Raymond Gadabu (25 September 1921 – 17 October 1964)[1] [2] was a Nauruan politician who served as Head Chief between 1953 and 1955.
Gadabu was a member of the Iruwa tribe.[3] Gadabu attended Nauru Primary School before moving to Australia to study at Geelong Junior Technical College, the Gordon Institute and Everett's Business College in Melbourne.[4] In 1941 he began work as a ledger clerk at Geelong and Crossy Trading, later becoming a shipping clerk and salesman for the company.[1] He returned to Nauru in 1945 to join the civil service, becoming a welfare officer. The following year he became an accounts clerk, and in 1951 was appointed a clerk in the Nauruan Affairs department.[1]
When democracy was introduced to Nauru in 1951, Gadabu was elected to the first Local Government Council from the Aiwo constituency.[5] Following the death of Head Chief Timothy Detudamo in April 1953, Gadabu was elected as his replacement.[6] In 1954 he was appointed a Nauruan Affairs officer and made a magistrate in the Nauru District Court.[1] Although he was re-elected to the Council in 1955, he was replaced as Head Chief by Hammer DeRoburt.