His Memory

Goes Back

A Long

Way

By W. H. Percival

One of the few people on Raro tonga today who can remember Queen Makea Takau, Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon, F. J. Moss, the first “British Resident” in the Cook Islands, and other notables of the past is Charles T. Cowan better known as Charlie Cowan.

BORN in Rarotonga in 1886, the son of Peter Keith Mackay Cowan, of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Konini of Rarotonga’s Ngati Tamaruanui family, Charlie is today a spry 78 years.

His memory is amazingly clear and accurate, and is aided no doubt by his keen interest in local history.

Charlie, in fact, has written a number of articles on Cook Islands history traditions and customs for the Cook Islands News. He writes under the pen-name of “Tumu Korero”, and has become known as “Rarotonga’s historian”.

Charlie has a quick mind, sound commonsense and a Scot’s dry humour. He attended the first London Missionary Society school at Arorangi village, then spent four years at the old Tereora Secondary School, also owned and run by the

Lms.

With Trading Company

At the age of 16, he joined the Cook Islands Trading Company, and for the next 10 years he ran the company’s branch stores at Niue, Aitutaki, Manihiki, and Rakahanga.

During this period—in 1908, when he was 22—he served for a while as supercargo in the company’s vessel, Toafa-Haamia. Part of his duties were the weighing and check ing of copra in the Cook Group’s outer islands. His travels also took him to Raiatea, Huahine, Tahiti and New Zealand.

In 1908, he succeeded to his mother’s Mataiapo title of Tau- Puru-Arik'i, which made him a member of Rarotonga’s land owning nobility. The following year he married Nuka Nuka, the daughter of Kainuku Ariki, the hereditary chief of Rarotonga’s Ngatangiia district.

Three years later, in 1912, Charlie left CITC to become a planter. He became one of the Cooks’ biggest exporters of copra and bananas.

In 1914, at 28, he was elected to the Rarotonga Island Council, and he remained on the Council for 23 years. He is remembered as a sound and sensible member.

He has held many honorary positions chairman of Takitumu School committee, 1916-37; director of Rarotonga Fruit Co., 1927-30.

He served on the Fruit Advisory Committee in 1929-37 and 1953-57, was president of the Industrial Workers’ Union, 1954-63; and chair man of Ngatangiia Co-op. Thrift and Credit Society, 1955-63.

In 1927, when the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) toured New Zealand, Charlie was chosen to accompany the delegation of Cook Islands chiefs who travelled to meet them.

In 1935, Charlie, who speaks English like an educated English man, was interpreter to the Cook Islands delegation which the New Zealand Maori tribes invited to attend the Treaty of Waitangi Cele brations.

Charlie Cowan has been a church deacon for 15 years. He is the father of 13 children, some of whom have distinguished themselves.

Today he lives quietly in Ngatangiia Village and takes an active part in village affairs.

He is respected and liked by all as one of Rarotonga’s grand old men.

Charlie Cowan.