# John Hilary Smith - Governor of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands

URL: https://allhistories.com/kiribati/rulers/john-hilary-smith-57
Reign: 23 Jul 1973 – 30 Sep 1978
Number in the list: 109
Dynasty: Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hilary_Smith

Last governor of the combined colony (born 1928); presided over the Ellice separation (Tuvalu).

## Succession
- Previous in list: [Interval: Governor's office, holder not named in the sources](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/rulers/interval-governor-s-office-name-not-found-56)
- Next in list: [Reginald James Wallace](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/rulers/reginald-james-wallace-58)

## Timeline events during this reign
- 1974 - [Ministerial government and the 1974 election](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1974-ministerial-government-and-the-1974-election)
- 1974 - [Ellice Islands vote to separate from the Gilbert Islands](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1974-ellice-islands-vote-to-separate-from-the-gilbert-islands)
- 1975 - [Malden Island becomes a wildlife sanctuary](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1975-malden-island-becomes-a-wildlife-sanctuary)
- 1975 - [Tuvalu becomes a separate British dependency](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1975-tuvalu-becomes-a-separate-british-dependency)
- 1976 - [Separate administrations and the end of the Western Pacific High Commission](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1976-separate-administrations-and-the-end-of-the-western-pacific-high-commission)
- 1977 - [Constitutional Convention of 1977](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1977-constitutional-convention-of-1977)
- 1977 - [Tito v Waddell (No 2) and the Posnett recommendation](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1977-tito-v-waddell-no-2-and-the-posnett-recommendation)
- 1977 - [Air Tungaru founded](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1977-air-tungaru-founded)
- 1977 - [Talks on the status of Banaba and the Bairiki Resolutions](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1977-talks-on-the-status-of-banaba-and-the-bairiki-resolutions)
- 1978 - [Parliamentary election of February 1978](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1978-parliamentary-election-of-february-1978)
- 1978 - [Ieremia Tabai elected Chief Minister by popular vote](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1978-ieremia-tabai-elected-chief-minister-by-popular-vote)
- 1978 - [Independence negotiations in London and Marlborough House](https://allhistories.com/kiribati/timeline/1978-independence-negotiations-in-london-and-marlborough-house)