Counties of New Zealand

A system of counties of New Zealand was instituted after the country dissolved its provinces in 1876, and these counties were similar to other countries' systems, lasting with little change (except mergers and other localised boundary adjustments) until 1989, when they were reorganised into district and city councils within a system of larger regions.

County
Category	County
Location	New Zealand
Created	1 November 1876 (1876-11-01)
Abolished	1 November 1989 (1989-11-01)

History

The Counties Bill of 1876 was initiated to merge 314 road boards into 39 counties. However, as a result of lobbying, the number of counties had grown to 63 by the time the bill was enacted.^[1] Counties were required to adopt the third schedule of the act and establish a permanent council, those that did not went into abeyance.^[2]: 101

The Town Districts Act 1881 was created to allow a way for urban areas to go from county governance to borough. Of the 15 town districts in the Auckland region 12 went on to become boroughs, with 2 being dissolved and only 1 remaining as a town district. In 1908 the Town Boards Act allowed for independent town districts to be established with all but 2 of the Auckland region town districts taking on independent governance.^[3]

The Counties Act 1949 allowed for counties to establish county towns.^[2] A county town could be established in an urban area with a population of at least 200 residents or 60 dwellings at a density of 1 person per acre or 1 dwelling per 3 acres. County town committees could then be formed and these could serve in an advisory role to the county council.^[4]

Counties had chairmen, not mayors as boroughs and cities had; many legislative provisions (such as burial and land subdivision control) were different for the counties.^{[citation needed]} By 1966, there were 112 counties.^[5]

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 local government reforms, 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 six years but then became a "territory" under the Chatham Islands Council.^{[citation needed]}

List of counties

Further information: List of former territorial authorities in New Zealand § Counties

North Island map

North Island counties in 1937

1. Mangonui
2. Whangaroa
3. Bay of Islands
4. Hokianga
5. Hobson
6. Whangarei
7. Otamatea
8. Rodney
9. Waitemata
10. Eden
11. Auckland
12. Coromandel
13. Manukau
14. Thames
15. Franklin
16. Hauraki Plains
17. Raglan
18. Waikato
19. Ohinemuri
20. Piako
21. Tauranga
22. Matakaoa
23. Waipa
24. Opotiki
25. Matamata
26. Waiapu
27. Rotorua
28. Kawhia
29. Otorohanga
30. Whakatane
31. Waikohu
32. Uawa
33. Waitomo (Awakino merged into it in 1922)
34. Ohura
35. Taumarunui
36. Taupo
37. Cook
38. Wairoa
39. Taranaki
40. Clifton
41. Whangamomona
42. Inglewood
43. Kaitieke
44. Egmont
45. Stratford
46. Waimarino
47. Hawkes Bay
48. Eltham
49. Waimate West
50. Hawera
51. Patea
52. Wanganui
53. Waitotara
54. Kiwitea
55. Waipawa
56. Patangata
57. Rangitikei
58. Pohangina
59. Waipukurau
60. Oroua
61. Dannevirke
62. Manawatu
63. Woodville
64. Kairanga
65. Weber
66. Pahiatua
67. Horowhenua
68. Eketahuna
69. Akitio
70. Mauriceville
71. Castlepoint
72. Masterton
73. Hutt
74. Makara
75. Wellington
76. Featherston
77. Wairarapa South

South Island counties in 1937

South Island map

1. Collingwood
2. Takaka
3. Waimea
4. Marlborough
5. Buller
6. Awatere
7. Murchison
8. Inangahua
9. Amuri
10. Kaikoura
11. Grey
12. Cheviot
13. Waipara
14. Westland
15. Selwyn
16. Tawera
17. Oxford
18. Ashley
19. Kowai
20. Eyre
21. Rangiora
22. Malvern
23. Paparua
24. Waimairi
25. Christchurch
26. Halswell
27. Heathcote
28. Mt Herbert
29. Ashburton
30. Ellesmere
31. Springs
32. Wairewa
33. Akaroa
34. Mackenzie
35. Geraldine
36. Levels
37. Lake
38. Vincent
39. Waitaki
40. Waimate
41. Maniototo
42. Waihemo
43. Fiord
44. Wallace
45. Southland
46. Tuapeka
47. Taieri, later part of Silverpeaks
48. Waikouaiti, later part of Silverpeaks
49. Peninsula, later part of City of Dunedin
50. Clutha
51. Bruce
52. Stewart Island

• 
  North Island counties in 1981
• 
  South Island counties in 1981