Alfred Domett

The Honourable
 Alfred Domett
4th Premier of New Zealand
In office
6 August 1862 – 30 October 1863
Monarch Victoria
Governor George Grey
Preceded by William Fox
Succeeded by Frederick Whitaker
Personal details
Born 20 May 1811(1811-05-20)
Camberwell, Surrey, England
Died 2 November 1887(1887-11-02) (aged 76)
Political party None

Alfred Domett, CMG (20 May 1811 – 2 November 1887) was an English colonial statesman and poet. He was New Zealand's fourth Premier.

Contents

Early life

He was born at Camberwell, Surrey; his father was a ship-owner. He entered St John's College, Cambridge,[1] but left the university in 1833.

Poetry

Domett published one or two volumes of poetry from 1833, and contributed several poems to Blackwood's Magazine, one of which, A Christmas Hymn, attracted attention. He was called to the bar, but for ten years he lived a life of ease in London, where he became the intimate friend of Robert Browning, of whose poem Waring he was the subject. An account of the friendship between the two men appeared in The Contemporary Review for January 1905, by W. H. Griffin.[2]

Among his books of poetry, Ranolf and Amohia, a South Sea Day Dream (1872), about Māori life, is the best known, and Flotsam and Jetsam (1877) is dedicated to Browning.

New Zealand politics

Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate Party
1855–1860 2nd Town of Nelson Independent
1860–1866 3rd City of Nelson Independent

In 1842 Domett emigrated to New Zealand, where he filled many important administrative posts, being Colonial Secretary for New Munster Province in 1848[3], secretary for the colony in 1851, and the fourth Premier of New Zealand from 1862 to 1863.[4] He represented the electorate of Nelson, first as the Town of Nelson 1855–60 and then City of Nelson 1860–66 (retired).[5]

The most noteworthy change Domett brought about during his tenure in office was the moving of New Zealand's capital from Auckland to Wellington in 1865. In November 1863 he moved a resolution before Parliament that "it has become necessary that the seat of government... should be transferred to some suitable locality in Cook Strait."[6] He returned to England in 1871 and became a CMG in 1880.

Domett was a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from 19 June 1866 until 3 July 1874, when his membership lapsed through absence.[7]

Notes

  1. ^ Alfred Domett in Venn, J. & J. A., Alumni Cantabrigienses, Cambridge University Press, 10 vols, 1922–1958.
  2. ^ Robert Browning and Alfred Domett, edited by F. G. Kenyon, 1906)
  3. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 18.
  4. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 30.
  5. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 104.
  6. ^ Phillip Temple: Wellington Yesterday
  7. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 76.

References

External links

Parliament of New Zealand
Preceded by
James Mackay
Samuel Stephens		 Member of Parliament for Nelson
1855–1866
Served alongside: Edward Stafford		 Succeeded by
Oswald Curtis