Hammer DeRoburt
Hammer DeRoburt | |
|---|---|
 Hammer DeRoburt (in the middle, 1968) | |
| President of Nauru | |
| In office 31 January 1968 – 22 December 1976 | |
| Preceded by | First President |
| Succeeded by | Bernard Dowiyogo |
| In office 15 May 1978 – 17 September 1986 | |
| Preceded by | Lagumot Harris |
| Succeeded by | Kennan Adeang |
| In office 1 October – December 1986 | |
| Preceded by | Kennan Adeang |
| Succeeded by | Kennan Adeang |
| In office December 1986 – 17 August 1989 | |
| Preceded by | Kennan Adeang |
| Succeeded by | Kenos Aroi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 September 1922 |
| Died | 15 July 1992 (aged 69) Melbourne, Australia |
Hammer DeRoburt, KBE (25 September 1922 – 15 July 1992) was the founding President of the Republic of Nauru, and ruled the country for most of its first twenty years of independence.
Background and early career
Born 1922, DeRoburt was the grandson of a former Head Chief of Nauru and also had Banaban heritage, as his grandmother was from the island.[1] After being educated on Nauru, he attended the Gordon Institute of Technology in Geelong, Australia.[1] After returning to Nauru, he started working as a teacher.[1]
During Japanese occupation of Nauru he was deported to Truk by the Japanese, along with most of the Nauruan population. When he returned to Nauru in 1946 he started working at the Department of Education.[1] He decided to stand in the first elections to the Local Government Council in 1951, and although he gained enough support to be nominated as a candidate in the Boe constituency, he was disqualified due to irregularities in his nomination.[2] Local residents and European residents protested without success, whilst a petition to the 1953 Visiting Mission from the United Nations was also overlooked.[2]
In 1955 elections he stood again in the Boe constituency, and was elected to the Council.[1] In 1956 the Council elected him Head Chief.[2]
Presidency of post-independence Nauru
DeRoburt led the country to independence on 31 January 1968, and was president for most of the period until 17 August 1989. In December 1976, younger politicians gained a majority and installed Bernard Dowiyogo as president, but DeRoburt returned to power in May 1978. He was also out of office for two short periods in September and December 1986.
Personal
Hammer DeRoburt | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Nauruan Parliament for Boe | |
| In office 31 January 1968 – 15 July 1992 | |
| Preceded by | New title |
| Succeeded by | Michael Aroi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 September 1922 Nauru |
| Died | 15 July 1992 (aged 69) Melbourne, Australia |
| Nationality |  Nauruan |
He was given an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in 1982.
DeRoburt is credited with introducing Australian rules football to Nauru, which became the national sport.
He died in Melbourne in 1992 from diabetes mellitus.
