The Southland Province was a province of New Zealand from March 1861, when it split from

Otago Province The Otago Province was a province of New Zealand until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. The capital of the province was Dunedin. Southland Province split from Otago in 1861, but became part of the province again in 1870. Area a ...

, until 1870, when it rejoined Otago.

History

Following the passage of the

New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 (15 & 16 Vict. c. 72) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that granted self-government to the Colony of New Zealand. It was the second such Act, the previous 1846 Act not having been fully ...

by the British Parliament, New Zealand was divided into six new provinces in 1853, the southern part of the South Island was part of the

. Settlers in

Murihiku Murihiku is a Māori name describing a region of the South Island in New Zealand. Traditionally it was used to describe the portion of the South Island below the Waitaki River, but now is mostly used to describe the province of Southland. The nam ...

, the southernmost part of the South Island purchased from

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

in 1853 by

Walter Mantell Walter Baldock Durrant Mantell (11 March 1820 – 7 September 1895) was a 19th-century New Zealand naturalist, politician, and land purchase commissioner. He was a founder and first secretary of the New Zealand Institute, and a collector of moa ...

, petitioned the government for separation from Otago. Petitioning started in 1857. The central government's

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presb ...

passed the New Provinces Act in 1858, and the Province of Southland was proclaimed in 1861. It was named Southland despite the wishes of many settlers and Māori, who preferred Murihiku. The province started to accumulate debt, whereas Otago prospered due to the

Central Otago Gold Rush The Otago Gold Rush (often called the Central Otago Gold Rush) was a gold rush that occurred during the 1860s in Central Otago, New Zealand. This was the country's biggest gold strike, and led to a rapid influx of foreign miners to the area – ...

. By the late 1860s, most settlers wanted to become part of the Otago Province again, and this was achieved in 1870.

Area

The province was much smaller than the present-day Southland region. The area was bounded by the

Mataura River The Mataura River is in the Southland Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is long. Description The river's headwaters are located in the Eyre Mountains to the south of Lake Wakatipu. From there it flows southeast towards Gore, whe ...

(east), the Waiau River (west), and a line from Eyre Peak to

Lake Manapouri Lake Manapouri is located in the South Island of New Zealand. The lake is situated within the Fiordland National Park and the wider region of Te Wahipounamu South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. Māori History According to Māori legend ...

(north). Stewart Island was purchased by the Crown in 1863 and added to the area. The capital and largest settlement of Southland Province was

Invercargill Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...

Railways

The Southland Province began a number of railway projects. The branch line to

Bluff Bluff or The Bluff may refer to: Places Australia * Bluff, Queensland, Australia, a town * The Bluff, Queensland (Ipswich), a rural locality in the city of Ipswich * The Bluff, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a rural locality * Bluff River (New ...

(which was known as Campbelltown until 1917) opened on 5 February 1867. It was built to international standard gauge of 1,435 mm (4 feet 8.5 inches), wider than the national gauge of 1,067 mm (3 feet 6 inches) gauge. When the central government passed legislation setting a single standard for track gauges, the line was converted to the new gauge in a single day, 18 December 1875. The railway later became part of the

New Zealand Railways Department The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway ...

Anniversary Day

Founded: 1 April 186

New Zealand law provides an anniversary day for each province.

Superintendents

The Southland Province had three Superintendent (politics), Superintendents:

Legislation

1861 Statistically, this year is considered the end of the whale oil industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the petroleum oil industry. Events January–March * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico City. ** The first stea ...

Breaks away from

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the ...

Reunited with Otago

Notes

References

External links

* A page containing a map of the old provincial boundaries is availabl
here
{{Coord, 46, 24, 47, S, 168, 20, 51, E, display=title Southland, New Zealand Provinces of New Zealand States and territories established in 1861 1870 disestablishments in New Zealand 1861 establishments in New Zealand