Dominion of New Zealand
Encyclopedia
The Dominion of New Zealand is the former name of the Realm of New Zealand
.
Originally administered from New South Wales
, New Zealand became a direct British colony in 1841 and received a large measure of self-government following the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852
. New Zealand chose not to take part in Australian Federation and assumed complete self-government as the Dominion of New Zealand on 26 September 1907, Dominion Day
, by proclamation of King Edward VII
.
passed a motion respectfully requesting that His Majesty the King "take such steps as he may consider necessary" to change the designation of New Zealand from the "Colony of New Zealand" to the "Dominion of New Zealand".
of the self-governing colonies of the British Empire
that a new term was necessary to differentiate them from the non-self-governing colonies, such as (at that time) Fiji
.
The adoption of the designation of Dominion
would, "raise the status of New Zealand" stated Prime Minister
Joseph Ward
and "...have no other effect than that of doing the country good". The change was opposed by Leader of the Opposition
Bill Massey
.
, represented locally by a governor-general
appointed in consultation with the Dominion’s government. Control over defence, constitutional amendments and (partially) foreign affairs, remained with the British government, until the Statute of Westminster was adopted.
In 1907 new Letters Patent
were issued to mark New Zealand’s change in status from Crown Colony
to Dominion declaring that: “there shall be a Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Dominion of New Zealand”.
In 1917 Letters Patent were issued again re-designating the title Governor to Governor-General of New Zealand. The changes in the Governor-General’s title were intended to reflect more fully New Zealand’s self-governing status. The 1917 Letters Patent constituted the office “Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Dominion of New Zealand”.
Until 1911 New Zealand used the Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom on all official documents and public buildings, however following Dominion status a new Coat of Arms of New Zealand
was designed.
Despite this new status, there was some apprehension in 1919 when Prime Minister Bill Massey
signed the Treaty of Versailles
(giving New Zealand membership of the League of Nations
), which indicated that New Zealand did have a degree of control over its foreign affairs. Massey was unequivocally an Imperialist, and fervently supported the British Empire
.
In 1926 the imperial conference devised the Balfour formula of dominion status, stating that the United Kingdom and the Dominions:The Balfour Report further resolved that Governors-General occupied “the same position in relation to the administration of public affairs in the Dominion” as was held by the Monarch in the United Kingdom. The only advisers to the Governor-General and the Monarch in New Zealand were his New Zealand Ministers.
Prime Minister Gordon Coates
, who led the New Zealand delegation to the 1926 Conference, called the Balfour Declaration a 'poisonous document' that would weaken the ties of empire.
At the 1930 Imperial Conference, the conclusions of the conference were re-stated, and Sir Thomas Sidey
obtained a clause exempting New Zealand from the Statute of Westminster
until such time as it should be ratified by the New Zealand Parliament.
. There is support in some quarters for the day to be revived as an alternative New Zealand Day, instead of renaming Waitangi Day
, New Zealand's current national day. The Wellington newspaper The Dominion (now The Dominion Post
) was first published on this day in 1907.
Preferring the United Kingdom to handle most of its foreign affairs and defence, New Zealand held back from adopting the Statute of Westminster
Act, and, 16 years later, was the last dominion listed in the Statute to do so. The National opposition prompted the adoption of the Statute in 1947 when its leader, and future Prime Minister Sidney Holland
introduced a private members' bill to abolish the New Zealand Legislative Council
. Because New Zealand required the consent of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
to amend the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852
, Prime Minister Peter Fraser decided to finally adopt the Statute. The Statute was adopted on 25 November 1947 with the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947
, along with consenting legislation from the British Parliament, meaning the British parliament could no longer make ordinary law for the dominion, other than at New Zealand's request and consent.
Peter Fraser instructed Government departments not to use the term 'Dominion' any longer. It was not until 1953, however, that the term 'Dominion' began to be replaced.
There is a view that dominion status was replaced by realm status in the Queen's Accession Proclamation of 11 February 1952:
In 1953 Her Majesty proclaimed a separate Royal Title for use in New Zealand .
However there was no proclamation that the official status of New Zealand had been changed from Dominion of New Zealand. Furthermore the proclamation of 1907 was not revoked or amended. The term Dominion gradually fell into disuse after 1953, and has been rarely used since the 1970s. Since then the term "Realm" has been increasingly used for New Zealand.
Today the Realm of New Zealand
comprises New Zealand, Tokelau
and the Ross Dependency
, and the self-governing states of the Cook Islands
and Niue
. Former Dominions of the British Empire that have the British Monarch as their Head of State (including Canada and Australia) are known as Commonwealth Realms.
Thus New Zealand is now an independent kingdom where the sovereign reigns no longer as the British Monarch, but as the Monarch of New Zealand
.
Realm of New Zealand
The Realm of New Zealand is the entire area in which the Queen in right of New Zealand is head of state. The Realm comprises New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency in Antarctica, and is defined by a 1983 Letters Patent constituting the office of Governor-General of New...
