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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]
Mr. Gustay Poll
Mr. Gustay Poll, Chief Messenger of the Legislative Council, was born in North Germany in the year 1848. He was educated in the “Vaterland,” and learned the handicraft of a blacksmith. With two sisters and seven friends he embarked on board the “Halcione,” Captain Bishop, for Wellington, arriving in the month of August, 1870. Mr. Poll conducted an hotel in Greytown, Wairarapa, for something like a year, and afterwards returned to Wellington, where he started for himself as blacksmith in the Royal Stables, shoeing all the horses used by Messrs. Brogden and Sons, who were at that time forming the railway line to the Lower Hutt. Unfortunately Mr. Poll had to give up business for a time on account of ill health, but after recovering he bought a coach and started to drive between Karori and Wellington. He was unfortunate, however, in meeting with an accident—by which he sustained a crushed ankle—which caused him eighteen months' cessation from work. On recovering sufficiently, in 1876, he secured an appointment as messenger in the House of Representatives, under the late Sir William Fitzherbert, which he retained for two years. When Sir William was appointed to the Legislative Council, in 1879, Mr. Poll was transferred to the service of that august assembly, in which he has remained, and risen to the position of chief messenger. Prior to his appointment to the chief messengership in 1893, Mr. Poll had for many years acted as custodian of the Parliamentary Buildings in the absence of Mr. Letham on his annual holiday. Mr. Poll continued as messenger when Sir Harry Atkinson was speaker, and in June, 1892, when that distinguished politician was stricken down, he died in Mr. Poll's arms in the speaker's room at the Legislative Council.