Alfred Domett
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The Honourable Alfred Domett MHR |
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| 4th Premier of New Zealand | |
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In office 6 August 1862 – 30 October 1863 |
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| Monarch | Victoria |
| Governor | George Grey |
| Preceded by | William Fox |
| Succeeded by | Frederick Whitaker |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
20 May 1811 Camberwell, Surrey, England |
| Died | 2 November 1887 (aged 76) London, England |
| Political party | None |
| Spouse(s) | Mary George |
| Children | one son; two stepsons |
| Religion | Non-conformist |
| Signature |  |
Alfred Domett, CMG (20 May 1811 – 2 November 1887) was an English colonial statesman and poet. He was New Zealand's fourth Premier.
Domett was born at Camberwell Grove, Surrey; the fourth son of Nathaniel Domett, a ship-owner. He entered St John's College, Cambridge, but left the university in 1833. He entered at the Middle Temple, 7 November 1835, and was called to the bar on 19 November 1841.
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.
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.
Decadent poet Ernest Dowson was his great-nephew.
In 1842 Domett emigrated to New Zealand, where he filled many important administrative posts, being Colonial Secretary for New Munster Province in 1848, secretary for the colony in 1851, and the fourth Premier of New Zealand from 1862 to 1863. He represented the electorate of Nelson, first as the Town of Nelson 1855–1860 and then City of Nelson 1860–1866 (retired). Unusually, as electorates at this time returned multiple members, Domett shared representation of Nelson with Edward Stafford, who had also served as Premier.
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