Ka cika wannan jumla: A shekara ta 1893 an ba da izinin zama a tsibirin Gilbert, tare da zama kwamishinan mazaunin tsibirin Gilbert da Ellice. Swayne ya isa Tsibirin Gilbert a watan Oktoba na shekara ta 1893. Albashinsa ya kai £ 500 a shekara, wanda aka rufe shi daga kudaden shiga na gida. A shekara ta 1895, an kafa hedkwatar mai karewa a Tarawa kafin a koma tsibirin Ocean Island a shekarar 1908, wanda ya kasance hedkwatar har zuwa yakin duniya na biyu da kuma mulkin mallaka.
Harkokin Jafananci na tsibirin Gilbert. Tsibirin Gilbert da Ellice Islands sun zama yankuna daban-daban a cikin 1976, amma sun kasance a ƙarƙashin gwamna ɗaya. Bayan samun 'yancin kai na Tuvalu (Tsibirin Ellice) a shekarar 1978, an sake sunan mukamin Gwamnan Tsibirin Gilbert har zuwa lokacin da Kiribati ta sami' yancin kai a shekara mai zuwa.