Deputy Governor took the road less travelled

Island life is unlikely to come as much of a shock for Bermuda’s new Deputy Governor.

Ginny Ferson was previously the Deputy Governor of the Pitcairn Islands; a small group of remote volcanic outcrops in the Pacific made famous by the Mutiny on the Bounty story.

Pitcairn itself has a population of just 55 permanent residents, most of  whom are direct descendants of the Bounty mutineers.

And the experience of teetering precariously on the bow of a supply ship waiting to jump aboard a long boat manned by Pitcairn islanders remains a vivid memory for the mother-of-two.

She told the Bermuda Sun: “Growing up I always had the feeling there was a big wide world out there.

“I knew from quite early on that I wanted to explore it, and I was always fascinated by languages.

“At school I would spend my lunch breaks studying Latin and Ancient Greek.” 

In a diplomatic career spanning 27 years Mrs Ferson has also worked in South Korea, Pakistan, Mauritius and most recently New Zealand. 

She was part of the relief effort sent to Christchurch in the wake of the devastating earthquakes in February 2011.

And she was a member of a rapid deployment team that was sent to Algeria in the wake of the kidnapping of British nationals, who were ultimately murdered by their captors in 2013.

She said: “In Christchurch we dealt with a lot of distressed Brits at a time when there were still a lot of after shocks.

Scary

“It was quite scary stuff.

“And my first deployment after signing up with the rapid response team was to be sent to Algeria in the aftermath of the hostage crisis.

“Our focus was to get the bodies identified and returned to their loved ones in the UK.”

Mrs Ferson arrived in Bermuda just over two weeks ago, together with her husband, Mel, and 10-year-old son, Samuel to take up the post of Deputy Governor from her predecessor David Arkley.

Her daughter, Natalie, has also joined the family for Christmas from the UK where she is studying at Birmingham University.

The new Deputy Governor said: “There’s always a mixture of excitement and a hint of nervousness when you arrive in a new country. Obviously with the role comes responsibility and anxiety about wanting to do the right thing.

“I have already been struck by how welcoming people have been to my family and I, and I’m looking forward to meeting more people and finding out more about Bermuda.

“There is a lot more for me to understand about Bermuda and I hope to do some work with the island’s charities and get to know people from all walks of life.

“I believe there is still a role for the Governor and Deputy Governor to play in overseas territories like Bermuda and I’m looking forward to what lies ahead.”

She added: “Experience of living in various countries during my career has opened my eyes to many different cultures, beliefs and ways of living. 

“My wish is that people use this festive time of sharing and giving to embrace one another’s differences, celebrate shared values and look for the good in each other.”