Joseph Greenwood was a soldier and New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

. He joined the 31st Regiment of Foot

31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot

The 31st Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1702 and amalgamated into The East Surrey Regiment in 1881.-Predecessor regiment:...

 in Bengal

Bengal

Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, where he greatly distinguished himself as a Lieutenant, under General George Pollock

George Pollock

Field Marshal Sir George Pollock, 1st Baronet, GCB, GCSI was a British soldier.-Military career:Educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Pollock was commissioned into the Bengal Artillery in 1803....

 in the First Anglo-Afghan War

First Anglo-Afghan War

The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst...

, and wrote an account which was considered an authority on the campaign.

In 1847 he went to New Zealand as Brigade Major

Brigade Major

In the British Army, a Brigade Major was the Chief of Staff of a brigade. He held the rank of Major and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section directly and oversaw the two other branches, "A - Administration" and "Q - Quartermaster"...

 on staff of Major-General George Dean Pitt

George Dean Pitt

Major-General George Dean Pitt was Lieutenant-Governor of the former New Zealand Province of New Ulster from 14 February 1848 to his death on 8 January 1851...

 (1781-1851), and in the same capacity served Major-General Robert Henry Wynyard (1802-1864) on the death of General Pitt. He served in the first

1st New Zealand Parliament

The 1st New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 24 May 1854, following New Zealand's first general election . It was dissolved on 15 September 1855 in preparation for that year's election...

 and second New Zealand Parliaments

2nd New Zealand Parliament

The 2nd New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 15 April 1856, following New Zealand's 1855 election. It was dissolved on 5 November 1860 in preparation for 1860–61 election...

, representing the Pensioner Settlements electorate

Pensioner Settlements (New Zealand electorate)

Pensioner Settlements was a 19th century parliamentary multimember electorate in the Auckland region of New Zealand, from 1853 to 1870.-Geographic distribution:...

 consisting of the Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

 suburbs of Howick

Howick, New Zealand

Howick is an eastern suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, forming part of what is sometimes called East Auckland. Due to the relatively numerous remaining heritage buildings and other historical remnants from its early European settlement past, it has been called "perhaps Auckland's most historically...

, Onehunga

Onehunga

Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the Manukau Harbour. It is eight kilometres south of the city centre, close to the volcanic cone of One Tree Hill, Maungakiekie....

, Otahuhu

Otahuhu

Otahuhu is a suburb of Auckland. It is located to the southeast of the city centre, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tamaki River estuary to the east...

, and Panmure

Panmure, New Zealand

Panmure is a south-eastern suburb of Auckland City, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 11 kilometres southeast of the city centre, close to the western banks of the Tamaki River and the northern shore of the Panmure Basin...

. He resigned from Parliament on 3 August 1857, around half-way through its second term. He also served on the Auckland Provincial Council.

In 1850 he travelled from Auckland to Taupo

Taupo

Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....

, and published an account of his travels. Greenwood owned extensive properties in Mangarei (Mangere

Mangere

Māngere is one of the larger suburbs in South Auckland, in northern New Zealand.The suburb is located on flat land at the northeastern shore of the Manukau Harbour, to the northwest of the centre of Manukau city and 15 kilometres south of Auckland city centre...

), and built a house there in 1852. He died at Regent's Park, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

on 18 July 1861.

Books published

• 1844: Narrative of the late Victorious Campaign in Affghanistan, under General Pollock: With recollections of seven years' service in India. London: H. Colburn (2 editions in 1844)
• 1850: Journey to Taupo, from Auckland: Haerenga ki Taupo, i Akarana; translated by C. O. Davis. Auckland, N.Z.: Williamson and Wilson "Reprinted from the setting used in the instalments which appeared in the Maori Messenger, 9 May-4 July, 1850"