Story: Premiers and prime ministers

Premier Richard Seddon was such an ardent imperialist that he grabbed Pacific territories to form New Zealand’s own mini-empire. Britain had just annexed Savage Island (now Niue) when ‘King Dick’ Seddon turned up in June 1900 in the government steamer. He was combining a winter health cure cruise with some flag waving. Here Seddon poses with King Togia under ‘the Grand Old Flag’ that he gave to the island’s leader.