Charlie Douglas

Charles Edward Douglas (1 July 1840 – 23 May 1916) was a New Zealand surveyor and explorer, who came to be known as Mr. Explorer Douglas, owing to his extensive explorations of the West Coast of New Zealand and his work for the New Zealand Survey Department. He was awarded the Royal Geographical Society Gill Memorial Prize in 1897.

Early life and education Douglas was born on 1 July 1840, in Edinburgh, Scotland, the youngest of six children, to parents Martha Brook and James Douglas.

For five years, Douglas worked at a variety of jobs, including working on a sheep run, and gold digging. He moved to Ōkārito, Westland, in 1867.

Exploration

For 40 years Douglas explored and surveyed the West Coast Region of New Zealand. He was described as heavily bearded and with a slight frame, standing about in height. He was accompanied throughout his years of exploration by a dog, first "Topsy", then "Betsey Jane" and others. During the colonial period of New Zealand, drowning in rivers was so commonplace before bridges had been built that it became known as the 'New Zealand death'. Douglas could not swim, and he once claimed that this fact "had saved his life many a time", implying that he would not enter rivers when it was risky.

1868–1888 During this 20-year period, both Gerhard Mueller and George John Roberts attempted to employ 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.

In 1868, Douglas accompanied Julius von Haast on a month-long expedition travelling down the West Coast, making stops and exploring at: Ōkārito, Bruce Bay, Paringa and Arnott Point before returning to Ōkārito. It is probable that Douglas learned something of geology from Haast at this time because he used Haast's terminology in his later geological notes.

During 1874, 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 of land on the Paringa River and began cattle farming. The pair also operated a ferry service across the Paringa. Douglas gave up cattle farming after his partner, Ward, drowned in 1881.

From a base in Jackson Bay starting in the 1870s Douglas continued to explore the: Paringa River (1874–1877), Haast River (1880) and Landsborough River, Blue River (1881), Turnbull River (1882), Okuru River (1882) and associated passes the Actor and Maori (1883), Cascade River with Mueller (1883) and Arawhata River (1883), travelling with Mueller and Roberts on the "Reconnaissance Survey" from Jackson Bay to Martins Bay (1884). Douglas died, two months short of his 76th birthday, of a cerebral haemorrhage in the Westland Hospital on 23 May 1916,

Known works The following works by Douglas were published, exhibited or are held and collected: 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 Collections Sketches are held at the Hokitika Museum

Awards 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".

Landmarks The following New Zealand landmarks are named after Douglas: Mount Douglas at the head of Fox Glacier Douglas pass through the Hooker range Douglas River Douglas Névé and Glacier west of Mount Sefton Douglas Rock Hut Copland Valley