.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, New Zealand became a direct British colony in 1841 and received a large measure of self-government following the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852
New Zealand Constitution Act 1852
The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that granted self-government to the colony of New Zealand...
. New Zealand chose not to take part in Australian Federation and assumed complete self-government as the Dominion of New Zealand on 26 September 1907, Dominion Day
Dominion Day
Dominion Day is a commemoration day of the granting of national status in various Commonwealth countries.-Canada:Dominion Day was the name of the holiday commemorating the formation of Canada as a Dominion on 1 July 1867...
, by proclamation of King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
.
Dominion
Following the 1907 Imperial Conference, the New Zealand House of RepresentativesNew Zealand House of Representatives
The New Zealand House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the legislature of New Zealand. The House and the Queen of New Zealand form the New Zealand Parliament....
passed a motion respectfully requesting that His Majesty the King "take such steps as he may consider necessary" to change the designation of New Zealand from the "Colony of New Zealand" to the "Dominion of New Zealand".
Debate
The alteration in status was stirred by a sentiment on the part of the Prime MinisterPrime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of the self-governing colonies of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
that a new term was necessary to differentiate them from the non-self-governing colonies, such as (at that time) Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
.
The adoption of the designation of Dominion
Dominion
A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
would, "raise the status of New Zealand" stated Prime Minister
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...
Joseph Ward
Joseph Ward
Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet, GCMG was the 17th Prime Minister of New Zealand on two occasions in the early 20th century.-Early life:...
and "...have no other effect than that of doing the country good". The change was opposed by Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)
The Leader of the Opposition in New Zealand is the politician who, at least in theory, commands the support of the non-government bloc of members in the New Zealand Parliament. In the debating chamber the Leader of the Opposition sits directly opposite the Prime Minister...
Bill Massey
William Massey
William Ferguson Massey, often known as Bill Massey or "Farmer Bill" served as the 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1912 to 1925, and was the founder of the Reform Party. He is widely considered to have been one of the more skilled politicians of his time, and was known for the particular...
.
Royal Proclamation
A Royal Proclamation granting New Zealand Dominion status was issued on 9 September 1907.- It read - "EDWARD R.& I. Whereas We have on the Petition of the Members of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of Our Colony of New Zealand determined that the title of Dominion of New Zealand shall be substituted for that of the Colony of New Zealand as the designation of the said Colony, We have therefore by and with the advice of Our Privy Council thought fit to issue this Our Royal Proclamation and We do ordain, declare and command that on and after the twenty-sixth day of September, one thousand nine hundred and seven, the said Colony of New Zealand and the territory belonging thereto shall be called and known by the title of the Dominion of New Zealand. And We hereby give Our Commands to all Public Departments accordingly. Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace, this ninth day of September, in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven, and in the seventh year of Our Reign. GOD save the KING."
Effect
Dominion status allowed the dominions to become virtually independent, while retaining the British monarch as head of stateHead of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
, represented locally by a governor-general
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
appointed in consultation with the Dominion’s government. Control over defence, constitutional amendments and (partially) foreign affairs, remained with the British government, until the Statute of Westminster was adopted.
In 1907 new Letters Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
were issued to mark New Zealand’s change in status from Crown Colony
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
to Dominion declaring that: “there shall be a Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Dominion of New Zealand”.
In 1917 Letters Patent were issued again re-designating the title Governor to Governor-General of New Zealand. The changes in the Governor-General’s title were intended to reflect more fully New Zealand’s self-governing status. The 1917 Letters Patent constituted the office “Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Dominion of New Zealand”.
Until 1911 New Zealand used the Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom on all official documents and public buildings, however following Dominion status a new Coat of Arms of New Zealand
Coat of arms of New Zealand
The coat of arms of New Zealand is the official symbol of New Zealand. The initial coat of arms was granted by King George V on the 26 August 1911, and the current version was granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1956.-History and design:...
was designed.
Despite this new status, there was some apprehension in 1919 when Prime Minister Bill Massey
William Massey
William Ferguson Massey, often known as Bill Massey or "Farmer Bill" served as the 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1912 to 1925, and was the founder of the Reform Party. He is widely considered to have been one of the more skilled politicians of his time, and was known for the particular...
signed the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
(giving New Zealand membership of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
), which indicated that New Zealand did have a degree of control over its foreign affairs. Massey was unequivocally an Imperialist, and fervently supported the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
.
In 1926 the imperial conference devised the Balfour formula of dominion status, stating that the United Kingdom and the Dominions:The Balfour Report further resolved that Governors-General occupied “the same position in relation to the administration of public affairs in the Dominion” as was held by the Monarch in the United Kingdom. The only advisers to the Governor-General and the Monarch in New Zealand were his New Zealand Ministers.
