Robert Brown Black

Infobox_Governor
name=Sir Robert Brown Black


width=180px
height=220px
caption=
order=23^rd
office=Governor of Hong Kong
term_start=23 January 1958
term_end=14 April 1964
lieutenant=
predecessor=Sir Alexander Grantham
successor=Sir David Clive Crosbie Trench
birth_date=birth date|1906|6|3
birth_place=
death_date=death date and age|1999|10|29|1906|6|3
death_place=
party=
profession=colonial administrator
spouse=
religion=


footnotes=

Sir Robert Brown Black GCMG, OBE (Chinese: 柏立基, 1906 - 29 October 1999) was a British colonial governor. He was Governor of Hong Kong from 23 January 1958 to 1 April 1964, having been Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1952 - 1955. He served as Governor of Singapore from 1955 to 1957.

Family

Robert and his wife have two daughters, Barbara and Kathryn. [cite book|title=Hong Kong, Report for the Year 1963|publisher=Hong Kong Government Press|date=1964]

Colonial Administration Career

Sir Robert Brown Black served in the administration of Britain's colonies for more than 30 years. During World War II, he spent several years in a Japanese prison camp in Malaysia.

After the war ended, he returned to the colonial service and served in North Borneo and Hong Kong before moving on to Singapore as Governor (1955-57). Subsequently, he became Governor of Hong Kong from 1958 to 1964.

During his governorship, Hong Kong became increasingly prosperous, despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of refugees were illegally crossing the border from mainland China every year. Although this influx placed an enormous burden on the colonial authorities, Black repeatedly appealed to the British Government for help in housing the refugees. In this, he was largely successful.

During Black's administration, Hong Kong also experienced severe drought, with water available for only 3-4 hours per day, creating a certain amount of hardship.

Post-Governorship

Black was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1962. He died on 29 October 1999.

Places Named After Him

Robert Black College, a graduate college of the University of Hong Kong.

Robert Black Health Center in San Po Kong, Hong Kong, as well as the former Black Teacher's College were named after him.

Sir Robert Black College of Education, now merged into the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Note