John Bates Thurston

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Sir John Bates Thurston was a British colonial official who served Fiji in a variety of capacities, including Premier of the Kingdom of Viti (before the islands were ceded to the United Kingdom) and later as colonial Governor.

In June 1871, Thurston, then Britain's honorary consul, forged a "marriage of convenience" between the Bauan chief Seru Epenisa Cakobau and the British settlers. He persuaded the Fijian chiefs to surrender the independence of their fiefdoms and accept a constitutional monarchy with Cakobau as king, but with real power in the hands of a cabinet and legislature dominated by settlers. The arrangement was not particularly successful. Within months, government overspending had led to the accumulation of an unmanageable debt which led to economic and social unrest, and in 1872, Thurston approached the British government, at Cakobau's request, with offer to cede the islands to the United Kingdom. (An earlier offer almost two decades earlier had been turned down). The British were much more inclined to annex Fiji now than they had been perviously. The murder of Bishop Paterson of the Melanesian Mission at Nukapu in the Reef Islands had provoked public outrage, which was compounded by the massacre by crew members of more than 150 Fijians on board the brig Carl. Two British commissioners were sent to Fiji to investigate the possibility of an annexation. The negotiations were concluded with Thurston himself acting as Premier, from 23 March to 10 October 1874, when Cakobau and his fellow-chiefs formally ceded the archipelago to the United Kingdom.

Thurston later served as Colonial Secretary. In this capacity, he persuaded the Colonial Sugar Refinig Company to extend its operations into Fiji by providing it with 2000 acres of land to establish its plantations.

In February 1888, Thurston became Governor of Fiji, a position he held till his retirement on 7 February 1897.

Preceded by George Austin Woods	Premier of the Kingdom of Viti (acting) 1874	Succeeded by none (office abolished)
Preceded by Sir Charles Mitchell	Governor of Fiji 1888–1897	Succeeded by Sir George O'Brien