Ellesmere County

Ellesmere County was one of the counties of New Zealand in the South Island. It was formed in 1911, after Selwyn County had been sub-divided into 9 smaller counties,^[1] and covered the same area as the county's Ellesmere Road Board (formed in 1864 as South Rakaia Road Board).^[2] The county was made up of three ridings (Irwell, Leeston and Southbridge), with 2 councillors each.^[3] Southbridge Town Board (formed in 1885) and Leeston Town Board (1922) merged with Ellesmere County in 1959. Springs County and the Rakaia riding of Selwyn County were added in 1963.^[2] In the 1989 local government reforms, Ellesmere, Malvern and part of Paparua Counties merged to form Selwyn District.^[1]

Ellesmere County
County of New Zealand
1911–1989
Ellesmere County offices and war memorial in 1927
Capital	Leeston
History
• Established	1911
• Disestablished	1989
Today part of	Selwyn District

Ellesmere was named after Lord Ellesmere, one of the members of the Canterbury Association.^[4]

The northern boundary of Ellesmere County was the Selwyn / Waikirikiri River from its mouth in Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora to the Main South Line, which was the western to the Rakaia.^[5]

A South Rakaia Road Board office, built at Leeston by 1865,^[6] was replaced by an Ellesmere County office opened on 24 November 1927 in Italianate style,^[7] which was demolished in1969^[8] to make way for a new office, opened on 30 October 1969.^[9] Selwyn District used the offices until their move to new offices in Rolleston,^[2] after which the building was occupied by Leeston Library until March 2025.^[10]

See also

• List of former territorial authorities in New Zealand § Counties