2021 in Oceania explained

List of events that happened during 2021 in Oceania.

Sovereign states

Australia

See main article: 2021 in Australia.

• Chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952)^[1]
• Governor-General – David Hurley (since 2019)
• Prime Minister – Scott Morrison (since 2018)

Christmas Island

• Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia: David Hurley (since 2019)^[2]
• Administrator

Natasha Griggs (since 2018)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

• Governor General: David Hurley (since 2019)
• Administrator: Natasha Griggs (since 2018)

Norfolk Island

• Administrator: Eric Hutchinson (since 2017)^[3]

East Timor / Timor-Leste

• President of East Timor

Francisco Guterres (since 2017)

• Prime Minister

Taur Matan Ruak (since 2018)

Fiji

See main article: 2021 in Fiji.

• • • President of Fiji George Konrote (until 12 November)
  • Ratu Wiliame Katonivere (starting 12 November)
• Head of Government

Frank Bainimarama (since 2007)

• Speaker

Epeli Nailatikau (since 2019)

Kiribati

• President: Taneti Mamau (since 2016)

Marshall Islands

• President

David Kabua (since 2020)^[4]

• Speaker of the legislature

Kenneth Kedi (since 2016)

Micronesia

See main article: 2021 in the Federated States of Micronesia.

• President of the Federated States of Micronesia

David W. Panuelo (since 2019)^[5]

• Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia

Yosiwo George (since 2015)

Nauru

• President of Nauru

Lionel Aingimea (since 2019)

• Speaker of Parliament

Marcus Stephen (since 2019)

Palau

• • • President Thomas Remengesau Jr. (until 21 January)^[6]
  • Surangel Whipps Jr. (starting 21 January)
• Vice President
  • Raynold Oilouch (until January 21)
  • Uduch Sengebau Senior (starting January 21)

Papua New Guinea

• Monarchy of Papua New Guinea

Elizabeth II

• Governor-General

Bob Dadae (since 2017)

• Prime Minister

James Marape (since 2019)

Realm of New Zealand

The Realm of New Zealand consists of the sovereign state of New Zealand, the associated states of the Cook Islands and Niue, and the dependent territory of Tokelau. It also includes the Antarctica territorial claim of the Ross Dependency.

• Monarchy of New Zealand

Elizabeth II

• Governor-General of New Zealand

• • Patsy Reddy (until 28 September)
  • Cindy Kiro (from 21 October)

New Zealand

See main article: 2021 in New Zealand.

• Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Trevor Mallard

• Prime Minister of New Zealand

Jacinda Ardern (since 2017)

• Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand

Grant Robertson (since 2020)

Cook Islands

• Queen's Representative

Tom Marsters (since 1973)

• Prime Minister of the Cook Islands

Mark Brown (since 2020)

• Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament

• • Niki Rattle (until 15 February)
  • Tai Tura (starting 22 March)

Niue

• Premier of Niue

Dalton Tagelagi (since 2020)

Tokelau

• Administrator of Tokelau

Ross Ardern (since 2018)

• • • Head of Government of Tokelau Fofo Tuisano (until 8 March)
  • Kerisiano Kalolo (starting 8 March)

Samoa

• Head of state: O le Ao o le Malo: Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II (since 2017)
• Prime Minister of Samoa
  • Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi (until 24 May)
  • Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa (starting 24 May)

Solomon Islands

• Governor-General: David Vunagi (since 2019)^[7]
• Prime Minister: Manasseh Sogavare (since 2019)

Tonga

• Monarch

King Tupou VI (since 2012)^[8]

• Prime Minister
  • Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa (until 27 December)
  • Siaosi Sovaleni (starting 27 December)

Tuvalu

• Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
• Governor-General of Tuvalu

• • Teniku Talesi Honolulu (until January)
  • Samuelu Teo (January–28 September)
  • Tofiga Vaevalu Falani (starting 28 September)
• Prime Minister of Tuvalu

Kausea Natano (since 2019)

Vanuatu

• President of Vanuatu

Tallis Obed Moses (since 2017)^[9]

• Prime Minister of Vanuatu

Bob Loughman (since 2020)^[10]

Dependencies

British Overseas Territories

• Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952)

Pitcairn Islands

• Governor (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands: Laura Clarke (since 2018)^[11]
• Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council: Charlene Warren-Peu (since 2020)

Chile

See main article: 2021 in Chile.

