De Roburt, Hammer (1923–1992)

Nauruan politician, president 1968–76, 1978–83, and 1987–89.

Educated partly in Australia, De Roburt worked as a teacher in Nauru, but, during the country's occupation 1942–45, he was deported to Japan. He became head chief of Nauru in 1956 and was elected the country's first president on independence in 1968. He was re-elected in 1971 and 1973, but criticisms of his personal style of government led to his replacement, in December 1976, by Bernard Dowiyogo.

Following a campaign of opposition to Dowiyogo's leadership orchestrated by De Roburt's supporters, De Roburt was recalled as prime minister in April 1978. He lost power briefly during 1986 and secured only a narrow majority in the 1987 elections. De Roburt was finally ousted, on a no-confidence motion, in 1989 and was replaced as prime minister by Kenas Aroi, his ‘unacknowledged natural son’. After Aroi had resigned on health grounds, Dowiyogo was then elected by the Nauruan parliament as president in December 1989, defeating De Roburt by ten votes to six. This was De Roburt's final challenge for the presidency and on his death, in July 1992, he was given a state funeral.