User:Sladew/Charles Edward Douglas

For 40 years Charlie Douglas explored and surveyed the West Coast Region of New Zealand. He was described as heavily bearded and with a slight frame, standing about 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) in height. He was accompanied throughout his years of exploration by a dog, first "Topsy", then "Betsey Jane" and others.^[4][3]

When exploring Charlie carried little in the way of equipment beyond some basic provisions, including tobacco for his beloved pipe, and a

During this 20 year period, both Gerhard Mueller and George John Roberts attempted to employ Charlie Douglas full-time at the survey department, but he instead sent in voluntary reports and maps of the rugged Westland valleys that he tramped and explored and earned a part-time wage while exploring for the department. ^[3]

In 1868 Douglas accompanied

During 1874 Charlie Douglas met George Roberts and formed a friendship that was to lead to his growing involvement with the New Zealand Survey Department. Also in 1874, Douglas formed a partnership with Bob Ward and the two men bought 700 acres (280 ha) of land on the Paringa River and began cattle farming. The pair also operated a ferry service across the Paringa. Charlie Douglas gave up cattle farming after his partner, Ward, drowned. After his time as a cattle farmer, Charlie abandoned a settled life and began to tramp and explore Westland, picking up odd-jobs as he needed them.^[4][6]

From a base in

In 1886 Douglas and G. T. Murray made a survey trip to the Northern Olivines.^[3]

During 1887, Douglas and Mueller made a "Reconnaissance Survey" of the Clarke River and the Landsborough River.^[4][2]

In 1887 and later in 1888, Charlie Douglas visited the Balfour Glacier near Mount Tasman and the Fox Glacier.^[4]

Two Immense Raptors

Charlie Douglas, claims in his monograph on the birds of south westland (c. 1899) that he shot and ate two

From 1889 Charlie Douglas agreed to work for the survey department full-time for a wage of eight

For five months, in 1891 Douglas traveled up the Waiatoto River. He climbed Mount Ragan and reached the Therma Glacier at the head of the Waiatoto.^[4][2]

During 1892 Charlie Douglas made an important expedition up the Copland River. It was during the Copland trip that Charlie experienced the first real illness of his 52 years. Later in the year he explored the Whitcombe River.^[4][2]

Between 1893 and 1895, Charlie Douglas was teamed with Arthur Paul Harper and the two first explored the Wanganui River in a dug-out canoe. They then explored the Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier and in 1894 the area of the Cook River. It was in 1894 that rheumatism first began to force Charlie to curtail some of his exploration.^[4][7][2]

In 1896 Charlie returned to the Whitcombe river valley and crossed the Whitcombe Pass to the upper Rakaia.^[4]

In 1897 Charlie continued track work in the Whitcombe river. It was also in this year that he was awarded Royal Geographical Society Gill Memorial Prize. He spent the prize money on a camera that he ended up giving away.^[4]

From 1898 through to 1899 Charlie worked on hut making and track cutting around the glaciers and along the Whitcombe river valley.^[4]

In 1900 Charlie Douglas made his last major expedition along the Wanganui River that included an trip to the Lord Range.^[4]

In 1901 Charlie explored the

From 1904 to 1906 Charlie continued to explore and survey for the department but was increasingly restricted by illness and old age. In 1906 while on holiday in Wataroa, Charlie met and was photographed with Richard Seddon, shortly before Seddon's death. Later in 1906 Charlie suffered his first stroke. Charlie continued to explore for the department in 1907 and 1908 but his second stroke forced him to retire from the New Zealand Survey Department after 40 years of almost continual exploration of the West Coast Region.^[4][3]

Charlie spend much of his time from 1906 until 1916 being looked after by friends and the widow of his cattle ranching partner, Mrs. Ward. He was also in and out of hospital in 1911, 1914 and 1916. Charlie Douglas died, two months short of his 76th birthday, of a

The following works by Charlie Douglas were published, exhibited or are held and collected:[8]

• Contributed to the Appendix to the Journal of the House of Representatives
• Exhibited an oil painting at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition (1889)
• Journals and sketchbook are held at the Alexander Turnbull Library
• Watercolours and washes are held at the
  Hocken Library
• Sketches are held at the Westland Museum, Hokitika.

Awards

Charlie Douglas was awarded the 1897 Royal Geographical Society Gill Memorial Prize for, "persistent explorations during twenty-one years of the difficult region of forests and gorges on the western slopes of the New Zealand Alps".^{[3] [9]}

Landmarks

The following New Zealand

• Mount Douglas at the head of Fox Glacier
• Douglas pass through the Hooker range
• Douglas River
• Douglas Névé and Glacier west of Mount Sefton.

References