The Commissioner for the

British Antarctic Territory The British Antarctic Territory (BAT) is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom as one of its 14 British Overseas Territories, of which it is by far the largest by area. It comprises the region south of 60°S latitude and between ...

(BAT), is the head of government in the Antarctic Territory of the United Kingdom. As one of the

British Overseas Territories The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...

, the commissioner is appointed by the

monarch of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...

on the advice of the

Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' ministries of foreign affairs, it was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreig ...

. The British Antarctic Territory was established as a separate

British overseas territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Br ...

in 1962. Originally from 1962 to 1990, a High Commissioner was appointed to oversee the territory who was also Governor of the Falkland Islands. In 1990, administration of the BAT was transferred to a Commissioner based in London. Since 1998, the Commissioner of the BAT has also served as

Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory The Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory is the head of government in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The Commissioner is appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the Forei ...

. Prior to 1962, the area was a part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies and as such was administered by the Governor of the Falkland Islands This is a list of High Commissioners and Commissioners of the

(BAT), the area of

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

claimed by the United Kingdom.

High Commissioners

(''also Governors of the Falkland Islands'') * Edwin Porter Arrowsmith (1962–1964) * Cosmo Dugal Patrick Thomas Haskard (1964–1970) * Ernest Gordon Lewis (1971–1975) * Neville Arthur Irwin French (1975–1977) *

James Roland Walter Parker James Roland Walter Parker CMG OBE (20 December 1919 – 17 November 2009) was the Governor of the Falkland Islands and High Commissioner for the British Antarctic Territory from 1976 to 1980. Life He was the son of Alexander Roland Parker of th ...

(1977–1980) * Rex Masterman Hunt (1980–1985) *

Gordon Wesley Jewkes Sir Gordon Wesley Jewkes (born 18 November 1931) is a British retired colonial administrator and diplomat. He was Governor of the Falkland Islands The governor of the Falkland Islands is the representative of the British Crown in the Falklan ...

(1985–1988) * William H. Fullerton (1988–1990)

Commissioners

(''non-resident; based in London'') *Merrick Stuart Baker-Bates (1990–1992) *P. Newton (1992–1995) *

Anthony Longrigg Anthony James Longrigg, CMG (born 21 April 1944) is a British diplomat. He was Governor of Montserrat from 2001 to 2004. He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a department ...

(1995–1997) * John White (1997–2001) * Alan Huckle (2001–2004) *Tony Crombie (2004–2006) *

Leigh Turner Robert Leigh Turner (born 13 March 1958) is a writer and British former diplomat. His final role was British Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna from August 2016 to September 2021. As Ambass ...

(2006–2008) * Colin Roberts (2008–2012) * Peter Hayes (2012–2016) *

John Kittmer John Kittmer (born 6 July 1967) is a British former diplomat. He was formerly the Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory jointly with the British Antarctic Territory. Education Kittmer was born in Sussex in 1967. From the years 19 ...

(2016–2017) *

Ben Merrick Benjamin Robert Merrick is a British civil servant who was Director of Overseas Territories at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office from August 2017 until July 2021. He held the position of Commissioner of the British Antarctic Terr ...

(2017–2021) *

Paul Candler Paul Candler is a British civil servant. Since 2021, he serves as the Commissioner for the British Antarctic Territory (succeeding Ben Merrick), Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory (succeeding Ben Merrick), and Director, Overse ...

(2021–present)

References

World Statesmen: British Antarctic Territory
Accessed 4 April 2007. {{British dependencies governors Commissioners of the British Antarctic Territory Antarctic Territory

High Commissioners

Commissioners

See also

References