The Colonial Secretary of New Zealand was an office established in 1840 and abolished in 1907. The position should not be confused with the Colonial Secretary

Secretary of State for the Colonies

The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....

 of the former Colonial Office

Colonial Office

Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...

 of the United Kingdom.

Along with the Chief Justice

Chief Justice of New Zealand

The Chief Justice of New Zealand is the head of the New Zealand judiciary, and presides over the Supreme Court of New Zealand. Before the establishment of the latter court in 2004 the Chief Justice was the presiding judge in the High Court of New Zealand and was also ex officio a member of the...

, the office was one of the first four created by Governor

Governor-General of New Zealand

The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....

 William Hobson

William Hobson

Captain William Hobson RN was the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.-Early life:...

 when he arrived in New Zealand in January 1840. The Colonial Secretary's Office handled the creation of New Zealand's public service, and became the modern Department of Internal Affairs

Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand)

The New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs is a state sector organisation whose roles include the issue of passports; administering citizenship grant applications, and lottery grant applications; enforcement of censorship and gambling law; registration of births, deaths, marriages and civil...

 in 1907. The Colonial Secretary became known as the Minister of Internal Affairs from then on.

The Colonial Secretary was considered the deputy of the Governor, until the granting of responsible government. For example, Willoughby Shortland

Willoughby Shortland

Commander Willoughby Shortland RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He was New Zealand's first Colonial Secretary from 1841, after having arrived in New Zealand with Lieutenant Governor William Hobson in January 1840...

 acted as administrator of government following the death of William Hobson

William Hobson

Captain William Hobson RN was the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.-Early life:...

 in 1841. Henry Sewell

Henry Sewell

Henry Sewell was a prominent 19th century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first Premier, having led the Sewell Ministry in 1856.-Early life:Sewell was born on 7 September 1807 in the town of...

, who is considered by some as the first Premier of New Zealand

Prime Minister of New Zealand

The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...

, held the position for his short tenure as head of the government in 1856.

