Provinces of New Zealand
Encyclopedia
The Provinces of New Zealand
existed from 1841 until 1876 as a form of sub-national government. They were replaced by counties
, which were themselves replaced by districts
.
Following abolition, the provinces became known as provincial districts. Their only visible function today is their use to determine, with the exception of the Chatham Islands
, Northland, and South Canterbury
, the geographical boundaries for anniversary day public holidays.
in 1841, the Royal Charter established three provinces:
In 1846 the British Parliament passed the first New Zealand Constitution Act
, which was almost totally suspended on the advice of Governor George Grey
. The only operative provisions related to the reform of the provinces. The reformed provinces were:
In addition, the provinces were separated from the central government for the first time.
(UK). This Act established the first six provinces of Auckland
, New Plymouth, Wellington
, Nelson
, Canterbury
, and Otago
. Each province elected its own legislature known as a Provincial Council, and elected a Superintendent
who was not a member of the council. The councils elected their speaker at their first meeting after elections.
The Act also created a national General Assembly
consisting of the Legislative Council
appointed by the Governor
and the directly elected House of Representatives
. These provinces came into effect on 17 January 1853 and the regulations defining the boundaries of the provinces were gazetted on 28 February. Electoral regulations were gazetted on 5 March.
Elections were open to males 21 years or older who owned freehold property worth £50 a year. Elections were to be held every four years. The New Zealand Constitution Amendment Act 1857 provided for the appointment of a Deputy Superintendent.
The Constitution Act provided for the creation of additional provinces, and when the spread of European settlements between the original centres of provincial government and the outlying settlers grew, the General Assembly passed the New Provinces Act 1858.
This Act allowed any district of between 500,000 and 3 million acres (12,140.6 km²) of land with a European population of no fewer than 1,000 people to petition for separation provided that at least 60% of electors agreed. As a result, Hawke's Bay Province
separated from Wellington on 1 November 1858; Marlborough Province
from Nelson on 1 November 1859; and Southland Province
from Otago on 1 April 1861. New Plymouth also changed its name to Taranaki under the same Act.
Stewart Island/Rakiura, which had since 1853 not been part of any province, was annexed to the Province of Southland on 10 November 1863.
Provinces established under this act elected their Superintendents in a different way. Members of the Provincial Council would elect a suitable person listed on the electoral roll as Superintendent by majority. If such a person was an elected member, this would result in a by-election to fill the vacancy.
: "Centralists", favouring a strong central government and "Provincialists", favouring strong regional governments. The Centralist members of the General Assembly regarded the Provinces as inherently self-interested, and prone to pork-barrel politics. In the construction of railways, for example, three of the Provinces had constructed railways (as was the case in Australia) to different track gauges, with Canterbury Provincial Railways
being built to "broad" gauge, Southland's railways being built to "standard" gauge. As a result, the Public Works Act of 1870 standardised the gauge to be used, and Otago's first railway, the Port Chalmers railway
, was built to the new "standard" narrow gauge. Colonial Treasurer (and later Premier) Julius Vogel
launched his famous immigration and public works schemes of the 1870s, borrowing the massive sum of 10 million pounds, to develop significant infrastructure of roads, railways, and communications, all administered by central government. This diminished the power of the provinces greatly. The provinces were finally abolished by the Abolition of Provinces Act 1876, during the Premiership
of Harry Atkinson
. For the purposes of the Act, the provinces formally ceased to exist on 1 January 1877.
out of the old provinces. The former boundaries of the provinces served as administrative areas for the education boards set up under the Education Act of 1877 and for the offices of several Government Departments, including the Department of Lands and Survey. In 1989 the Counties were replaced by enlarged District Councils.
.
It is important to note that the provincial districts have different boundaries from the present day regions
, for example, the Manawatu-Wanganui region is largely in the Wellington provincial district. They are also not to be confused with the use of the term in rugby union
's ITM Cup and Heartland Championship
(both of which replaced the National Provincial Championship).
Some of the names persist in other contexts as well, such as health administration districts.
Some of the names of former provinces and current regions have a tendency to be preceded by "the", as, for example, in this extract from a recent Court of Appeal judgment: "At trial, there was evidence of a sticker ostensibly from the Manawatu on the courier bag." Thus, for example, we have Auckland, Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough and Wellington, but the Waikato, the Manawatu, the Bay of Plenty, and the West Coast.
