The Westland Province was a province of New Zealand from 1873 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. The capital was

Hokitika Hokitika is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island, south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River. It is the seat and largest town in the Westland District. The town's estimated population is as of ...

Area and history

The area was part of Canterbury Province when the provinces were created in 1853. By 1868, triggered by the population growth associated with the West Coast Gold Rush, the West Coast region was separated from Canterbury Province with the formation of the County of Westland. The boundary to Canterbury was defined as the crest of the

Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The name "Southern ...

. This county was not a true province, as it had all the administrative powers of a provincial council, but saw the legislative powers remain with

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...

. Members of Parliament were not happy with having to spend their time on local legislation, and in 1873 the government elevated the county to full provincial status – the last of the 10 New Zealand provinces to be established. The province covered an area roughly the same as the present day

Westland District Westland District is a territorial authority district on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is administered by the Westland District Council. The district's population is History Westland was originally a part of Canterbury P ...

, on the West Coast of New Zealand. The boundary with the

Nelson Province Nelson Province was constituted in 1853 under the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, and originally covered the entire upper South Island, including all of present-day Buller, Kaikoura, Marlborough, and Tasman districts, along with Nelson ...

was, as per

George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, ...

's proclamation from February 1853, the

Grey Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be compos ...

and

Arnold Arnold may refer to: People * Arnold (given name), a masculine given name * Arnold (surname), a German and English surname Places Australia * Arnold, Victoria, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria Canada * Arnold, Nova Scotia U ...

Rivers, Lake Brunner, and from there to the headwaters of the

Hurunui River The Hurunui River is the fourth largest of the four principal rivers in north Canterbury, New Zealand, with a catchment area of . The river flows from the eastern side of the Southern Alps, to the Pacific Ocean. Geography The head of the Hurun ...

through then virtually unknown territory. When John Hall resigned as Westland county chairman the government appointed James Bonar. Bonar was chairman during the period of the

Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicate ...

riots and is credited with "great tact in handling that explosive situation". In March 1868 he swore in 640 special constables to suppress an Irish nationalist procession in

. Bonar was replaced by

Conrad Hoos Conrad may refer to: People * Conrad (name) Places United States * Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Conrad, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Conrad, Iowa, a city * Conrad, Montana, a city * Conrad Glacier, Washington ...

, but later—when on 1 December 1873 Westland split from Canterbury Province—Bonar resumed, but as the provincial superintendent.

Anniversary Day

New Zealand law still provides for a

provincial anniversary day Public holidays in New Zealand (also known as statutory holidays) consist of a variety of cultural, national, and religious holidays that are legislated in New Zealand. Workers can get a maximum of 12 public holidays (eleven national holidays plu ...

Superintendents and officials

The Westland Province had one Superintendent: In 1874 John Lazar, former Hokitika Town Clerk and Country Treasurer, was appointed Provincial Treasurer.

Legislation

No legislation passed by the Westland Provincial Council has survived to the present time.

References

External links

Map of the old provincial boundaries

The Seal of Westland
{{coord, 42, 42, 56, S, 170, 58, 5, E, region:NZ, display=title Provinces of New Zealand States and territories established in 1873 1876 disestablishments in New Zealand 1873 establishments in New Zealand