Bill Johnson Renowned International Professional Photographer in Rarotonga, Cook Islands in the 70's

Official Cook Islands Government Photographer for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. I was The Official Photographer for the Knighthood of Sir Albert Henry KBE in January 1974 the day before this photo was taken. Sir Albert personally presented me with one of the 150 Limited Edition Medallions to Commemorate The Official Opening of Rarotonga International Airport by Her Majesty Jan 1974. I had the honour of being the Official Photographer for The Royal Visit of H.R.H. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma; Lord & Lady Brabourne in 1972.

In 1976, I was The Official Government Photographer for the arrival of Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia and was piped on board The Royal Yacht with the Cook Islands Department of Customs Officers (2), Immigration Officers (2), Chief Government Liaison Office (1) and myself. While the Customs and Immigration Officers cleared the Royal Yacht, the Chief Liaison Office and myself both met Captain Rear-Admiral Hugh Janion the Royal Yacht's Captain on the wing of the Britannia's bridge. During our meeting the Britannia pulled her anchor of the edge of the reef due to the weigh the anchor cable laying in deep water. Consequently the anchor was heaved up and the Royal Yacht Britannia sailed back out to sea and then back around into her anchorage site. Myself and the other five Cook Islanders on board at the time were rewarded with a short cruise on the Royal Yacht. This was something very few people in the world would have ever experienced.

During my time as a photographer I photographed Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers from around the South Pacific Region and covered the South Pacific Form 1974 in Rarotonga along with many Government functions, meetings, a State Dinner at Government House in Rarotonga with seven (7) South Pacific Heads of State, plus NZ Opposition Leader Robert Muldoon who later because New Zealand Prime Minister; with The New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands all in attendance. I also covered many other events and international news story's like Milan Brych i.e. Dr Vlastimil Milan Brych's the very controversial Czech-born cancer therapist.

I have also worked with Greenpeace International in Rarotonga and photographed David McTaggart (famous for having been beaten by French agents when he tried to interfere with a French nuclear test) during the France nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific when France were conducting their nuclear weapons tests in 1973/74. David McTaggart later became the Honorary Chairman of Greenpeace International.

June 1973 I worked with the photographers off HMNZS Otago in Rarotonga on their way into the French Nuclear Testing Zone of Mururoa Atoll and again on their return after the French nuclear atmospheric testing. I was one of the first people to see those photographs 'first hand' before they were published World-Wide through the media.