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...
existed from 1841 until 1876 as a form of sub-national government. They were replaced by counties
Counties in New Zealand
After New Zealand abolished its provinces in 1876, a system of counties similar to other countries' systems was instituted, lasting with little change until 1989 when they were reorganised into District Councils within a system of larger Regions.The "Counties Bill of 1876" was initiated to merge...
, which were themselves replaced by districts
Territorial authorities of New Zealand
Territorial authorities are the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. There are 67 territorial authorities: 13 city councils, 53 district councils, and the Chatham Islands Council...
.
Following abolition, the provinces became known as provincial districts. Their only visible function today is their use to determine, with the exception of the Chatham Islands
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands are an archipelago and New Zealand territory in the Pacific Ocean consisting of about ten islands within a radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island. Their name in the indigenous language, Moriori, means Misty Sun...
, Northland, and South Canterbury
Canterbury, 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.-...
, the geographical boundaries for anniversary day public holidays.
1841 to 1853
When New Zealand became a separate Colony from New South WalesNew 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...
in 1841, the Royal Charter established three provinces:
- New Ulster (North IslandNorth IslandThe North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
north of Patea RiverPatea RiverThe Patea River is in Taranaki in the North Island of New Zealand. It runs for 105 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki, passing east through Stratford before swinging south and reaching the South Taranaki Bight near the town of Patea....
) - New Munster (North IslandNorth IslandThe North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
south of Patea River, plus the South IslandSouth IslandThe South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
) - New Leinster (Stewart Island/RakiuraStewart Island/RakiuraStewart Island/Rakiura is the third-largest island of New Zealand. It lies south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait. Its permanent population is slightly over 400 people, most of whom live in the settlement of Oban.- History and naming :...
)
In 1846 the British Parliament passed the first New Zealand Constitution Act
New Zealand Constitution Act 1846
The New Zealand Constitution Act 1846 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom intended to grant self-government to the colony of New Zealand, but it was never fully implemented...
, which was almost totally suspended on the advice of Governor George Grey
George Edward Grey
Sir George Grey, KCB was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony , the 11th Premier of New Zealand and a writer.-Early life and exploration:...
. The only operative provisions related to the reform of the provinces. The reformed provinces were:
- New Ulster (All of North IslandNorth IslandThe North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
) - New Munster (The South IslandSouth IslandThe South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
plus Stewart Island/RakiuraStewart Island/RakiuraStewart Island/Rakiura is the third-largest island of New Zealand. It lies south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait. Its permanent population is slightly over 400 people, most of whom live in the settlement of Oban.- History and naming :...
)
In addition, the provinces were separated from the central government for the first time.
Creation
New provinces were formed by the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852New 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...
(UK). This Act established the first six provinces of Auckland
Auckland Province
The Auckland Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Anniversary Day:...
, New Plymouth, Wellington
Wellington Province
The Wellington Province was a province of New Zealand until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Area:...
, Nelson
Nelson Province
The Nelson Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-History:The Marlborough Province split away from the Nelson Province on 1 November 1859 because the majority of the income of the Provincial Council came from land sales in the...
, Canterbury
Canterbury Province
The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. On the east coast the province was bounded by the Hurunui River in the north and the Waitaki River in the south...
, and Otago
Otago Province
The Otago Province was a province of New Zealand until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Area:The capital of the province was Dunedin...
. Each province elected its own legislature known as a Provincial Council, and elected a Superintendent
Superintendent (politics)
Superintendent was the elected head of each Provincial Council in New Zealand from 1853 to 1876.-Historical context:Provinces existed in New Zealand from 1841 until 1876 as a form of sub-national government. After the initial provinces pre-1853, new provinces were formed by the New Zealand...
who was not a member of the council. The councils elected their speaker at their first meeting after elections.
The Act also created a national General Assembly
Parliament of New Zealand
The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
consisting of the 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:...
appointed by the 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....
and the directly elected House of Representatives
New 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....
. These provinces came into effect on 17 January 1853 and the regulations defining the boundaries of the provinces were gazetted on 28 February. Electoral regulations were gazetted on 5 March.
Elections were open to males 21 years or older who owned freehold property worth £50 a year. Elections were to be held every four years. The New Zealand Constitution Amendment Act 1857 provided for the appointment of a Deputy Superintendent.
The Constitution Act provided for the creation of additional provinces, and when the spread of European settlements between the original centres of provincial government and the outlying settlers grew, the General Assembly passed the New Provinces Act 1858.