• President of Chile

Sebastián Piñera (since 2018)^[12]

Insular Chile

• Intendant of Valparaíso Region

Jorge Martínez Durán

• Commune of the Juan Fernández Islands
  • Mayor: Felipe Paredes Vergara
• Province of Easter Island
• Governor
  • Laura Alarcón Rapu (until 29 April)
  • Rene de la Puente (starting 29 April)

France

See main article: 2021 in France.

• President of France

Emmanuel Macron (since 2017)^[13]

• Prime Minister of France

Jean Castex (since 2020)

French Polynesia

• President of French Polynesia

Édouard Fritch (since 2014)^[14]

• High Commissioner of the Republic: Dominique Sorain (since 2019)
• President of the Assembly of French Polynesia

Gaston Tong Sang (since 2018)

New Caledonia

• High Commissioner
  • Laurent Prevost (until 6 June)^[15]
  • Patrice Faure (starting 6 June)
• President of the Government
  • Thierry Santa (until 22 July)
  • Louis Mapou (starting 22 July)
    • Vice President of the Government of New Caledonia Gilbert Tyuienon (until 22 July)
  • Isabelle Champmoreau (starting 22 July)

Wallis and Futuna

• Administrator Superior of Wallis and Futuna

Hervé Jonathan (since January 11)

• President of the Territorial Assembly

Nivaleta Iloai (since 2020)

• There are three traditional kings with limited powers.

United States

See main article: 2021 in the United States.

See also: 2021 in United States politics and government.

• President of the United States
  • Donald Trump (until January 20)^[16]
  • Joe Biden (starting January 20)
• Vice President of the United States
  • Mike Pence (until January 20)^[16]
  • Kamala Harris (starting January 20)

American Samoa

• Governor
  • Lolo Matalasi Moliga (until January 3)
  • Lemanu Peleti Mauga (since January 3)
• Lieutenant Governor
  • Lemanu Peleti Mauga (until 3 January)
  • Salo Ale (starting 3 January)

Guam

• Governor

Lou Leon Guerrero (since 2019)^[17]

• Lieutenant Governor

Josh Tenorio (since 2019)

Hawaii

• Governor of Hawaii

David Ige (since 2014)

• Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii

Josh Green (since 2018)

Northern Mariana Islands

• Governor: Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres (since 2015)^[18]
• Lieutenant Governor: Arnold Palacios (since 2019)

Events

See also: COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania.

January and February

• January 1 – 2021 New Year Honours in the Commonwealth^[19]
• January 15 – Nazahat Shameen Khan of Fiji wins the presidency of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).^[20]
• January 19 – Vanuatu detains Chinese fishing boats Dong Gang Xing 13 and Dong Gang Xing 16 plus a Russian yacht for operating illegally in its waters near Hiu Island.^[21]
• January 26 – Former president Xanana Gusmão of East Timor meets with Roman Catholic priest and self-proclaimed pedophile Richard Daschbach in Dili.^[22]
• February 4
  • Henry Puna of the Cook Islands is elected Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.^[23]
  • For the second time in 2021 and the third time in the last ten weeks, a ship reports losing containers due to rough weather in the South Pacific.^[24]
  • Pal Ahluwalia, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific and his wife are deported from Fiji to Australia.^[25]
• February 10 – Tsunami alert after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake 415km (258miles) east of Voh, New Caledonia. Waves between 30 centimeters and one meter high are reported in Fiji, New Zealand, and Vanuatu.^[26]
• February 16 – Australia is accused of "exporting its problems" by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after cancelling the citizenship of a dual national Australian-New Zealander who joined the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS).^[27]

March and April

• March 2 – 2021 Micronesian parliamentary election
• March 3 – Simon Thompson, chairman of Rio Tinto mining corporation, resigns after a scandal resulting from the destruction of 46,000-year-old rock shelters at Juukan Gorge, Western Australia, in May 2020.^[28]
• March 4 – An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 strikes 178 kilometers (111 miles) northeast of the city of Gisborne, New Zealand, at a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles). No injuries or serious injuries are reported, but a tsunami warning is in place.^[29] Other large earthquakes were reported near Ohunua, ʻEua, Tonga (8.1) and one near Sola, Vanuatu (6.1).^[30]
• March 5 – Thirteen people are charged for workplace-related violations that took 22 lives in the 2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption in New Zealand.^[31]
• March 9
  • Admiral Philip S. Davidson, head of the United States Indo-Pacific Command testifies before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee needs an Aegis Ashore missile system to protect Guam and the United States from China. Davidson wants $27 billion, including $1.6 billion for the Aegis system.^[32]
  • Hawaii Governor David Ige (D) declares an emergency in all five counties after heavy rains bring floods, landslides and fear of dam failures.^[33]
• March 13 – 2021 Western Australian state election
• March 28 – President Surangel Whipps of Palau begins a four-day visit to Taiwan to promote tourism.^[34]

