Gustav Frederick Dertag Betham OBE (11 April 1915 –31 March 1984),also known by the Samoan name Fereti Misipita,was a Western Samoan politician and diplomat. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1948 to 1971 and as Minister of Finance from 1961 to 1970. In 1971 he was appointed Secretary General of the South Pacific Commission,a role he held for four years.
Born in Apia in 1915 to Bertha and Montgomery Betham, [1] Betham attended Newton West School in Auckland and then Seddon Memorial Technical College. [2] He returned to Western Samoa to join the civil service,leaving after eight years to work in business,joining O.F. Nelson. An excellent tennis player,in 1939 he won the men's singles,the men's doubles and the mixed doubles with Olive Nelson, [3] who he married in 1942. [1] He later became president of the local tennis association. In World War II he was part of the Western Samoa Defence Force. [2]
Betham was elected to the Legislative Assembly from the European constituency in 1948,and re-elected in 1951,1954 and 1957. In 1953,he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal. [4] As a member of the Legislative Assembly,he was part of the 1960 Constitutional Assembly that drew up the independence constitution,of which he was a signatory. After being re-elected again in 1961,Betham was appointed Minister of Finance. He was appointed an OBE in the 1962 New Year Honours and remained in the cabinet until the 1970 elections,when Tupua Tamasese replaced Fiame Mata'afa as Prime Minister.
In 1971 he was a candidate to become Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission. After a tie in the first round of voting,his opponent Oala Oala-Rarua withdrew from the contest,allowing Betham to win. [5] [6] He served as Secretary General until 1975, [2] and in 1976 was appointed High Commissioner of Western Samoa to New Zealand,a role he held until 1980. [7]
He died in March 1984 at the age of 68.
Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole was a Western Samoan paramount chief. He held the royal title of Tupua Tamasese from 1929 to 1963,and O le Ao o le Malo jointly with Malietoa Tanumafili II from 1962 until his death the following year.
Ta'isi Olaf Frederick Nelson was a Samoan businessman and politician. He was one of the founding leaders of the anti-colonial Mau movement.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 22 February 1985. Voting was restricted to matai and citizens of European origin,with the Matai electing 45 MPs and Europeans two. The result was a victory for the Human Rights Protection Party,which won 31 seats. Its leader,Tofilau Eti Alesana,remained Prime Minister.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 7 February 1970. All candidates ran as independents,with voting restricted to matais and citizens of European origin,with the matais electing 45 MPs and Europeans two. Following the election,Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV became Prime Minister.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 28 April 1948,the first to the new Legislative Assembly. The United Citizens Party won four of the five directly-elected seats.
Olive Virginia Malienafau Nelson was the first Pacific Island graduate of the University of Auckland.
Arthur Williams was an Australian-born Western Samoan plumber and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council between 1924 and 1929.
General elections were held in Western Samoa on 4 February 1961. They had originally been planned for November 1960,but were postponed by three months.
Tualaulelei Mauri was a Western Samoan chief and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly between 1943 and 1961,and as Minister of Lands and Minister of Agriculture between 1956 and 1961.
Anapu Solofa was a Western Samoan chief and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly and as Minister of Justice.
Frank Clemens Frederick Nelson was a Western Samoan politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly and as Minister of Works,Transport,Marine and Civil Aviation from 1957 until his death.
Afioga Afoafouvale Misimoa,also known by his European name Harry William Moors,was a Western Samoan businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly in two spells between 1951 and 1967,and was the first Pacific Islander to become Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission. He also founded the Samoa Rugby Union.
Eugene Friedrich Paul was a Western Samoan businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly in two spells between 1948 and 1961,was the first Leader of Government Business in 1958,and held the posts of Minister of Economic Development and Minister of Finance between 1957 and 1961.
Mano Togamau was a Western Samoan politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly in two spells from 1964 and as Minister of Lands from 1976 until his death two years later.
Oala Oala-Rarua was a Papua New Guinean educator,civil servant,trade unionist,politician and diplomat. He served as a member of the House of Assembly and Assistant Minister for the Treasury between 1968 and 1972,later becoming the first Lord Mayor of Port Moresby and High Commissioner to Australia.
Tuatagaloa Tofa Siaosi was a Western Samoan politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1967 until 1973 and was Minister of Finance between 1970 and 1973.
Peter Plowman was an Australia-born businessman and politician in Western Samoa. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly between 1954 and 1964,and as Member for Transport and Communications from 1956 to 1957.
Jacob Helg was a Western Samoan politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1948 to 1954.
Amoa Lolesio Tausilia was a Western Samoan chief and politician. He served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1961 to 1967 and as Minister of Education and Minister of Justice from between 1970 and 1973.
Leota Leuluaiali'i Ituau Ale was a Samoan politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly in three spells from 1970 to 1996 and served as Speaker from 1976 to 1979.