This Act allowed any district of between 500,000 and 3 million acres (12,140.6 km²) of land with a European population of no fewer than 1,000 people to petition for separation provided that at least 60% of electors agreed. As a result, Hawke's Bay Province
Hawke's Bay Province
The Hawke's Bay Province was a province of New Zealand. The province separated from the Wellington Province following a meeting in Napier in February 1858, and existed until the abolition of provincial government in 1876...
separated from Wellington on 1 November 1858; Marlborough Province
Marlborough Province
The Marlborough Province operated as a province of New Zealand from 1859 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. The province of Marlborough split away from Nelson Province on 1 November 1859.-History:...
from Nelson on 1 November 1859; and Southland Province
Southland Province
The Southland Province was a province of New Zealand from March 1861 until the province rejoined with Otago Province in 1870.-History:When provinces were formed in 1853, the southern part of New Zealand belonged to Otago Province...
from Otago on 1 April 1861. New Plymouth also changed its name to Taranaki under the same Act.
Stewart Island/Rakiura, which had since 1853 not been part of any province, was annexed to the Province of Southland on 10 November 1863.
Provinces established under this act elected their Superintendents in a different way. Members of the Provincial Council would elect a suitable person listed on the electoral roll as Superintendent by majority. If such a person was an elected member, this would result in a by-election to fill the vacancy.
| Province | Formed date | Formed from | Dissolution date | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland Auckland Province The Auckland Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Anniversary Day:... |
17 January 1853 | New Ulster New Ulster New Ulster was the name of a province of New Zealand that existed between 1841 and 1853.-Original province:Between 1841 and 1846 the province included all the North Island north of the Patea River. With the passing of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1846, the province came to include all of the... |
1 November 1876 | Provinces abolished |
| New Plymouth Taranaki Province The Taranaki Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876... |
17 January 1853 | New Ulster New Ulster New Ulster was the name of a province of New Zealand that existed between 1841 and 1853.-Original province:Between 1841 and 1846 the province included all the North Island north of the Patea River. With the passing of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1846, the province came to include all of the... |
1 November 1876 | Provinces abolished |
| Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay Province The Hawke's Bay Province was a province of New Zealand. The province separated from the Wellington Province following a meeting in Napier in February 1858, and existed until the abolition of provincial government in 1876... |
1 November 1858 | Wellington | 1 November 1876 | Provinces abolished |
| Wellington Wellington Province The Wellington Province was a province of New Zealand until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Area:... |
17 January 1853 | New Ulster New Ulster New Ulster was the name of a province of New Zealand that existed between 1841 and 1853.-Original province:Between 1841 and 1846 the province included all the North Island north of the Patea River. With the passing of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1846, the province came to include all of the... |
1 November 1876 | Provinces abolished |
| Nelson Nelson Province The Nelson Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-History:The Marlborough Province split away from the Nelson Province on 1 November 1859 because the majority of the income of the Provincial Council came from land sales in the... |
17 January 1853 | New Munster New Munster New Munster was an early original European name for the South Island of New Zealand, given by the Governor of New Zealand, Captain William Hobson, in honour of Munster, the Irish province in which he was born.-Province:... |
1 November 1876 | Provinces abolished |
| Marlborough Marlborough Province The Marlborough Province operated as a province of New Zealand from 1859 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. The province of Marlborough split away from Nelson Province on 1 November 1859.-History:... |
1 November 1859 | Nelson | 1 November 1876 | Provinces abolished |
| Westland Westland Province The Westland Province was a province of New Zealand from 1873 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. The capital was Hokitika.-Area:... |
1 December 1873 | Canterbury | 1 November 1876 | Provinces abolished |
| Canterbury Canterbury Province The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. On the east coast the province was bounded by the Hurunui River in the north and the Waitaki River in the south... |
17 January 1853 | New Munster New Munster New Munster was an early original European name for the South Island of New Zealand, given by the Governor of New Zealand, Captain William Hobson, in honour of Munster, the Irish province in which he was born.-Province:... |
1 November 1876 | Provinces abolished |
| Otago Otago Province The Otago Province was a province of New Zealand until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Area:The capital of the province was Dunedin... |
17 January 1853 | New Munster New Munster New Munster was an early original European name for the South Island of New Zealand, given by the Governor of New Zealand, Captain William Hobson, in honour of Munster, the Irish province in which he was born.-Province:... |
1 November 1876 | Provinces abolished |
| Southland Southland Province The Southland Province was a province of New Zealand from March 1861 until the province rejoined with Otago Province in 1870.-History:When provinces were formed in 1853, the southern part of New Zealand belonged to Otago Province... |
25 March 1861 | Otago | 5 October 1870 | Reunited with Otago |
Abolition
Almost as soon as they were founded, New Zealand's Provinces were the subject of protracted political debate. Two factions emerged in the General AssemblyNew 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....
