William Alfred Young 1908 1908 3rd term 45 Matthew Edmond McCoy 1909 190946Gerard Bromley Robert Christian19101919George V 47 Charles Richard Parkin Christian 1920 1920 1st term 48 Frederick Martin Christian 1921 1921 1st term 49 Charles Richard Parkin Christian 1922 1922 2nd term 50 Edgar Allen Christian 1923 1924 1st term 51 Charles Richard Parkin Christian 1925 1925 3rd term 52 Richard Edgar Christian 1926 1929 1st term 53 Arthur Herbert Young 1930 1931 2nd term 54 Edgar Allen Christian 1932 1932 2nd term 55 Charles Richard Parkin Christian 1933 1934 4th term56Richard Edgar Christian193519382nd term Edward VIIIGeorge VI 57 Arthur Herbert Young 1939 1939 3rd term 58 Richard Edgar Christian 1940 1940 3rd term 59 Andrew Clarence David Young 1940 1940 60 Arthur Herbert Young 1941 1941 4th term 61 Frederick Martin Christian 1942 1943 2nd term 62 Charles Richard Parkin Christian 1944 1945 5th term 63 Norris Henry Young 1945 1948 64 Charles Richard Parkin Christian 1949 1949 6th term 65 Warren Clive Christian 1950 1951 1st term66John Lorenzo Christian195219541st termElizabeth II 67 Charles Richard Parkin Christian 1955 1957 7th term 68 Warren Clive Christian 1958 1959 2nd term 69 John Lorenzo Christian 1959 1966 2nd term70Pervis Ferris Young1967December 1975 Sir Arthur Norman Galsworthy Sir David Aubrey Scott71Ivan ChristianDecember 1975December 1984 Sir Harold Smedley Richard Stratton72Brian YoungDecember 19841 January 1991 Terence Daniel O'Leary Robin ByattDavid Moss73Jay Warren1 January 19917 December 19991st term Robert John AlstonMartin Williams74Steve ChristianMayor7 December 19998 November 2004Richard Fell 75 Brenda Christian Acting Mayor 8 November 2004 15 December 200476Jay WarrenMayor1 January 200531 December 20072nd termGeorge Fergusson77Mike Warren1 January 200831 December 2013 Mike CherrettVictoria "Vicki" Treadell78Shawn Christian1 January 201431 December 20191st term Jonathan Sinclair Robin ShackellLaura Clarke79Charlene Warren-Peu1 January 202031 December 2022Iona ThomasCharles III 80 Simon Young 1 January 2023 31 December 202581Shawn Christian1 January 2026Incumbent2nd term Louise CantillonSources: Pitcairn Island Civil Recorder (1864–1964)Pitcairn Island Civil Recorder
Colonial governors (1898–present)
See separate articles:
Governors of Fiji (1898–1970) British High Commissioners to New Zealand (1970–present)
See also List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies History of the Pitcairn Islands
References