Thomas Davis (Cook Islands politician) serve as High Commissioner to New Zealand. During Davis's first term as Prime Minister, two changes were made to the constitution which altered the symbols of the country. In 1979, the Cook Islands Ensign was adopted to replace the previous flag of 15 yellow stars on a green background. In 1982, "Te Atua Mou E" was adopted as the national anthem of the Cook Islands, replacing "God Defend New Zealand". Davis wrote the music to "Te Atua Mou E" and his wife wrote the lyrics. Davis co-authored the autobiographical "Doctor to the Islands" (1955) and the novel "Makutu" (1960) with
Flag of the Cook Islands Rarotonga and Mangaia). The blue represents the ocean and the peaceful nature of the inhabitants. From 1973 to 1979, the flag was green with the stars in yellow shifted towards the fly. The green colour represented the continuous growth and life of the islands; the yellow represented the faith, love, happiness, and commitment shown by the islanders. The circle represented the union of the islands and the union between the islanders and the land itself. Flag of the Cook Islands The flag of the Cook Islands, officially known as the Cook Islands Ensign, is based on the traditional design for