Daniel Pollen, the 9th Premier of New Zealand, was born in Ringsend in Dublin on the 2nd of June, 1813. Little is known of his early life, although some accounts indicated he initially emigrated to the United States where his father worked on the construction of the US Capitol. Pollen worked as a doctor although the origins of his medical training and education are unknown.
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By the 1830s, Pollen crossed another ocean and arrived in New South Wales in Australia before moving on to Auckland, New Zealand in 1840. He witnessed the arrival of Waterford born William Hobson who was to become the first governor of New Zealand and was present at the 1840 signing of the Treaty of Waitangi which is consuidered to be one of New Zealand's foundational documents.
The group of nine documents that make up the Treaty of Waitangi
With the 1852 New Zealand Constituion Act, Pollen began a career in politics which ultimately saw him serve briefly as Premier of New Zealand from 1875 - 1876. Following this brief tenure, he served on the Legislative Council until his death on the 18th of May, 1896.
