T.R. (Thomson Reid) Cowell, 1920-1992
Papers relating to the Pacific Islands, 1961-91
MSS 0077
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Thomson Reid Cowell, born 25 April 1920 in Peel, Isle of Man,
entered Cambridge University in 1939 to study Economics but after
the interruption of the war joined the British Colonial Service as
a cadet and was posted to the remote Gilbert and Ellice Islands
Colony (now the independent nations of Kiribati and Tuvalu).
With the evacuation of colonial administrators from the
Gilbert
islands after the Japanese entry into the Pacific he saw service
initially on Fiji, with subsequent postings to the Gilbert and
Ellice Islands, the Solomon Islands and the New Hebrides and as
Consul for Tahiti and Commissioner for Pitcairn, as well as further
service at headquarters in Suva. From 1958 to 1966 he served
as Commissioner in the South Pacific Commission and subsequently as
an Assistant Registrar at the Australian National University and
Executive Officer of the Australian-Asian Universities Cooperation
Scheme.
Cowell prepared while on leave in Cambridge in 1947 a Gilbertese grammar (published in 1951 as The structure of Gilbertese and issued in a revised edition in 1964 as Simplified Gilbertese grammar) and retained his interest in and association with the Pacific long after he left the region for Australia. While with the SPC he compiled Pacific compendium: statistical and general information on the Pacific Islands associated with the South Pacific Commission and after his official retirement in 1980 undertook the translations for a number of publications edited by Harry Maude relating to the Gilbert Islands: Traditional stories from the Northern Gilberts, Tungaru traditions: writings on the atoll culture of the Gilbert Islands by Arthur Grimble and An anthology of Gilbertese oral tradition : from the Grimble papers and other collections.
Cowell died in Canberra in January 1992, survived by his wife Margaret, whom he had married while on leave in 1947 and who shared the rest of his service life in the Pacific with him.
These papers were donated by Mrs Margaret Cowell through Alaric Maude in July 2002.
Pitcairn Island
1. Reports on visits by Reid Cowell to Pitcairn Island 31
December 1963 to January 1964 and 20 February to 15 March
1965. February 1964 and May 1965. 2 v.
(2 copies)
2. Correspondence between Reid Cowell (as Commissioner for the South Pacific) and J. Christian, Chief Magistrate, Pitcairn Island. 11 November 1961-14 November 1965. (typescript copy) 1v.
3. Extracts from the records of the local government of
Pitcairn Island for 1898 to 1948, compiled and edited by Reid
Cowell December 1966. 1v.
[originals in the Central Archives of Fiji and the Western
Pacific]
Kiribati (Gilbert Islands)
4. Annotated typescript of Traditional stories from the Northern Gilberts, collected and written by Ten Tiroba, translated by Cowell, with correspondence between Cowell, Harry Maude and the Institute of Pacific Studies regarding publication July 1986-January 1991. 1 folder
5. Translations of the Arthur Grimble papers, rough drafts, together with a review of the published version, Tungaru Traditions by Barrie MacDonald, as published in the Canberra Times 31 March 1990. 1 folder
6. Synopses of Books A-Q of the [May] Pateman papers, final drafts, undated. 1 folder
South Pacific Commission
7. 'A Memorandum on the South Pacific Commission' - review
by Cowell of the Commission, April 1961, with covering letter to
the Governor of Fiji.
(2 copies, one annotated)
8. Letter to the Governor 18 May 1965 regarding constitutional reform of the Commission and his 'A plan for partnership' July 1965.
Published papers and reviews by Cowell
9. 'University of the South Pacific', Journal of Pacific History 1967/2; reviews of The changing Pacific, Migration, myth and magic and Of islands and men; summary of 'Fee abolition: an appraisal' by H.G. Brennan, AVCC March 1972 [prepared by Cowell] 5 items
Miscellaneous
10. List of personal papers left in the Central Archives of Fiji and the Western Pacific 'on permanent loan' by Cowell, December 1966; letter from the FCO February 1969 regarding their decision not to publish Cowell's Pitcairn Island and South Pacific Commission reports; correspondence with the University of the South Pacific August 1991 regarding Cowell's proposed gift of runs of the journals Encounter, Journal of Pacific History and Pambu; manuscript and published version of article by Margaret Cowell on 'Life on today's Pitcairn', published in Pacific Islands Monthly December 1965. 5 items.
