List of Former Territorial Authorities in New Zealand - Counties

Counties

It has been suggested that List of counties of New Zealand and List of counties of New Zealand (1966) be merged into this article. (Discuss)
See also: Counties of New Zealand

When the provinces were abolished in 1876, 63 counties were established to govern rural areas. There were subdivisions and amalgamations over the next 113 years, with as many as 129 counties existing at once. Note that the designation of an area as a county often predated the formation of a County Council. In the interim there was often a roads board as the only form of local administration. Fiord and Sounds counties never formed councils, due to insufficient population to govern.

County Established Disestablished Area Headquarters Notes
Akaroa County 1876 1989 440.48 km2 Duvauchelle Merged into Banks Peninsula District
Akitio County fl. 1911, 1961 Pongaroa
Amuri 1876 1989 11,000 km2 Culverden Merged into Hurunui District
Ashburton 1876 1989 6174 km2 Ashburton
Ashley 1876 1977 Rangiora until 1968 then Balcairn Amalgamated with Waipara County to form Hurunui County.
Awakino County 1922 Amalgamated with Waitomo to form Otorohanga County
Awatere County fl. 1952
Bay of Islands County 1876 1989 2132.5 km2 Kawakawa
Bruce 1876 1989 1347.4 km2 Milton Merged into Clutha District
Buller 1876 1989 15,000 km2 Westport
Castle Point County fl. 1945 Tainui
Chatham Islands County 1901 1989 963 km2 Waitangi
Cheviot County 1876 1989 847.28 km2 Cheviot Merged into Hurunui District
Clifton County 1885 1989 1175.9 km2 Waitara Merged into New Plymouth District.
Clutha County 1876 1989 2683.2 km2 Balclutha Merged into Clutha District
Collingwood County 1876 1956 Amalgamated with Takaka County to form Golden Bay County.
Cook 1876 1989 2729.4 km2 Gisborne Merged into Gisborne District
Coromandel 1876 1975 Amalgamated with Thames to form Thames-Coromandel District
Dannevirke County 1907 1989 2217.8 km2 Dannevirke Merged into Tararua District
East Taupo County 1876
Eden County 1876 1940 Amalgamated with Auckland City
Egmont 1902 1989 621.86 km2 Opunake Merged into South Taranaki District
Eketahuna County 1899 1989 8.29 km2 Eketahuna Merged into Tararua District
Ellesmere 1910 1989 1200.4 km2 Leeston
Eltham County 1906 1989 1388.8 km2 Eltham Merged into South Taranaki District
Eyre 1912 1989 457.8 km2 Kaiapoi in 1952, later Eyreton Merged into Waimakariri District
Featherston 1902 1989 2471.9 km2 Martinborough
Fiord County 1876 1981 km2 Amalgamated with Wallace County in 1981, at which time it was "the only one of 105 counties where the Counties Act (1956) is not wholly in force"
Franklin 1912 1989 1471.7 km2 Pukekohe Merged into Franklin District
Geraldine 1876 km2 Amalgamated with Levels County to form Strathallan County
Golden Bay County 1956 1989 2661 km2 Takaka
Great Barrier Island County 1913 1989 2.85 km2
Grey 1876 1989 4091 km2 Greymouth
Halswell County 1910 1968 Halswell Amalgamated with Paparua County
Hauraki Plains County 1920 1989 601.1 km2 Ngatea
Hawera County km2
Hawke's Bay County 1876 1989 4828 km2 Napier
Heathcote 1910 1989 31.09 km2 Merged into Christchurch City
Hobson 1876 1989 1929.5 km2 Dargaville Merged into Kaipara District
Hokianga County 1876 1989 1588 km2 Rawene
Horowhenua County 1884 1989 1422 km2 Levin Merged into Horowhenua District
Hurunui 1977 1989 3640 km2 Amberley Merged into Hurunui District
Hutt County 1876 1989 6690 km2 Initially Wellington, laterWainuiomata. Between 1908 and 1962 the Makara riding was a separate county. On 1 April 1973, parts were transferred to Porirua, Upper Hutt and Wellington cities. In 1988, the Horokiri riding was amalgamated with Porirua City, Wainuiomata riding with Lower Hutt City and Heretaunga-Pinehaven Community with Upper Hutt City, while the balance went to form part of the Kapiti Coast District.
Inangahua County 1876 1989 2440.8 km2 Reefton
Inglewood County 1920 1989 535.22 km2 Inglewood
Kaikoura County 1876 1989 2347.5 km2 Kaikoura
Kairanga County 1901 1989 466.2 km2 Palmerston North
Kaitieke fl. 1952 Raurimu Amalgameted with Taumarunui County
Kiwitea County 1893 1989 930.2 km2 Kimbolton
Kowai County 1912 1968 Balcairn Amalgamated with Ashley County
Lake 1876 1989 10000 km2 Queenstown
Levels 1894 1974 km2 Amalgamated with Geraldine County to form Strathallan County
MacKenzie County 1883 1989 7386.6 km2 Fairlie
