POET AND POLITICIAN

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 7 July 1932, Page 2

POET AND POLITICIAN

CAREER OF ALFRED DOMETT

PIONEER NEW ZEALANDER

An interesting paper on Alfred Domett, the New Zealand poct_ and statesman, was read by Miss \ • E. Thomson, M.A., at the Wellington Historical Association’s last meeting oi the year, reports the “Dominion.” Miss Thomson said that Domett was born a Camberwell Grove. Surrev, in 1811, bis father being a naval officer. After being educated at a nublie, school Domett went ho St. John’s College, Cambridge, leaving in 1838 without taking his degree. He then spent several years abroad in Europe and North America. It was in 1840 that he made the acquaintance of Robert Browning, which ripened into a valuable friendship. In the following year Domett was called to the Bar, but becoming interested in the New Zealand Company he invested in Nelson lands and emigrated to New Zealand in 1842. Although he came as a private settler, he immediately took an active part in public life. After contributing, for some time to the Nelson “Examiner” ho was editor of that paper from 1844 to 1846. in 1840 lie was called to the Legislative Council; from 1848' to 1854 he was Colonial Secretary for New Munster, and from 1851 was also Civil Secretary for New Zealand. In the following year, ..843, he lost several of his friends, including Captain Wakefield, in the Wairau affair, which, it is believed, embittered Ins feelings toward the Maori m later years. Domett assisted Sir George Grey in drafting the New Zealand Constitution, and personally settled the limits of the provinces of Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago. When the now Constitution was brought into operation in 1853, he resigned iiis ffices, leaving behind him a reputation as a capable ana successful administrator. He was then appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands and Resident Magistrate in Hawkcs Bay. Here he did admirable service in inaugurating the local government, and keeping the peace with the Maoris. He was responsible for the literary names of the streets of Napier, and also for the repeated commemoration of contemporary events in Indian history.

ELECTION TO PARLIAMENT. Domett was on excellent terms with the Maori in Hawke’s Bay, and showed none of the animus against them with which he was often credited. The settlers pressed him to be the representative of Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa in the first House of Representatives, hut he felt that N<fison had a prior claim, and sat for that district. Sewell invited him to join the first responsible Ministry, but he declined, owing partly to the uncertainty of the relations between the Ministry and the Governor. He was, howeverj very prominent in debate. r Domett went to Nelson as Commissioner of Crown Lands in 1856, and was there elected to the Provincial Council, and held the office of Provincial Secretary. He was on the first Council of Governors of Nelson College. About this time he made the acquaintance of Mrs. Mary George, who had previously kept a small school on Wellington Terrace. Domett appears to have rescued her from a fire in Nelson, and they were married in _tlnRegistry Office on November 3, 1856. OFFICE OF PREMIER.

In the early ’sixties Domett’s growing impatience with the Maori was evident. He considered that war was inevitable. On the resignation of the Fox Ministry in August, 1862, Domett was sent for, and he held office as Premier for a little more than a year. One of his chief political achievements was the million loan scheme, which lie later proposed to increase to four million. to be used mainly in introducing immigrants and making roads—an idea which carao to fruition years later in the work of Sir Julius Vogel. Soon after resigning the premiership, Domett was appointed Secretary for Grown Lands, with a seat in the Legislative Council, and in 1866 he was appointed Registrar General. In 1870 be was specially exempted from the Act which disqualified civil servants from sitting in the General Assembly. In 1871 bo retired, and returned to England, where he .spent the remainder of his life. There he published his New Zealand epic, “Ranolf and Amohia,” and renewed his friendship with Browning. He died in 1887.