Robert Brown Black

Robert Black College of the University of Hong Kong was named after him. Sir Robert Brown "Robin" Black, (; 3 June 1906 – 19 October 1999) was a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of Singapore from 1955 to 1957, and Governor of Hong Kong from 1958 to 1964.

Biography Born in Edinburgh and educated at George Watson's College and the University of Edinburgh, he would spend three decades overseas and return to Britain in the 1960s. Entering the Colonial Administration Service in 1930, Black served in numerous postings in Asia until becoming assistant colonial secretary of Trinidad. He became the secretary of Malayan Foreign Exchange Control in 1940.

During his posting in North Borneo, Black was commissioned into the Intelligence Corps and involved in guerilla resistance against the Japanese. He was captured in 1942 and spent the remainder of World War II in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp.

Hong Kong experienced a prolonged drought of unanticipated severity during the last two years of his tenure, which led to a serious water shortage. Water rationing was imposed in May 1962 and continued through August 1964. From June 1963 until late May 1964 (when the arrival of Typhoon Viola ended the drought) the water supply was restricted to a single four-hour period every four days.

Black helped establish the Chinese University of Hong Kong by uniting several smaller institutions. He served as Chancellor of both the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong during his tenure as Governor of Hong Kong.

He was knighted (KCMG) in 1955 and promoted to GCMG in 1962.

Post-governorship Black returned to Britain in 1964. He was active with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Royal Commonwealth Society, and served as chairman of the Clerical Medical and General Life Assurance Society in the 1970s. He died on 19 October 1999, having been predeceased in 1986 by his wife Anne. He was survived by their two daughters, Barbara and Kathryn.

Tributes Robert Black College, a graduate college of the University of Hong Kong Robert Black Health Centre in San Po Kong, Hong Kong Sir Robert Black College of Education, now merged into the Hong Kong Institute of Education (for his wife) The Anne Black YWCA, Kowloon (for his wife) Anne Black Health Centre, North Point