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Constituency: Stanley
Portfolios: Fisheries, Tourism & Development
Public Email: rcockwell@sec.gov.fk
Biography:
Richard Cockwell was born in England in 1939. He was raised in Hampshire/Wiltshire within an agricultural background and educated at Stanbridge Earls school in Hampshire.
Richard's first job was a shepherd on Salisbury Plain prior to emigrating to Australia at the age of seventeen. He worked with sheep and scrub clearing for four years before returning briefly to England. In 1964 he was employed by Packe Brothers and Co limited of Fox Bay, East Falkland Islands as assistant manager of their 150,000 sheep farm, taking over as Manager in 1967. He remained as manager until 1983 when the farm was sold to the Falkland Islands Government as part of the land reform process.
In 1985 Richard built and opened the Falkland Mill designed to process Falkland wool into yarn and knitwear. (This mill has subsequently closed due to the high cost of energy and labour.) In 1997, after a brief period of running a road building project sponsored by the Government as well as developing a graphic design business in Fox Bay, he was elected as a member for Camp. In 2001 having moved to Stanley, Richard was elected as a member for Stanley, a position that he holds until this day.
During his time as a Member of the Legislature, Richard has held various portfolios: Fisheries, Public Works, Planning and Building, Falkland Landholdings, Tourism, Agriculture, and IT. He has also held the second Member's position for various portfolios including Minerals, Development, Police and Public Safety, Health and Medical Services. During his time as a member he has spent five years as a member of the Executive Council. He has also represented the Falkland Islands with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on many occasions and was appointed as an executive member between 2001 and 2004, being elected as Acting Chairman for the Plenary meeting in Canada in 2004.
Richard has five children, three of whom are resident in the Falklands and another of whom is intending to return in the near future.
His special interests include sustainable development, alternative technology, development of camp, agricultural and aquaculture development and tourism.
He is a keen watercolour painter, enjoys visiting wildlife areas, meeting and talking with new people, socialising and walking with his Basset hound.
