Daniel Pollen was a former Prime Minister of New Zealand. He was titled "Native Minister" and served from July 6, 1875 to Febuary 15, 1876. He was the ninth man to hold this office. The Prime Minister of New Zealand is most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand. ...

Born in Kingsend, Ireland, on June 2, 1813, son of Hugh Pollen and Elizabeth née O'Neill. Little is known of his childhood and early teens, but it is probable that that time was spent partly in Ireland, and partly in the United States of America, where his father helped to build the Capitol building.

It is known that he graduated with an MD from school, though which school is not known. He traveled to South Wales in the late 1830s, and moved to North Auckland in January 1840. He was a witness to the proceedings of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty of Waitangi (Māori: Te Tiriti o Waitangi) was signed on 6 February 1840 at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. ...

On May 18, 1846, he married Jane Henderson, the daughter of a officer of the Royal Navy and, in 1847, becoming medical officer to a Scots copper-mining company, moved with her to Kawau Island. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ...

"Pollen spent several years on Kawau, during which time he began to contribute articles to the New Zealander supporting the agitation for responsible government. He was also to the fore in supporting temperance, scientific, and library movements there."(#1)

When the new constitution of 1852 became law, Pollen was made chief clerk in the Auckland Superintendent's office. From there, he rose through the ranks. Two years after his original appointment, he was appointed Executive; in 1856 was elected to the Provincial Council for Auckland Suburbs; in 1858, he was appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands for Auckland; in 1861, he was called to the Legislative Council as a representative. In 1862, he resigned as Commissioner of Crown Lands, and became the Deputy Superintendent of Auckland, where he served until the end of his second term.

In 1867, he resigned from the Legislative Council to become agent for the General Government at Auckland. He returned to the Legislative Council in June 1868 to represent the Stafford Ministry. In 1870, Daniel Pollen held FOUR positions - Receiver of Land Revenue, Commissioner of Confiscated Lands, Commissioner under the Native Land Act of 1870, and Immigration Officer.

The Vogel Government recalled him to the Legislative Council in 1873, where he immediately became Colonial Secretary until 1877, when he became the "Native Minister"(former title of "Prime Minister") for less than a year. After he left this position, he served in the Legislative Council for 19 years until his death on February 15, 1876. Vogel is a common surname and may refer to: Bernhard Vogel, German politician Ezra Vogel, American author Hans-Jochen Vogel, German politician Hermann Carl Vogel, German astronomer Jeff Vogel, American computer programmer and game developer Johann Vogel, Swiss footballer Sir Julius Vogel, New Zealands first Jewish Prime Minister Paula... A prime minister may be either: the chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives...

Sources:

1. An Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 1966
2. "Official Website of the Prime Minister of New Zealand - Past Prime Ministers" URL:

 http://www.primeminister.govt.nz 

- Contributed by Harry Hazell, Student of all History