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Dick Rapley

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Dick Rapley
Member of the Legislative Assembly
In office
1963–1965
Preceded byLes Bailey
Succeeded bySeat abolished
ConstituencyEuropean
Personal details
Born1918
New Zealand
Died10 July 1972
Manila, Philippines

Richard Warwick Rapley (1918 – 10 July 1972) was a New Zealand-born businessman and politician in the Cook Islands. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly between 1963 and 1965.

Biography

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Born in New Zealand, Rapley arrived in the Cook Islands to run a citrus plantation at Titikaveka,[1] later representing the Cook Islands in negotiations with New Zealand over fruit prices.[2] He subsequently sold the plantation and started a taxi and hire car business named Ace Taxis, as well as opening the first motel on Rarotonga.[1]

In 1963 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly from the European constituency, replacing Les Bailey.[3] The European constituency was abolished prior to the 1965 elections, in which Rapley unsuccessfully ran in the four-seat Te-au-o-Tonga constituency as an Independent Group candidate, finishing sixth out of nineteen candidates.[4]

In 1969 he became the first chairman of the Cook Islands Tourist Authority. However, the following year he returned to New Zealand for medical treatment, after which he travelled around East Asia for several months.[1] He died in Manila in 1972.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Mr R.W. Rapley", Pacific Islands Monthly, September 1973, p131
  2. ^ David J. Stone (1971) Self rule in the Cook Islands: The government and politics of a new micro-state
  3. ^ Pacific Islands Year Book 1963, p139
  4. ^ Report of the United Nations Representative for the Supervision of the Elections in the Cook Islands United Nations