Nelson Province

Nelson Province
Provinces of New Zealand
Nelson Province in 1859
Country	New Zealand
Island	South Island
Established	1853
Abolished	1876
Named for	Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Seat	Nelson

For the current top-level subdivision of Nelson in New Zealand, see Nelson, New Zealand

Nelson Provincial Council buildings

Model of the Nelson Provincial Government building (on display in the Nelson Colonial Museum)

The Nelson Province constituted in 1853 under the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 and covered the entire upper South Island, including all of the present-day Buller, Kaikoura, Marlborough, Nelson, Tasman as well as the Grey District north of the Grey River and the Hurunui District north of the Hurunui River. It was abolished, along with all other provinces, in 1876.

Area

Nelson Province initially covered the entire upper South Island. 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 Marlborough region, but the funds were mostly used in the Nelson region. Land sales in Nelson and Marlborough netted the Nelson Provincial Council £33,000 and £160,000, respectively. Of that, £200 were expended benefiting the Marlborough region.^[1] There was considerable conflict between Superintendent John Perry Robinson's policies of supporting smaller land holders, and the objectives of the large pastoral run-holders in the Wairau Valley. The New Provinces Act 1858 allowed for parts of a province to break away if the area was large enough, and enough voters supported such a move. The petition was signed by almost all settlers in the Wairau; only six withholding their support for a split. The new Marlborough Province was gazetted on 4 October 1859.^[2]

History

Edward Stafford became Nelson's first superintendent in 1853 when he opened the provincial council. His free, secular and compulsory education system became the model for New Zealand, with this ‘Nelson system’ introduced to all state primary schools in 1877.

Nelson was the designated seat of government and Superintendent John Perry Robinson laid the foundation stone for the Provincial Government buildings in Nelson on 26 August 1859.^[3] The building was in Albion Square in Bridge Street. It was designed by visiting architect Maxwell Bury and he modeled it on Aston Hall near Birmingham. Whereas Aston Hall was built from stone, the Government buildings were from timber. The buildings were run down and had stood empty for some years when they were demolished in 1969, amidst much controversy. The Nelson District Court building now stands on the site.^[4]

By 1876 the province was abolished under the Counties Bill of 1876 with the following boroughs and counties constituted.

Anniversary day

New Zealand law provides for a provincial anniversary day.

Superintendents

The Nelson Province had four Superintendents:^[12]

Legislation

• The Nelson Institution Act 1859
• The Nelson Waterworks Act 1863
• The Nelson Waterworks Act Amendment Act 1875

Adjacent provinces

• Marlborough Province - northeast
• Canterbury Province - southeast
• Westland Province - southwest

See also

• Nelson Province and Provincial District
• The seal of Nelson Province
• Map of the old provincial boundaries

References