Brenda Vera Amelia Lupton-Christian (born 25 February 1953) is a political figure from the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

territory of the

Pitcairn Islands The Pitcairn Islands ( ; Pitkern: '), officially Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the ...

. When her brother

Steve Christian Steven Raymond Christian (born 26 June 1951) is a politician, convicted sex offender and child rapist from the Pitcairn Islands. He was mayor of the islands from 1999 until 2004, when he was removed from office after being found guilty in the ...

was removed from the office of

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

following the 2004 Pitcairn child sexual abuse trial, she served as interim mayor of the islands.

Biography

Christian was born and raised on Pitcairn and is the daughter of former island political leader Ivan Christian and his wife Verna Carlene "Dobrey" Young. She lived in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

for a time, but returned to the island around 1999 and has served as the island's sole

police officer A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...

. Except for 2003, she has been a member of the Island Council continuously since 2000. She stood for election in her own right, but in the special election held on 15 December, she was defeated by

Jay Warren Jay Calvin Warren (born 29 July 1956) is a political figure from the Pacific territory of the Pitcairn Islands. Political roles Jay Warren was elected mayor of the last remaining British dependency in Oceania in the general election held on 1 ...

, the former

Magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judi ...

(whose office was renamed ''Mayor'' in 1999 following a constitutional revision). Her stated goal as mayor of the Pitcairn Islands was to make the islands a more attractive destination for

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

. In 2004 Brenda Christian served the territory as its first female

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

from 8 November to 15 December 2004. She was appointed to the Mayoralty in an interim capacity by the Island Council, following her brother

's dismissal by the colonial

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

, in the wake of his child rape convictions on 30 October 2004.

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian, Brenda Living people 1953 births Pitcairn Islands people of Saint Kitts and Nevis descent Pitcairn Islands people of English descent Pitcairn Islands people of Manx descent Pitcairn Islands people of Polynesian descent Pitcairn Islands people of Scottish descent Pitcairn Islands people of Cornish descent Pitcairn Islands people of American descent Mayors of the Pitcairn Islands 21st-century British women politicians Members of the Island Council of the Pitcairn Islands Law enforcement in the Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands women in politics

Biography

Ancestry

See also

References