Scheduled

Elections

• April 9 – 2021 Samoan general election
• November 2 – 2021 United States elections
• November – 2021 Tongan general election

Major national and territorial holidays

• January 23 – Bounty Day, Public holidays in the Pitcairn Islands^[35]
• January 26 – Australia Day^[36]
• February 8 – Waitangi Day celebrated, New Zealand.^[37]
• March 1 – Remembrance Day (Marshall Islands), Public holidays in the Marshall Islands^[38]
• March 6 – Norfolk Island Foundation Day^[39]
• April 6 – Self Determination Day, Public holidays in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands^[40]
• April 26 – Anzac Day celebrated, Public holidays in Australia^[36] and Public holidays in New Zealand^[41]
• June 1 – Independence Day (National Day), Public holidays in Samoa^[42]
• June 7 – Independence Day (National Day), Public holidays in the Solomon Islands^[43]
• June 12 – Queen's Official Birthday, Commonwealth countries^[44]
• June 29 – Autonomy Day, Public holidays in French Polynesia^[45]
• July 4/5 – Independence Day, United States′ territories and associated states^[46]
• July 12 – National Day, Public holidays in Kiribati^[47]
• July 14 – Bastille Day, French territories
• July 29 – Territory Day, Public holidays in Wallis and Futuna^[48]
• July 30 – Independence Day, Public holidays in Vanuatu^[49]
• October 4 – Tuvulu Day celebrated^[44]
• October 11 – Fiji Day celebrated, List of festivals in Fiji^[50]
• October 26 – Angam Day, Public holidays in Nauru^[51]
• November 3 – Independence Day, Public holidays in the Federated States of Micronesia^[52]
• November 4 – National Day celebrated, Tonga^[53]

Sports

• January 13–23 — 2021 UCI Oceania Tour in New Zealand

Deaths

• February 5 – Paul Tovua, 73, Solomon Islands politician, MP (since 1976), Speaker of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands (1994–2001).^[54]
• February 26 – Michael Somare, 84, first Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (Father of the Nation); pancreatic cancer^[55]
• March 15 – Miriama Rauhihi Ness, New Zealand Māori activist and social worker.^[56]

See also

• Tropical cyclones in 2021
  • 2020–21 Australian region cyclone season
  • 2021–22 Australian region cyclone season
  • 2021-22 South Pacific cyclone season
  • 2020–21 South Pacific cyclone season
• 2021 Pacific typhoon season

