"BOSS" MAN OF RAROTONGA

This is Robert McKegg who founded the biggest and most prominent store on Rarotonga and whose remarkable story is intertwined with the early modern history of the Cook Islands. He was known simply as "Boss" and his granddaughter, Adriane Swinburn is sharing an insight into his remarkable life thanks to a treasure trove of family photos, documents and letters which she's turned into a new book. The Cook Islands Trading Company - CITC - has been part of the nation's life for more than 100 years and just like the nation, Boss's story is full of ups and downs

Adriane's book is called "Boss McKegg, A Cook Islands Trader" and it's filled with dozens of previously unseen pictures and historical detail, In the introduction, Adrianne offers an overview of her grandfather who was born in the tiny New Zealand village of Goodwood, Otago

“Boss chose a life far removed from family most of the time, where constant dramas and heartaches often left him feeling unwell. Yet he persevered, building a business that, taken over by his son Neil, became central to the Cook Islands’ development. Through his story, we see the evolution of the Cook Islands themselves – from a missionary outpost when he arrived in 1910, to a New Zealand protectorate, through world wars and economic upheavals, towards independence and modernisation.”

CITC THEN AND NOW

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

Boss arrived in Rarotonga in 1910 on a steamship similar to this - the MS Aorangi which was one of two operated by the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand between Auckland and Rarotonga, Tahiti and San Francisco. He was just 23 years old and off to seek his fortune in San Francisco. He was persuaded to step off in Rarotonga to review some business accounts for a local merchant he met on board. And what was only going to be a month-long stay turned into 48 years until Boss died in 1958.

Adriane said the Rarotonga her grandfather arrived in was "in a great stagnant timewarp" with roads described as "coral with potholes", no electricity or motor vehicles and horses pulling ploughs and wagons

M.S "Aorangi": City of Vancouver Archives, public domain

The finest business position on Rarotonga...at a big cost

Boss had been on Rarotonga for six years when he saw a prospectus for the Cook Islands Trading Company and decided to buy it with some partners and an enormous loan, equivalent today to NZ$2 million. He took a 30-year lease on was described as “the finest business position on the island” and that’s the same site where CITC’s main store in Rarotonga is located today.

Boss was an accounts clerk when he arrived on the island and as well as learning about running a business, he had to understand shipping as he was operating three schooners picking up fruit from the Outer Islands and delivering it back to Rarotonga. Goods were sent on the schooners to stock branch stores on the outer islands (Pa Enua).

Pioneering

He also became a grower with citrus groves like this because growing was essential to the economy of the Islands. And he was a pioneer starting the first canned juice enterprise in the Cooks after experimenting with different varieties of oranges to discover the best ones for export, and finding that because of the intermittent shipping, too much fruit spoiled

A WONDERLAND STORE

Adriane says Boss spent a lot of time finding the right goods for local people including jandals (also known as thongs or flip-flops) – before that it was bare feet. And her mother reminded her that also popular were four poster beds with mosquito nets which were literally life savers. Bicycles were much in demand too in the early days of CITC, so much so that the company jointly sponsored round Raro races to advertise rival brands. And she says the Rarotonga store was like a wonderland when it was decorated for Christmas

ICONIC EMPLOYEES

The so-called "hermit of Suwarrow" Tom Neale and American travel writer, Robert Dean Frisbie (left and right) were among those who worked for Boss as storekeepers in the outer islands. Neale worked on several islands before he began living his dream and spending a total of 16 years alone on Suwarrow. Frisbie managed the store on Pukapuka where he lived and whose books about island life were best sellers in their day

DISASTER STRIKES

Adrianne tells how Boss used all his funds to build up the CITC and pay back the debt incurred when he bought the business, but after some tough times following the Wall Street Crash in 1929 and a devastating hurricane in 1935, the stresses and strains started to take their toll on his health. He returned to work in New Zealand in 1939 but was forced to go back to Rarotonga in 1946 after a catastrophic fire started by three escaped convicts burned down the CITC building.

After the end of World War II, the economy started to pick up and so did business for CITC. Despite help from his son, Neil he couldn’t stop working and sadly died in 1958. The store remained in family ownership until 1998.

ADRIANE'S STORY

Adriane's book "Boss McKegg. A Cook Islands Trader" is being published privately for now, mostly for friends and family and copies will also be sent to the Cook Islands Library. However, due to overwhelming interest she is now getting it printed more widely and copies will available to buy in Rarotonga in late December, or direct from Adriane by sending her a message on Facebook

PODCAST
You can hear Adriane telling the fascinating story of her grandfather in my Kukicast podcast. Download or listen by clicking the links below, or search for "Kukicast" wherever you get your podcasts

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Most of the pictures on this page are Adriane's own and used here with her permission. The Tom Neale photo is copyright Stella and Arthur Neale