Hugh Poland (politician)

Hugh Poland (1868 – 3 January 1938) was a member of parliament for the Ohinemuri electorate in New Zealand.

Hugh Poland
Poland in the 1920s
Member of Parliament
for Ohinemuri
In office
6 December 1905 – 14 October 1925
Preceded byEdward George Britton Moss
Succeeded byAlbert Samuel
Personal details
Born1868
Tuakau, Franklin District, New Zealand
Died3 January 1938
Paeroa, New Zealand
Political partyLiberal Party
Other political
affiliations		Independent Liberal
Spouse(s)Mary Ellen Poland (née Hand, m. 1892)
Occupationstorekeeper
Professionteacher

Early life

Poland was born in Tuakau, the son of John and Teresa Poland. All sources give his year of birth as 1868,[1][2][3] but the birth certificated held by the Department of Internal Affairs is dated 29 June 1867.[4] He received his education at Tuakau School and at Auckland Grammar School. In his youth, he was a prominent athlete,[1] and he represented Auckland in rugby from 1887 to 1891, and in 1894.[2] After school, he was initially a teacher for two years, worked as a flaxmiller in Helensville, and then had stores in Rotorua and Paeroa; he remained in the latter place for the rest of his life.[1][5]

Political career
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1905–1908 16th Ohinemuri Liberal
1908–1911 17th Ohinemuri Liberal
1911–1914 18th Ohinemuri Liberal
1914–1919 19th Ohinemuri Liberal
1919–1922 20th Ohinemuri Independent Liberal
1922–1925 21st Ohinemuri Independent Liberal

Local body career

Poland first stood for election to the Ohinemuri County Council in November 1899.[6][7] He was the highest-polling candidate in his riding and was thus declared elected.[8] He served on the county council until 1908, and was chairman from 1901 to 1905, and was on the Licensing Committee and Education Committee.[2]

Member of Parliament

Hugh Poland represented the Ohinemuri electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives for twenty years from 1905 to 1925.[9] Poland was a Liberal until the 1919 election when he stood as an Independent and was successful. [10][11] Whilst not a member of the Labour Party, he was regarded by his voters as a "miners' advocate" and his lobbying contributed to the establishment of the phthisis pension.[1]

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[12]

Community involvement

Poland was secretary of the Ohinemuri Jockey Club for over three decades. He gifted the Poland Memorial Cup for Thames Valley rugby union, and was an officer for the local rugby union for many years.[3]

Family and death

On 10 August 1892, Poland married Mary Ellen Hand, the daughter of James Hand of Helensville.[2] One of their sons, Hugh Francis "Frank" Poland, was killed in the Battle of Passchendaele during World War I.[13][14] Hugh Poland died on 3 January 1938 at Paeroa, survived by his wife, seven sons, and four daughters.[1][3] His funeral service was held by James Liston, the Roman Catholic bishop of Auckland.[15] He is buried at Pukerimu Lawn Cemetery, also known as Paeroa Cemetery.[16]

Poland built his house in Paeroa in 1899.[17][18] The street was later named Poland Street in his honour.[19] The house still stands and operates as a bed and breakfast.[18]

Notes
  1. Scholefield 1940, p. 172.
  2. Cyclopedia Company Limited 1902, pp. 840f.
  3. "Obituary". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXV, no. 2. 4 January 1938. p. 9. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  4. "Birth Search". Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 13 December 2015. use 'Poland' and '29/06/1867' as search terms
  5. Hamer 1988, p. 365.
  6. "The County Elections". Ohinemuri Gazette. Vol. VIII, no. 641. 25 October 1899. p. 2. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  7. "The Ohinemuri Gazette". Vol. VIII, no. 645. 8 November 1899. p. 2. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  8. "County Election". Ohinemuri Gazette. Vol. VIII, no. 646. 11 November 1899. p. 3. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  9. Wilson 1985, p. 227.
  10. Wood 1996, p. 100.
  11. Bassett 1982, p. 66.
  12. "Official jubilee medals". Evening Post. Vol. CXIX, no. 105. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  13. "Private Frank Poland". Ohinemuri Gazette. Vol. XXVIII, no. 3835. 19 October 1917. p. 2. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  14. "Hugh Francis Poland". Auckland War Memorial Museum. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  15. "Late Mr. Hugh Poland". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXV, no. 22929. 6 January 1938. p. 10. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  16. "Cemetery Record". Hauraki District. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  17. "The Ohinemuri Gazette". Vol. VIII, no. 585. 12 April 1899. p. 2. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  18. "Welcome To The Villa bed & breakfast". The Villa bed & breakfast. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  19. "Hugh Poland, M.P." Ohinemuri.org.nz. Retrieved 14 December 2015.

References
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