MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Sir Rex Hunt helped change British thinking towards the Falklands

The former Governor will be remembered on Friday at a special thanksgiving service (Photo: The Times)

Falklands Governor Nigel Haywood underlined the influence of Sir Rex Hunt on the attitude of the British government and British thinking towards the Falklands, helping to understand that “the lives of the Islanders really had to come first”.

Interviewed by the Falklands radio service, Governor Haywood said that the recently deceased Sir Rex Hunt marked the “transition in governors” of the Islands.

“I think he marked the transition in Governors. Obviously the (1982) conflict was a major point but when Sir Rex came to the Islands he really was very much concerned about the future and about the development of the Falklands and the personal lives of the Islanders”, said Governor Haywood.

But, “I think one of the things that happened during his time here and then afterwards were an increasing understanding that the lives of the Islanders really had to come first in British thinking of the Falklands”.

The former Governor of the Falkland Islands from 1980 to 1985 passed away last week, 11 November, Remembrance Day. He was a pivotal figure of the resistance to the Argentine invasion of the Falklands in April 1982, and after the conflict he put all his skills and talent to the reconstruction of the Islands.

To that effect it was announced that the Falklands will be holding a Memorial and Thanksgiving Service for the life of Sir Rex Hunt at 2pm on Friday 23rd November at Stanley’s Christ Church Cathedral.

It was also announced that a Book of Condolence has been opened in the downstairs lobby of the Secretariat, in which the public are invited to record their memories and messages of respect and sympathy.

The book will be accessible during normal office hours from Monday to Friday. Arrangements will be made for the book to be accessible to those in Camp in the near future with further information to be made available at a later date.