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) |
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 |
Read more about this topic: List Of Former Territorial Authorities In New Zealand