Notes and References

1. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-kingdom/ CIA Factbook: United Kingdom
2. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/christmas-island/ CIA Factbook: Christmas Island
3. https://www.regional.gov.au/territories/norfolk_island/administrator/index.aspx Administrator of Norfolk Island
4. https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/406763/new-president-for-marshall-islands New president for Marshall Islands
5. https://www.postguam.com/news/local/panuelo-sworn-in-as-new-fsm-president/article_37f1d8b4-b1a2-11e9-bdd2-775df0e3a857.html Panuelo sworn in as new FSM president
6. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/palau/ CIA Factbook: Palau
7. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/solomon-islands/ CIA Factbook: Solomon Islands
8. Web site: Tonga country profile . BBC News . Apr 24, 2020 . 23 January 2018.
9. Web site: Vanuatu country profile . BBC News . Apr 25, 2020 . 11 June 2018.
10. Web site: Cain . Tess Newton . Vanuatu elects new prime minister as country reels from devastating cyclone . The Guardian . Apr 25, 2020 . 20 April 2020.
11. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/pitcairn-islands/ CIA Factbook: Pitcairn Islands
12. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/chile/ CIA Factbook: Chile
13. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/france/ CIA Factbook: France
14. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/french-polynesia/ CIA Factbook: French Polynesia
15. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/new-caledonia/ CIA Factbook: New Caledonia
16. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-states/ CIA Factbook: United States
17. https://www.nga.org/governors/guam/ National Governors Association: Guam
18. National Governors' Association: Northern Mariana Islands
19. Web site: The New Year Honours list 2021 . thegazette.co.uk . The Gazette official record . January 29, 2021 . en.
20. News: Farge . Emma . Fiji wins presidency of U.N. rights body after vote unblocks leadership impasse . January 15, 2021 . msn.com . Reuters . January 15, 2021.
21. News: Vanuatu detains Chinese fishing boats, Russian yacht . January 29, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . AFP . January 29, 2021.
22. News: Neubauer . Ian Lloyd . Xanana Gusmão condemned over visit to paedophile priest . February 22, 2021 . aljazeera.com . Al Jazeera English . February 17, 2021 . en.
23. News: Pacific countries select new chief diplomat after fractious vote . February 5, 2021 . msn.com . Reuters . February 4, 2021.
24. News: Another Ship in Rough Pacific Ocean Spills Containers Overboard . February 5, 2021 . msn.com . Bloomberg . February 4, 2021.
25. News: Fiji deports university leader in blow to regional relations . February 5, 2021 . msn.com . AP . February 4, 2021.
26. News: Alerta al sur del Pacífico por sismo de 7.7 que causó tsunami . February 10, 2021 . jornada.com.mx . La Jornada . February 10, 2021 . es.
27. News: Torre . Giovanni . New Zealand furious at Australia for cancelling citizenship of Islamic State terror suspect with dual nationality . February 17, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . The Telegraph . February 16, 2021.
28. News: Rio Tinto chairman quits over Aboriginal site damage in Australia . March 5, 2021 . aljazeera.com . Al Jazeera English . March 3, 2021 . en.
29. News: Powerful quake hits near New Zealand; tsunami warning issued . March 4, 2021 . AP NEWS . 4 March 2021.
30. Web site: Today's Earthquakes in South Pacific Ocean . earthquaketrack.com . March 4, 2021 . en.
31. News: Redmayne . James . Accused in NZ volcano disaster make first court appearance . March 6, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . Reuters . March 5, 2021.
32. News: Gould . Joe . ‘Guam is a target today.’ Pacific chief pitches Aegis Ashore to Congress . March 9, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . Defense News . March 9, 2021.
33. News: Hawaii declares emergency due to floods, orders evacuations . March 10, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . Reuters . March 9, 2021.
34. News: Palau president visits Taiwan to open travel bubble . March 28, 2021 . msn.com . AFP . March 28, 2021.
35. Web site: Pitcairn Islands Public Holidays 2021 (Oceania) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
36. Web site: National Holidays in Australia in 2021 . Office Holidays . February 7, 2021 . en.
37. Web site: New Zealand Public Holidays 2021 (ANZ/APEC/Oceania/OECD) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
38. News: Losinio . Louella . RMI marks Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day . February 7, 2021 . PNC News First . 2 March 2020.
39. Web site: Norfolk Island Public Holidays 2021 (Oceania) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
40. Web site: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Public Holidays 2021 (ANZ/APEC/Oceania) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
41. Web site: National Holidays in New Zealand in 2021 . Office Holidays . February 7, 2021 . en.
42. Web site: Samoa Public Holidays 2021 (Oceania) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
43. Web site: Solomon Islands Public Holidays 2021 (Oceania) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
44. Web site: Tuvalu Public Holidays 2021 (Oceania) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
45. Web site: French Polynesia Public Holidays 2021 (Oceania) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
46. Web site: Guam Public Holidays 2021 (Oceania) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
47. Web site: Kiribati National Day in Kiribati in 2021 . Office Holidays . February 7, 2021 . en.
48. Web site: Wallis and Futuna Public Holidays 2021 (Oceania) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
49. Web site: Vanuatu Public Holidays 2021 (Oceania) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
50. Web site: Fiji Public Holidays 2021 . PublicHolidays.asia . February 7, 2021.
51. Web site: ANGAM Day - Nauru, National Day . Pacific Tourism Organisation . February 7, 2021.
52. Web site: Micronesia Public Holidays 2021 . PublicHolidays.asia . February 7, 2021.
53. Web site: Tonga Public Holidays 2021 (Oceania) . The qppstudio.net website . February 7, 2021 . en.
54. Web site: Sir Paul Tovua passes on . February 8, 2021 . February 6, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210206004232/https://www.solomonstarnews.com/index.php/news/national/item/24971-sir-paul-tovua-passes-on . dead .
55. News: Michael Somare, PNG’s ‘father of the nation’, dead at 84 . March 4, 2021 . aljazeera.com . Al Jazeera English . February 26, 2021 . en.
56. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/poroporoaki-miriama-rauhihi-ness Poroporoaki: Miriama Rauhihi Ness