List of Colonial Secretaries

	Name	Governor served	Premier or Prime Minister served	Took Office	Left Office	Party
1	Willoughby Shortland Willoughby Shortland Commander Willoughby Shortland RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He was New Zealand's first Colonial Secretary from 1841, after having arrived in New Zealand with Lieutenant Governor William Hobson in January 1840...	William Hobson William Hobson Captain William Hobson RN was the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.-Early life:...		3 May 1841	31 December 1843	none
2	Andrew Sinclair Andrew Sinclair (botanist) Andrew Sinclair was a British surgeon who was notable for his botanical collections. He served as New Zealand's second Colonial Secretary.-Early life:...	Robert FitzRoy Robert FitzRoy Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy RN achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, and as a pioneering meteorologist who made accurate weather forecasting a reality... George Grey George Grey George Grey may refer to:*Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet , British politician*George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent *Sir George Grey , Governor of Cape Colony, South Australia and New Zealand... Thomas Gore Browne Thomas Gore Browne Colonel Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne KCMG CB was a British colonial administrator, who was Governor of St Helena, Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Tasmania and Governor of Bermuda.-Early life:...		6 January 1844	7 May 1856	none
3	Henry Sewell Henry Sewell Henry Sewell was a prominent 19th century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first Premier, having led the Sewell Ministry in 1856.-Early life:Sewell was born on 7 September 1807 in the town of...	Thomas Gore Browne	(himself)	7 May 1856	20 May 1856	none
4	John Hall		William Fox William Fox (New Zealand) Sir William Fox, KCMG was the second Premier of New Zealand on four occasions in the 19th century, while New Zealand was still a colony. He was known for his eventual support of Māori land rights, his contributions to the education system , and his work to increase New Zealand's autonomy from...	20 May 1856	2 June 1856	none
5	William Richmond William Richmond Christopher William Richmond , generally called William Richmond, was a 19th century New Zealand politician. He held a number of Cabinet positions between 1856 and 1861. He worked as a lawyer and was appointed a senior judge who held condescending views of Māori.-Early life:Richmond was probably...		Edward Stafford Edward Stafford (politician) Sir Edward Stafford, KCMG served as the third Premier of New Zealand on three occasions in the mid 19th century. His total time in office is the longest of any leader without a political party. He is described as pragmatic, logical, and clear-sighted.-Early life and career:Edward William Stafford...	2 June 1856	4 November 1856	none
6	Edward Stafford Edward Stafford (politician) Sir Edward Stafford, KCMG served as the third Premier of New Zealand on three occasions in the mid 19th century. His total time in office is the longest of any leader without a political party. He is described as pragmatic, logical, and clear-sighted.-Early life and career:Edward William Stafford...		(himself)	4 November 1856	12 July 1861	none
7	Isaac Featherston Isaac Featherston Dr. Isaac Earl Featherston was a New Zealand politician, and was known for his advocacy for the establishment of New Zealand self-government, and the importance of the provincial governments.-Early life:...		William Fox William Fox (New Zealand) Sir William Fox, KCMG was the second Premier of New Zealand on four occasions in the 19th century, while New Zealand was still a colony. He was known for his eventual support of Māori land rights, his contributions to the education system , and his work to increase New Zealand's autonomy from...	12 July 1861	2 August 1861	none
8	William Fox William Fox (New Zealand) Sir William Fox, KCMG was the second Premier of New Zealand on four occasions in the 19th century, while New Zealand was still a colony. He was known for his eventual support of Māori land rights, his contributions to the education system , and his work to increase New Zealand's autonomy from...		(himself)	2 August 1861	6 August 1862	none
9	Alfred Domett Alfred Domett Alfred Domett, CMG was an English colonial statesman and poet. He was New Zealand's fourth Premier.-Early life:He was born at Camberwell, Surrey; his father was a ship-owner...		(himself)	6 August 1862	30 October 1863	none
	William Fox (2nd time)		Frederick Whitaker Frederick Whitaker Sir Frederick Whitaker, KCMG was an English-born New Zealand politician who served twice as the fifth Premier of New Zealand and six times as Attorney-General.-Early life:...	30 October 1863	24 November 1864	none
10	Frederick Weld Frederick Weld Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, GCMG , was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. He was the sixth Premier of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.-Early life:Weld was born near...		(himself)	24 November 1864	26 June 1865	none
11	James Richmond James Crowe Richmond James Crowe Richmond was a New Zealand politician, engineer, and an early painter in watercolours of the New Zealand landscape.-Early life:...		Frederick Weld Frederick Weld Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, GCMG , was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. He was the sixth Premier of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.-Early life:Weld was born near...	26 June 1865	16 October 1865	none
	Edward Stafford (2nd time)		(himself)	31 October 1865	28 June 1869	none
