Last modified: 2023-02-02 by ian macdonald
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Originally, New Zealand was divided into three provinces, New Ulster,
New Munster and New Leinster, which were under the control of
the colonial government of New South Wales.
James Dignan, 12 September 1996
Traditional provinces were of short duration, originating with a decision by Royal Charter in 1840 to divide the country into three — New Ulster (North Island), New Munster (South Island) and New Leinster (Stewart Island) but these were never given political effect.
In 1846 another Royal Charter divided the country into two based on a line drawn across from the mouth of the Patea River (just south of the Taranaki border) with the north being New Ulster and the south New Munster. Although political powers were envisaged they never became fully implemented and were overtaken by the N.Z. Constitution Act of 1852.
This established a semi-federal system of government dividing the country into six provinces — Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury and Otago. They were responsible for local government but could be over ruled by the general assembly. In 1858 New Plymouth was renamed Taranaki while four more provinces were established — Hawke's Bay (1858), Marlborough (1859), Southland (1861) and Westland (1873) though in 1870 Southland was reabsorbed by Otago. Petitions were made by Northland, North Otago, Buller, South Canterbury and Gisborne for provincial status but the Abolition of Provinces Act of 1875 ended all provincial organisation.
The old provincial areas were accorded the legal status of provincial
districts. These have never had any administrative functions. They correspond
broadly to areas of community interest and have sentimental and historical associations.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 October 1999
The New Zealand provinces are provinces in name alone, no longer having any
form of self government the way that the Canadian provinces do. They did have
for a period during the 1850s-1870s and each had its own arms, but I am unaware
of any flags.
James Dignan, 12 September 1996
Counties, as far as I know, do not have their own flags (although they probably have Coats of Arms or at least logos). It’s all pretty confusing — they have changed around a little over the years, and I’m not fully sure I understand how the hierarchy works. From memory (and probably incorrect!) New Zealand was divided up into cities, boroughs, counties and districts, I think late last century. Counties tended to be rural areas centred around a town, and had their headquarters in that town (even though the town was quite often a borough with its own separate council. Districts operated pretty much like counties, but they tended not to have a town at the centre. In all, there would have been about 80 counties across New Zealand, plus about ten districts, and most towns of above about 1000 people would have been boroughs. Cities (by New Zealand definitions) have 20,000 people or more. In about 1985, this all changed, with the amalgamating of many boroughs and counties into new district councils, of which there would be about 60.
To make it even more confusing, groups of districts are governed by a higher
local government organisation, the region. This is a little bit more like the
old provinces, but with far less power (they operate much like English county
councils). These tend to cover all areas except the larger cities.
James Dignan, 30 July 1999
Counties haven’t existed since 1989. The 80-odd City/District Councils operate
independently from the Regional Councils, which cover the whole country (including
all cities), except for some rural areas where the district council is the unitary
authority.
Michael Mellor, 1 October 2000
James Dignan, 17 August 1999
There are also a large number of offshore islands much closer in to the mainland (within about 20 km of the coast). The main ones, shown in bold type those with a permanent population of more than a hundred or so people, are:
These are naturally considered to be part of the nearest “mainland” civil division(s).
James Dignan, 17 August 1999