Makara County 1908 1961 Formed from the Makara Riding of Hutt County. Remnant amalgamated with Hutt County when Porirua Borough established.
Malvern County 1912 1989 4973 km2 Darfield
Manawatu County 1876 1989 686.6 km2 Sanson
Mangonui County 1876 1989 2487 km2 Kaitaia
Maniototo County 1876 1989 3471 km2 Ranfurly Became part of Central Otago District
Manukau County 1876 km2
Marlborough County 1876 1989 10478 km2 Blenheim Merged into Marlborough District
Masterton County 1900 1989 2410 km2 Materton
Matakaoa fl. 1952 Te Araroa
Matamata County fl. 1952 Tirau
Mauriceville County km2
Mount Herbert 1902 1989 171.01 km2 Lyttelton Merged into Banks Peninsula District
Ohinemuri County 1885 1989 624.45 km2 Paeroa
Ohura County fl. 1952 Ohura Amalgameted with Taumarunui County
Opotiki County 1899 1989 3474.65 km2 Opotiki
Oroua County 1903 1989 492.3 km2 Feilding
Otamatea 1887 1989 1090.85 km2 Paparoa Merged into Kaipara District
Oxford 1912 1989 823.96 km2 Oxford
Pahiatua County 1888 1989 736.3 km2 Pahiatua
Paparua County 1912 1989 448.18 km2
Patangata County km2
Patea County 1876 1989 1531 km2 Patea Merged into South Taranaki District
Peninsula County 1876 km2
Piako County 1876 1989 1171 km2 Te Aroha Merged into Matamata-Piako District
Pohangina County 1894 1989 671 km2 Ashurst Merged into
Raglan County 1876 1989 2412.3 km2 Ngaruawhahia Merged into Waikato District
Rangiora County 1912 1986 Rangiora Amalgamated with Rangiora borough to form Rangiora District.
Rangitikei County 1876 1989 4490 km2 Marton
Rodney County 1876 1989 23.34 km2 Orewa Part merged into Kaipara District
Rotorua County 1976 2615 km2 Rotorua Became Rotorua District
Selwyn County 1876 1910 subdivided into ten smaller counties.
Silverpeaks County 1977 1989 3289 km2 Dunedin
Sounds County 1876 Amalgamated with Marlborough County prior to 1913.
Southland County 1876 1989 9590 km2 Invercargill
Springs 1910 1989 Lincoln
Stewart Island County 1876 1989 1750 km2 Halfmoon Bay
Stratford County 1890 1989 2163.56 km2 Stratford
Strathallan County 1974 1989 2571.8 km2 Timaru
Taieri County 1876 1977 Outram Amalgamated with Waikouaiti County.
Takaka County 1956 Takaka Amalgamated with Collingwood County to form Golden Bay County.
Taranaki 1876 1989 588.17 km2 New Plymouth
Taumarunui County 1921 1989 4895 km2 Taumarunui
Taupo County 1954 1989 7282 km2 Taupo
Tauranga County 1876 1989 1829.3 km2 Tauranga
Tawera County
Thames 1876 1975 Thames Amalgamated with Coromandel County to form Thames/Coromandel District
Tuapeka County 1876 1989 3586 km2 Lawrence
Uawa County 1918 1964 Tolaga Bay Separated from Cook County 10 December 1918. Amalgamated with Cook County 1 April 1964.
Vincent 1876 1989 7553 km2 Clyde Became part of Central Otago District
Waiapu County 1890 1989 2817.9 km2 Te Puia Springs
Waiheke County 1970 1989 155.32 km2 Ostend
Waihemo County 1882 1989 872.83 km2 Palmerston Merged into Waitaki District
Waikato County 1876 1989 1651 km2 Hamilton Merged into Waikato District
Waikohu County 1908 1989 2646.96 km2 Te Karaka
Waikouaiti County 1876 km2
Waimairi County 1982 Redesignated Waimairi District
Waimarino County 1902 2249 km2 Raetihi
Waimate County 1876 1989 3585 km2 Waimate
Waimate West 1908 1989 215.05 km2 Manaia
Waimea 1876 1989 7547 km2 Richmond
Waipa County 1876 1989 1101 km2 Te Awamutu
Waipara County fl. 1952 1977 Waikari Amalgamated with Ashley County to form Hurunui County.
Waipawa County 1876 Waipawa
Waipukurau County Waipukurau
Wairarapa East County 1876
Wairarapa South County 1877 1989 1140 km2 Carterton
Wairarapa West County 1876
Wairewa 1910 1989 440.5 km2 Little River
Wairoa County 1876 1989 4096.5 km2 Wairoa
Waitaki County 1876 1989 6192.7 km2 Oamaru Created in 1876 but first Council did not meet until 1877
Waitemata 1876
Waitomo County
Waitotara County 1884 1989 1205.5 km2 Wanganui
Wallace 1876 1989 17520 km2 Riverton to 1898, thereafter Otautau
Wanganui County 1876 1989 1191 km2 Wanganui
Weber County km2 Dannevirke
Wellington County ? ? km2 ? See Hutt County or Makara County for counties near Wellington.
West Taupo County 1876 km2
Westland County 1876 1989 11000 km2 Hokitika
Whakatane County 1876 km2 Whakatane
Whangamomona County km2
Whangarei County 1876 1989 2681.8 km2 Kamo Part merged into Kaipara District
Whangaroa County 1876 1989 621.6 km2 Kaeo
Woodville County 1989 404.2 km2 Woodville

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