Bowen was born in County Mayo, Ireland and studied law for two years at Cambridge University. At the age of 20 he emigrated with his parents on one of the first four ships to the Canterbury settlement.
His law training led to a position as private secretary to John Robert Godley, founder of the Canterbury colony. He was in charge of the police force, and became a part-owner of the Lyttleton Times newspaper.[1]
In 1859, Bowen traversed the Andes on foot on his return to England, where he married Georgina Elizabeth Markham.
Following their return to Christchurch, Bowen was appointed Resident Magistrate, a position he held from 1864-1874.
Parliament
Bowen was directly appointed to cabinet (by way of the Legislative Council) in 1874, but wary of criticism that a public servant had been awarded political office, he stood for election to the House of Representatives the following year.[2] He represented the Canterbury electorate of Kaiapoi in Parliament from 1875 to 1881, when he retired. He had been Minister of Justice from 1874 to 1877. Bowen was responsible for the Education Act 1877, which provided for compulsory free, secular primary education.