: "Centralists", favouring a strong central government and "Provincialists", favouring strong regional governments. The Centralist members of the General Assembly regarded the Provinces as inherently self-interested, and prone to pork-barrel politics. In the construction of railways, for example, three of the Provinces had constructed railways (as was the case in Australia) to different track gauges, with Canterbury Provincial Railways
Canterbury Provincial Railways
The Canterbury Provincial Railways were an early part of the railways of New Zealand. Built by the Canterbury Provincial government to the broad gauge of 5 feet 3 inches , the railway reached most of the Canterbury region by the time the province was abolished in 1876...
being built to "broad" gauge, Southland's railways being built to "standard" gauge. As a result, the Public Works Act of 1870 standardised the gauge to be used, and Otago's first railway, the Port Chalmers railway
Port Chalmers Branch
The Port Chalmers Branch was the first railway line built in Otago, New Zealand, and linked the region's major city of Dunedin with the port in Port Chalmers...
, was built to the new "standard" narrow gauge. Colonial Treasurer (and later Premier) 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...
launched his famous immigration and public works schemes of the 1870s, borrowing the massive sum of 10 million pounds, to develop significant infrastructure of roads, railways, and communications, all administered by central government. This diminished the power of the provinces greatly. The provinces were finally abolished by the Abolition of Provinces Act 1876, during the Premiership
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...
of 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...
. For the purposes of the Act, the provinces formally ceased to exist on 1 January 1877.
Replacement
Following the abolition of the Provinces, local government was vested in elected borough and county councils. The Counties Bill of 1876 created 63 countiesCounties in New Zealand
After New Zealand abolished its provinces in 1876, a system of counties similar to other countries' systems was instituted, lasting with little change until 1989 when they were reorganised into District Councils within a system of larger Regions.The "Counties Bill of 1876" was initiated to merge...
out of the old provinces. The former boundaries of the provinces served as administrative areas for the education boards set up under the Education Act of 1877 and for the offices of several Government Departments, including the Department of Lands and Survey. In 1989 the Counties were replaced by enlarged District Councils.
Modern uses of the old names
For the current Provincial Anniversary Days see Public holidays in New ZealandPublic holidays in New Zealand
Holidays in New Zealand can refer to publicly observed holidays or to a holiday period.-National Public holidays:In New Zealand there are two types of national public holidays, those that are 'Mondayised' and those that are not....
.
It is important to note that the provincial districts have different boundaries from the present day regions
Regions of New Zealand
The region is the top tier of local government in New Zealand. There are 16 regions of New Zealand. Eleven are governed by an elected regional council, while five are governed by territorial authorities which also perform the functions of a regional council and thus are known as unitary authorities...
, for example, the Manawatu-Wanganui region is largely in the Wellington provincial district. They are also not to be confused with the use of the term in rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
's ITM Cup and Heartland Championship
Heartland Championship
The Heartland Championship New Zealand Division One competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards Heartland Championship, is a domestic rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was founded in 2006 as one of two successor competitions to the country's former domestic competition,...
(both of which replaced the National Provincial Championship).
Some of the names persist in other contexts as well, such as health administration districts.
Some of the names of former provinces and current regions have a tendency to be preceded by "the", as, for example, in this extract from a recent Court of Appeal judgment: "At trial, there was evidence of a sticker ostensibly from the Manawatu on the courier bag." Thus, for example, we have Auckland, Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough and Wellington, but the Waikato, the Manawatu, the Bay of Plenty, and the West Coast.
Further reading
- Speeches and Documents on New Zealand History, McIntyre and Gardner (Eds), 1971, Oxford University Press
External links
- Text of the Abolition of the Provinces Act 1876
- List at Rulers site with provincial superintendents
- New Zealand’s Nine Provinces (1853–76) - Welcome to the Hocken Bulletin No.31 March 2000, Friends of the Hocking Collections - Dunedin 2000