Edward Cakobau

Ratu Sir Edward Tuivanuavou Tugi Cakobau (21 December 1908 - 26 June 1973) was a Fijian chief and statesman.

He was born on 21 December 1908 as the son of King George Tupou II of Tonga and his Fijian "trial wife", Adi Litia Cakobau, who was a granddaughter of Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the King who forged the first unified Fijian state in 1871, before ceding the islands to the United Kingdom in 1874. Cakobau was a half-brother of Tonga's Queen Salote Tupou III.

He was educated at New Zealand's Wanganui Collegiate high school. After working as a schoolteacher, Cakobau commanded the Fiji Infantry Regiment in World War II, and was awarded the Military Cross. When Fiji became independent in 1970, Cakobau was knighted, becoming a Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE), Ratu Edward Cakobau was also a Freemason [Lodge Polynesia 17th September 1966] .

Ratu Edward played a major role in Fijian politics in the years that preceded and followed independence in 1970. As Minister for Labour in the first post-independence government, Cakobau had to contend with a docker's strike for a 31 percent pay rise, at the port of Suva in May 1971.

Carrying the name

Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau had four sons. The eldest son, Ratu Viliame Dreunimisimisi (1937 - 2000) was responsible for the first distillery in the South Pacific and was a former Minister for Tourism and Agriculture. In 1993, he joined six other Cabinet Ministers in bringing down the government by voting against the budget. The second son, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau has had a distinguished career in the military, diplomatic service, and politics, serving from 2001 to 2005 as Speaker of the House of Representatives. His third son, Ratu Tu'uakitau Cokanauto has also been a Cabinet Minister and his Fourth son was Ratu Keni Vuiyasawa. (The discrepancy of last names is due to the lack of widespread use of surnames in Fiji, especially in Cakobau's time. See Fijian naming conventions for details).

Cakobau died on 26 June 1973, aged 64 years.

Footnote

References

* 20th Century Fiji, edited by Stewart Firth & Daryl Tarte - 2001 - ISBN 982-010421-1
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=-u3qtuAy1cEC&pg=RA16-PA222&ots=QIcV95q3EP&dq=ratu+edward+cakobau&sig=rjguI241B1qWx6hPuOYJ9L1eLec Under The Ivi Tree] : Society and Economic Growth in Rural Fiji - Page 222, by Rowan Roenisch, Cyril S. Belshaw - Social Science - 2004

External links

* [http://www.uq.net.au/~zzhsoszy/states/fiji/vunivalu.html Ratu Sir Edwards] Genealogy Information
* [http://content.cricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/36644.html Obituary in Cricinfo New Zealand]
* Ratu Edward as a [http://www.freemasonry.org.fj/lop_history.aspx Free Mason] .