(For the current top-level subdivision of New Zealand, see Regions of New Zealand)

Provinces in New Zealand were used from 1841 until the Abolition of the Provinces Act came into force on November 1, 1876.

Following abolition, the provinces became known as provincial districts. Their only visible function today is their use to determine, with the exception of the Chatham Islands, Northland, and South Canterbury, the geographical boundaries for anniversary day public holidays.

1841 to 1853

---

When New Zealand became a separate Colony from New South Wales in 1841, the Royal Charter established three provinces:

• New Ulster (North Island north of Patea River)
• New Munster (North Island south of Patea River, plus the South Island)
• New Leinster (Stewart Island/Rakiura)

In 1846 the British Parliament passed the first New Zealand Constitution Act, which was almost totally suspended on the advice of Governor George Grey. The only operative provisions related to the reform of the provinces. The reformed provinces were:

• New Ulster (All of North Island)
• New Munster (The South Island plus Stewart Island/Rakiura)

In addition, the provinces were separated from the central government for the first time.

1853 to 1876

---

The provinces were formed by the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 This act established the first six provinces of Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury and Otago. Each province had its own legislature known as a Provincial Council that elected its own Speaker and Superintendent.

Elections were open to males 21 years or older who owned freehold property worth £50 a year. Elections were to be held every four years. Amendments in 1856 provided for the appointment of a Deputy Superintendent.

The act also created a national General Assembly consisting of the Legislative Council appointed by the Governor and the directly-elected House of Representatives. These provinces came into effect on 17 January 1853 and the regulations defining the boundaries of the provinces were gazetted on 28 February.

Province	Independent county	Formed		Renamed		Dissolution
		Date	Broke from	Date	New name	Date	Reason
Auckland		1853				1 November 1876	Provinces abolished
New Plymouth		1853		1 January 1859	Taranaki	1 November 1876	Provinces abolished
Hawke's Bay		1 November 1858	Wellington			1 November 1876	Provinces abolished
Wellington		1853				1 November 1876	Provinces abolished
Nelson		1853				1 November 1876	Provinces abolished
Marlborough		1 November 1859	Nelson			1 November 1876	Provinces abolished
Westland	1 January 1868	1 December 1873	Canterbury			1 November 1876	Provinces abolished
Canterbury		1853				1 November 1876	Provinces abolished
Otago		1853				1 November 1876	Provinces abolished
Southland		25 March 1861	Otago			5 October 1870	Reunited with Otago

Modern uses of the old names

---

It is important to note that the provincial districts have different boundaries from the present day regions, for example, the Manawatu-Wanganui region is in the Wellington provincial district. They are also not to be confused with the use of the term in rugby's National Provincial Championship (NPC).

Some of the names persist in other contexts as well, eg health administration districts.

Some of the names of former provinces and current regions have a tendency to be preceded by "the", as, for example, in this extract from a recent Court of Appeal judgment: "At trial, there was evidence of a sticker ostensibly from the Manawatu on the courier bag."

Sources and external links

---

• List at Rulers site with provincial superintendents
• "New Zealand’s Nine Provinces (1853–76)" - Welcome to the Hocken Bulletin No.31 March 2000, Friends of the Hocking Collections - Dunedin 2000
• Speeches and Documents on New Zealand History, McIntyre and Gardner (Eds), 1971, Oxford University Press

History of New Zealand | Subdivisions of New Zealand | Constitution of New Zealand | Provinces of New Zealand