Biographical entry: Kausimae, David Nanau (1931 - 2007)
- Born
- 12 October 1931
- Died
- 2007
Details
David Nanau Kausimae was born 12 October 1931 and had no formal education. He learnt to read at a Bible school in South Malaita, and then educated himself through reading. He joined the public service as a forest guard in 1953 and in 1958 began work for the Malaita Council (q.v.) as a sub-district clerk, a position he held until 1970. In 1965, he became member of the Legislative Council (q.v.) for South Malaita (1965-1969), then a member of the Executive Council (q.v.) (1969-1970) and then the Governing Council (q.v.) (1970-1973). He gave up his Malaita Council work when he became Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee (1970-1973). Kausimae was re-elected as the member for 'Are'are in 1973 and became Chairman of the Commerce and Industry Committee. He went on to be a member of the Legislative Assembly (q.v.) from 1974-1978, during which period he was Minister of Agriculture and the Rural Economy (1974), and Minister for Foreign Trade, Industry and Labour (1974-1975). From 1978-1980 he served as a member of the National Parliament. In 1978, he was in charge of a select committee investigating provincial government.
Kausimae travelled to Britain in 1966 with Eric V. Lawson (q.v.) as a guest of the British Government. He was also involved in various 'Are'are business ventures in the 1960s and 1970s, most importantly the 'Are'are Maasina Company Ltd., of which he became Director in 1965, and the Waipana Sawmill Company Ltd. He was also a Director of the Solomon Islands Investment Company (half-owners of the Mendana hotel) and a Director of the Solomon Wholesale Union Ltd. Kausimae received an O.B.E. in 1975 and was later knighted for his services to the nation. He died in 2007, survived by his wife Betheyel Kali Anilafa and their six children. (Naitoro 1993, 133-37; NS 11 Aug. 1966, 6 July 1973; SND 9 July 1976; Craig and Clement 1980, 98; Kausimae 1983)
Related entries
Published resources
Books
- Craig, Robert D., and Clement, Russell T., Who's Who in Oceania, 1980-1981, Institute of Polynesian Studies, Brigham Young University, Hawaii Campus, Laia, Hawaii, 1980. Details
Book Sections
- Kausimae, David, 'The Origins of the People's Alliance Party', in Peter Larmour;Sue Tarua (ed.), Solomon Islands Politics, Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific, Suva, 1983, pp. 114-116. Details
Journals
- Solomons News Drum, 1974-1982. Details
- British Solomon Islands Protectorate (ed.), British Solomon Islands Protectorate News Sheet (NS), 1955-1975. Details
Theses
- Naitoro, John H., 'The Politics of Development in 'Are 'are, Malaita', MA thesis, University of Otago, 1993. Details
