Counties in New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
After New Zealand abolished its provinces in 1876, a system of counties similar to other countries' systems was instituted, lasting with little change (except mergers and other localised boundary adjustments) until 1989.
They had chairmen, not mayors as boroughs and cities had; many legislative provisions (such as burial and land subdivision control) were different for the counties.
During the second half of the 20th century, many counties received overflow population from nearby cities. The result was often a merger of the two into a "district" (eg Rotorua) or a change of name to "district' (eg Waimairi) or "city" (eg Manukau).
The Local Government Act 1974 began the process of bringing urban, mixed, and rural councils into the same legislative framework. Substantial reorganisations under that Act resulted in the 1989 shake-up, which covered the country in (non-overlapping) cities and districts and abolished all the counties except for the Chatham Islands County, which survived under that name for a further 6 years but then became a "Territory" ander the "Chatham Islands Council".
The term is perpetuated in the name "Counties-Manukau", which refers to areas of South Auckland and the Franklin District and adjoining districts and is applied to bodies as diverse as football clubs and health providers.
By 1966, there were 112 counties[1].
[edit] List of counties
Note: Counties are listed by their modern region today. Some appear to be in more than one region. Not all counties existed during the whole 1876-1989 period. Notably, there were many new counties formed in the Christchurch area in the Canterbury region. Should be checked for spelling, some names have been taken from a difficult to read old map.
| County | Island | Region | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akaroa | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Akitio | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Amuri | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Ashburton | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Ashley | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Atangata | North Island | Hawke's Bay | |
| Awakino | North Island | Waikato | |
| Bay of Islands | North Island | Northland | |
| Bruce | South Island | Otago | |
| Buller | South Island | West Coast | |
| Castle Point | North Island | Wellington | |
| Chatham Islands | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Cheviot | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Clifton | North Island | Taranaki | |
| Clutha | South Island | Otago | |
| Collingwood | South Island | West Coast | |
| Cook | North Island | Gisborne | |
| Coromandel | North Island | Waikato | |
| Dannevirke | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| East Taupo | North Island | Waikato | |
| Egmont | North Island | Taranaki | |
| Eketahura | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Ellesmere | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Eltham | North Island | Taranaki | |
| Eyre | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Fiord | South Island | Southland | |
| Geraldine | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Great Barrier Island | Great Barrier Island | Auckland | |
| Grey | South Island | West Coast | |
| Halswell | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Hauraki Plains | North Island | Waikato | |
| Hawera | North Island | Taranaki | |
| Hawke's Bay | North Island | Hawke's Bay | |
| Heathcote | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Herbert | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Hobson | North Island | Northland | |
| Hokianga | North Island | Northland | |
| Horowhenua | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Hutt | North Island | Wellington | Parts were transferred to Porirua borough on 1 April 1973, the Horokiri riding was transferred to Porirua in 1988 |
| Inangahua | South Island | Tasman | |
| Kaikoura | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Kairanga | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Kawhia | North Island | Waikato | |
| Kiwitea | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Kowai | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Lake | South Island | Otago | |
| Levels | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Mackenzie | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Makara | North Island | Wellington | abolished in 1961, rural western part becoming the Makara Ward of Hutt County |
| Malbern | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Mangonui | North Island | Northland | |
| Maniototo | South Island | Otago | |
| Manukau | North Island | Auckland | |
| Marlborough | South Island | Marlborough | |
| Masterton | North Island | Wellington | |
| Mauriceville | North Island | Wellington | |
| Mount Herbert | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Ohinemuri(?) | North Island | Waikato | |
| Opotiki | North Island | Bay of Plenty | |
| Oroua | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Otamatea | North Island | Northland | |
| Oxford | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Paparua | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Patea | North Island | Taranaki | |
| Peninsula | South Island | Otago | |
| Piako | North Island | Waikato | |
| Pohangina | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Raglan | North Island | Waikato | |
| Rangiora | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Rangitikei | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Rodney | North Island | Auckland | |
| Rotorua | North Island | Bay of Plenty | |
| Selwyn | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Silverpeaks | South Island | Otago | New county from 1977 |
| Sounds | South Island | Marlborough | |
| Southland | South Island | Southland | |
| Stewart Island | South Island | Southland | |
| Stratford | North Island | Taranaki | The Stratford County Council was formed in 1890, and the Stratford Borough Council was formed on 22 July 1898. |
| Taieri | South Island | Otago | Deep Stream Riding included the Strath-Taieri. In October 1977 the Taieri County was merged with its northern neighbour Waikouaiti County. |
| Takaka | South Island | Tasman | |
| Taranaki | North Island | Taranaki | |
| Tauranga | North Island | Bay of Plenty | |
| Tawera | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Thames | North Island | Waikato | |
| Tuapeka | South Island | Otago | |
| Vincent | South Island | Otago | |
| Waiapu | North Island | Gisborne | |
| Waihemo | South Island | Otago | contained Palmerston |
| Waikato | North Island | Waikato | |
| Waikouaiti | South Island | Otago | |
| Waimairi | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Waimarino | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Waimate | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Waimea | South Island | Tasman | |
| Waipa | North Island | Waikato | |
| Waimairi | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Waipawa | North Island | Hawke's Bay | |
| Waipukurau | North Island | Hawke's Bay | |
| Wairarapa | North Island | Wellington | |
| Wairewa | South Island | Canterbury | |
| Wairoa | North Island | Hawke's Bay | |
| Waitaki | South Island | Otago | |
| Waitemata | North Island | Auckland | |
| Waitomo | North Island | Waikato | |
| Waitotara | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Wallace | South Island | Southland | |
| Wanganui | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Weber | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Wellington | North Island | Wellington | |
| West Taupo | North Island | Waikato | |
| Westland | South Island | West Coast | |
| Whakatane | North Island | Bay of Plenty | |
| Whangamomona | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui | |
| Whangarei | North Island | Northland | |
| Whangaroa | North Island | Northland | |
| Woodville | North Island | Manawatu-Wanganui |
