Hammer DeRoburt

Infobox Officeholder
name = Hammer DeRoburt


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order = President of Nauru
term_start = January 31, 1968
term_end = December 22, 1976
predecessor = First President
successor = Bernard Dowiyogo
term_start2 = May 15, 1978
term_end2 = September 17, 1986
predecessor2 = Lagumot Harris
successor2 = Kennan Adeang
term_start3 = October 1
term_end3 = December 1986
predecessor3 = Kennan Adeang
successor3 = Kennan Adeagn
term_start4 = December 1986
term_end4 = August 17, 1989
predecessor4 = Kennan Adeang
successor4 = Kenos Aroi
birth_date = September 25, 1922
birth_place =
death_date = July 15, 1992 (aged 69)
death_place = Melbourne, Australia
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footnotes = HE Hammer DeRoburt, KBE (September 25, 1922 – July 15, 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

A survivor of the wartime Japanese deportation of all Nauruans to Truk (1942-1946), he was elected to the Local Government Council of Nauru in the 1950s; then elected head chief (1955). He was the chief negotiator on phosphate royalties with the colonial power, Australia, which administered the island as a United Nations trust.

Presidency of post-independence Nauru

DeRoburt led the country to independence on January 31, 1968, and was president for most of the period until August 17, 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

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.

ee also

* Politics of Nauru