Ratu ''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to re ...

Sir Edward Tuivanuavou Tugi Cakobau (21 December 1908 – 25 June 1973) was a

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

an chief, soldier, politician and cricketer. He was a member of the Fijian legislature from 1944 until his death, also serving as Minister for Commerce, Industry and Labour and Deputy Prime Minister. During the 1940s he made two appearances for the

Fiji national cricket team The Fiji national cricket team is the men's team that represents the Republic of Fiji in international cricket. Fiji has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 1965,

Biography

Cakobau was born in December 1908, the son of

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

George Tupou II George Tupou II ( to, Siaosi Tupou II; 18 June 1874 – 5 April 1918) was the King of Tonga from 18 February 1893 until his death. He was officially crowned at Nukuʻalofa, on 17 March 1893. He was also the 20th Tuʻi Kanokupolu. Life Siao ...

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

and his mistress Adi Litia Cakobau, who was a granddaughter of

Seru Epenisa Cakobau Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau (; occasionally spelled ''Cacobau'' or phonetically ''Thakombau'') (c.1815 – 1 February 1883) was a Fijian Ratu and warlord ('' Vunivalu'') who united part of Fiji's warring tribes under his leadership, establishing ...

, the first

King of Fiji The monarchy of Fiji arose in the nineteenth century, when native ruler Seru Epenisa Cakobau consolidated control of the Fijian Islands in 1871 and declared himself King or paramount chief of Fiji ( fj, Tui Viti). In 1874, he voluntarily ced ...

. He was a half-brother of Queen Salote Tupou III of Tonga. He was educated at

Wanganui Technical College Whanganui City College is located in Ingestre Street, Whanganui. It became Wanganui City College in 1994. It was formerly the Wanganui Technical College established in 1911 and it became Wanganui Boys' College in 1964. Notable alumni *Peter Bel ...

between 1923 to 1928, and then Auckland Technical College. Whilst in New Zealand, he played a single first-class match for

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

in the 1930–31

Plunket Shield New Zealand has had a domestic first-class cricket championship since the 1906–07 season. Since the 2009–10 season it has been known by its original name of the Plunket Shield. History The Plunket Shield competition was instigated in Octob ...

and later made two first-class appearances for

in 1948 against

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

and Auckland. He later attended

Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road. Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Dorothy W ...

to study colonial administration. Cakobau returned to Fiji and worked as a schoolteacher. He later became a civil servant, starting as a clerk in the Native Affairs Department and rising to become Deputy Secretary for Fijian Affairs. He was one of Fiji's representatives at the coronation of

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...

in 1937. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he served in the Solomon Islands, for which he was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

. In

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

he was appointed to the Legislative Council as one of the five nominated Fijian members. He later returned to military service during the Malayan Emergency, serving in Malaya in 1953 and 1954, during which he became commanding officer of the Fiji Battalion. He was awarded the OBE for his service in Malaya, and was given a CBE in the

1966 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1966 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those co ...

. Cakobau continued to be nominated to the Legislative Council until the 1966 elections, when he elected unopposed in the Fijian Central cross-voting constituency. Following the elections, he was appointed Member for Commerce, Industry and Tourism. In 1967 he became Minister for Commerce, Industry and Labour. He was knighted in the 1971 New Year Honours.Custom's rebirth at chiefly funeral
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', August 1973, pp10–11 In the 1972 elections he ran for the Fijian seat in the Suva East national constituency and was elected to the House of Representatives. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Prime Minister by Kamisese Mara. Cakobau died on 25 June 1973,Death of Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', July 1973, p15 and was buried on Bau on 29 June. He had four sons; the eldest, Viliame Dreunimisimisi (1937–2000) was responsible for the first distillery in the South Pacific and served as Minister for Tourism and Agriculture. The second son,

Epeli Nailatikau Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, (born 5 July 1941) (often referred to as ''Na Turaga Mai Naisogolaca'') is a Fijian chief who was President of Fiji from 2009 to 2015. He has had a long career in the Military, diplomatic service, and go ...

was also a politician, serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives and later President. His third son, Tu'uakitau Cokanauto was also a minister; the fourth son was Keni Vuiyasawa.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cakobau, Edward Fijian chiefs Fijian knights Tui Kaba Tongan royalty 1908 births People educated at Whanganui City College Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford Auckland cricketers Fijian cricketers Fijian soldiers Fijian military personnel of World War II Recipients of the Military Cross Colony of Fiji people Fijian educators Fijian civil servants British Army personnel of the Malayan Emergency Members of the Legislative Council of Fiji Members of the House of Representatives (Fiji) Politicians from Bau (island) Alliance Party (Fiji) politicians Trade ministers of Fiji Industry ministers of Fiji Labour ministers of Fiji 1973 deaths Officers of the Order of the British Empire Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Biography

See also

References