12	William Gisborne William Gisborne William Gisborne was Colonial Secretary of New Zealand 1869–72 and Minister of Public Works 1870–71. The city of Gisborne is named after him.He was the third son of Thomas John Gisborne of Holme Hall, near Bakewell, Derbyshire...		William Fox William Fox (New Zealand) Sir William Fox, KCMG was the second Premier of New Zealand on four occasions in the 19th century, while New Zealand was still a colony. He was known for his eventual support of Māori land rights, his contributions to the education system , and his work to increase New Zealand's autonomy from...	28 June 1869	10 September 1872	none
	Henry Sewell (2nd time)		Edward Stafford Edward Stafford (politician) Sir Edward Stafford, KCMG served as the third Premier of New Zealand on three occasions in the mid 19th century. His total time in office is the longest of any leader without a political party. He is described as pragmatic, logical, and clear-sighted.-Early life and career:Edward William Stafford...	10 September 1872	11 October 1872	none
	John Hall (2nd time)		George Waterhouse George Marsden Waterhouse George Marsden Waterhouse was a Premier of South Australia from 8 October 1861 until 3 July 1863 and the seventh Premier of New Zealand from 11 October 1872 to 3 March 1873.-Early life:...	11 October 1872	3 March 1873	none
	William Fox (3rd time)		(himself)	3 March 1873	8 April 1873	none
13	William Reynolds William Hunter Reynolds William Hunter Reynolds was a 19th century businessman and Member of Parliament in Dunedin, Otago Region, New Zealand...		William Fox	? April 1873	?	none
14	Daniel Pollen Daniel Pollen Daniel Pollen was the son of Elizabeth and Hugh Pollen and became the ninth Premier of New Zealand, serving from 6 July 1875 to 15 February 1876.-Early life:...		William Fox, (himself), Julius Vogel Julius Vogel Sir Julius Vogel, KCMG was the eighth Premier of New Zealand. His administration is best remembered for the issuing of bonds to fund railway construction and other public works... , Harry Atkinson Harry Atkinson Henry Albert "Harry" Atkinson served as the tenth Premier of New Zealand on four separate occasions in the late 19th century, and was Colonial Treasurer for a total of ten years...	?	13 October 1877	none
15	George Grey George Grey George Grey may refer to:*Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet , British politician*George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent *Sir George Grey , Governor of Cape Colony, South Australia and New Zealand...		(himself)	15 October 1877	18 October 1877	none
16	George Whitmore		George Grey George Grey George Grey may refer to:*Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet , British politician*George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent *Sir George Grey , Governor of Cape Colony, South Australia and New Zealand...	18 October 1877	8 October 1879	none
	John Hall (3rd time)		(himself)	8 October 1879	5 March 1880	none
17	Thomas Dick Thomas Dick (New Zealand) Thomas Dick was a 19th century New Zealand politician. He was Superintendent of Otago Province in 1865, then Minister of Justice from 1881 to 1882, and Minister of Education from 1881 to 1884.-Early life:...		John Hall, Whitaker Atkinson	5 March 1880	16 August 1884	none
18	William Montgomery William Montgomery (New Zealand) The Hon. William John Alexander Montgomery was a New Zealand politician from Little River on Banks Peninsula, and a merchant. Born in London, he lived in a number of places and pursued a number of occupations before settling in Christchurch, New Zealand.-Early life:Montgomery was from an old...		Robert Stout	16 August 1884	28 August 1884	none
19	Edward Wakefield Edward Wakefield (politician) Edward Wakefield was the son of Felix Wakefield, one of Edward Gibbon Wakefield’s younger brothers. Edward was born in Launceston, Tasmania, brought up in New Zealand, and educated in France and at King's College, London.He married Agnes Hall....		Atkinson	28 August 1884	3 September 1884	none
20	Patrick Buckley Patrick Alphonsus Buckley Sir Patrick Alphonsus Buckley was a New Zealand soldier, lawyer, statesman, and judge who held several high government posts in Wellington in the early 1890s.-Early life:...		Robert Stout	4 September 1884	8 October 1887	none
21	Thomas Hislop Thomas William Hislop Thomas William Hislop was the Mayor of Wellington from 1905 to 1908, and had represented two South Island electorates in the New Zealand Parliament.-Early life:...		Atkinson	8 October 1887	10 September 1889	none
22	William Russell William Russell (New Zealand) Sir William Russell was a New Zealand politician from 1870 to 1905. He was a cabinet minister, and was recognised as Leader of the Opposition from 1894 to 1901.-Early life:...		Atkinson	17 October 1889	24 January 1891	none
	Patrick Buckley (2nd time)		John Ballance John Ballance John Ballance served as the 14th Premier of New Zealand at the end of the 19th century, and was the founder of the Liberal Party .-Early life:... Richard Seddon Richard Seddon Richard John Seddon , sometimes known as King Dick, is to date the longest serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is regarded by some, including historian Keith Sinclair, as one of New Zealand's greatest political leaders....	24 January 1891	20 December 1895	Liberal
23	James Carroll James Carroll (New Zealand politician) Sir James Carroll, KCMG , known to Māori as Timi Kara, was a New Zealand politician of Irish and Ngati Kahungunu descent. Beginning his career as an interpreter and land agent, Carroll was elected to the Eastern Maori seat in 1887. He was Colonial Secretary from 1895...		Richard Seddon	20 December 1895		Liberal