Prime Minister Gordon Coates
Gordon Coates
Joseph Gordon Coates, MC and bar served as the 21st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1925 to 1928.- Early life :Born on the Hukatere Peninsula in Kaipara Harbour where his family ran a farm, Coates took on significant responsibility at a relatively early age because his father suffered from...
, who led the New Zealand delegation to the 1926 Conference, called the Balfour Declaration a 'poisonous document' that would weaken the ties of empire.
At the 1930 Imperial Conference, the conclusions of the conference were re-stated, and Sir Thomas Sidey
Thomas Sidey
Sir Thomas Kay Sidey was a New Zealand politician from the Otago Region, remembered for his successful advocacy of daylight saving time.-Early life:...
obtained a clause exempting New Zealand from the Statute of Westminster
Statute of Westminster 1931
The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Passed on 11 December 1931, the Act established legislative equality for the self-governing dominions of the British Empire with the United Kingdom...
until such time as it should be ratified by the New Zealand Parliament.
Dominion Day
To mark the granting of Dominion status, 26 September was declared Dominion Day. Today, it is observed only as a Provincial Anniversary Day holiday in South CanterburyCanterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
. There is support in some quarters for the day to be revived as an alternative New Zealand Day, instead of renaming Waitangi Day
Waitangi Day
Waitangi Day commemorates a significant day in the history of New Zealand. It is a public holiday held each year on 6 February to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document, on that date in 1840.-History:...
, New Zealand's current national day. The Wellington newspaper The Dominion (now The Dominion Post
The Dominion Post (Wellington)
The Dominion Post is a metropolitan broadsheet newspaper published in Wellington, New Zealand, owned by the Australian Fairfax group, owners of The Age, Melbourne, and The Sydney Morning Herald.- Foundation :...
) was first published on this day in 1907.
Statute of Westminster
In 1931, the British Parliament passed the Statute of Westminster, which confirmed complete autonomy for its dominions, and gave effect to resolutions passed by the imperial conferences of 1926 and 1930.Preferring the United Kingdom to handle most of its foreign affairs and defence, New Zealand held back from adopting the Statute of Westminster
Statute of Westminster 1931
The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Passed on 11 December 1931, the Act established legislative equality for the self-governing dominions of the British Empire with the United Kingdom...
Act, and, 16 years later, was the last dominion listed in the Statute to do so. The National opposition prompted the adoption of the Statute in 1947 when its leader, and future Prime Minister Sidney Holland
Sidney Holland
Sir Sidney George Holland, GCMG, CH was the 25th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957.-Early life:...
introduced a private members' bill to abolish the New Zealand Legislative Council
New Zealand Legislative Council
The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...
. Because New Zealand required the consent of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
to amend the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852
New Zealand Constitution Act 1852
The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that granted self-government to the colony of New Zealand...
, Prime Minister Peter Fraser decided to finally adopt the Statute. The Statute was adopted on 25 November 1947 with the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947
Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947
The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947 was a constitutional Act of the New Zealand Parliament that formally accepted the full external autonomy offered by the British Parliament...
, along with consenting legislation from the British Parliament, meaning the British parliament could no longer make ordinary law for the dominion, other than at New Zealand's request and consent.
Dominion gives way to "Realm"
In 1946 Prime MinisterPrime 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...
Peter Fraser instructed Government departments not to use the term 'Dominion' any longer. It was not until 1953, however, that the term 'Dominion' began to be replaced.
There is a view that dominion status was replaced by realm status in the Queen's Accession Proclamation of 11 February 1952:
In 1953 Her Majesty proclaimed a separate Royal Title for use in New Zealand .
However there was no proclamation that the official status of New Zealand had been changed from Dominion of New Zealand. Furthermore the proclamation of 1907 was not revoked or amended. The term Dominion gradually fell into disuse after 1953, and has been rarely used since the 1970s. Since then the term "Realm" has been increasingly used for New Zealand.
Realm of New Zealand
The Realm of New Zealand is the entire area in which the Queen in right of New Zealand is head of state. The Realm comprises New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency in Antarctica, and is defined by a 1983 Letters Patent constituting the office of Governor-General of New...
comprises New Zealand, Tokelau
Tokelau
Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of three tropical coral atolls with a combined land area of 10 km2 and a population of approximately 1,400...
and the Ross Dependency
Ross Dependency
The Ross Dependency is a region of Antarctica defined by a sector originating at the South Pole, passing along longitudes 160° east to 150° west, and terminating at latitude 60° south...
, and the self-governing states of the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
and Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
. Former Dominions of the British Empire that have the British Monarch as their Head of State (including Canada and Australia) are known as Commonwealth Realms.
Thus New Zealand is now an independent kingdom where the sovereign reigns no longer as the British Monarch, but as the Monarch of New Zealand
Monarchy in New Zealand
The monarchy of New Zealand also referred to as The Crown in Right of New Zealand, Her Majesty in Right of New Zealand, or The Queen in Right of New Zealand is the constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of the Realm of New Zealand,...
.