Douglas Walkden-Brown

Douglas Walkden-Brown MBE (19 October 1921 – 26 October 2013) was an Australia-born Fijian educator, politician and diplomat. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1966 to 1977 and served as Minister for Natural Resources and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests between 1967 and 1977, later becoming Fijian consul in Sydney.

Doug Brown
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests
In office
1971–1977
Succeeded byCharles Walker
Minister for Natural Resources
In office
1967–1971
Preceded byKamisese Mara
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
1972–1977
Succeeded byCharles Walker
ConstituencyEastern General National
In office
1966–1972
ConstituencyCentral General
Personal details
Born19 October 1921
Australia
Died26 October 2013(2013-10-26) (aged 92)
Political partyAlliance Party

Biography

Brown was born in Australia, the son of a Methodist minister.[1] He studied at Hawkesbury Agricultural College, after which he joined the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II.[1] In 1947 he moved to Fiji to work as a Methodist missionary, and the following year was appointed headteacher of Navuso Agricultural School.[1] In 1960 he retired, and bought his own farm near Nausori where he became a dairy and poulty farmer.[2] He was awarded an MBE in the 1961 Birthday Honours for services to agriculture in Fiji. He also became involved in rugby administration, serving as President of the Rewa Rugby Union and the Fiji School Rugby Union, as well as managing the Fiji rugby team that toured England, France and Wales in 1964.

In 1963 he contested the elections to the Legislative Council, losing to John Kearsley in the European Southern constituency by 13 votes. Prior to the 1966 elections he joined the Alliance Party and was elected from the Central General cross-voting constituency. Following the elections, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Member for Natural Resources, Kamisese Mara.[3] The following year he took over from Mara as Member,[4] and later in the year became Minister for Natural Resources when full ministerial government was introduced. When Fiji became independent in 1970, he took Fijian citizenship.[1] In 1971 his ministerial title changed to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests.[5]

In the 1972 elections he was re-elected in the Eastern General national constituency, after which he retained his ministerial post. He retired from politics due to ill-health, losing his seat in the March 1977 elections. However, in 1981 he was appointed the Fijian Consul General in Sydney, a role he held until 1984.[1]

He died in October 2013 aged 92.[1]

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References
  1. Doug Brown – a tribute Grubsheet Feejee
  2. People Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1984, p57
  3. Fiji's new government Pacific Islands Monthly, November 1966, p11
  4. People Pacific Islands Monthly, June 1967
  5. Nutshell Pacific Islands Monthly, June 1971, p127
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