Auckland Provincial Gazette
Also known as Auckland Provincial Government Gazette
Historical Background
Auckland Province was one of the six original provinces established under the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, proclaimed into force on 17 January 1853. It succeeded the earlier colonial entity of New Ulster, which had covered much of the North Island under the short-lived 1846 constitutional arrangement.
The province covered roughly the northern half of the North Island, with its southern boundary running mostly along the 39th parallel — an arbitrary line drawn at a time when the interior was little known to European settlers. It was the largest of the original six provinces both in area and population: around a third of New Zealand's European population lived there in 1853, along with an estimated 70% of the Māori population. Auckland was not subdivided during its existence, making it one of only two provinces (along with Taranaki) to retain its original boundaries throughout the provincial era.
Although the Otago gold rush and Canterbury's growth saw those provinces temporarily surpass Auckland in population, Auckland had regained its position as the most populous part of the country by 1901.
The Auckland Provincial Council met in the General Assembly House from its second session onwards, sharing the building with the New Zealand Parliament during the years 1854–1864 when Auckland served as the colony's capital.
Provincial government was abolished under the Abolition of Provinces Act, which took full effect on 1 November 1876.
Missing Issues
| Year | Issue No | Notes | Page numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1859 | 19 | September / missing from Te Matapihi volume |
Issue Number notes
1858 No 17 has been misprinted as No 16.
Map of provincial boundaries, 1873
Further reading
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Province
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_New_Zealand
https://teara.govt.nz/en/colonial-and-provincial-government/page-2
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After Parliament moved to Wellington in 1865, the Auckland Provincial Council sat in General Assembly House (depicted). It was nicknamed the 'Shedifice' as it was large and drafty, with a leaking roof. First premier Henry Sewell described it as 'a great wooden barnshaped affair, which might serve for a Hospital, a Jail, or a Barrack'.
Auckland Provincial Gazette Statistics
24
Years Covered
968
Issues Processed
8,690
Pages Transcribed
158,321
Names Identified
59,271
Unique Names
16,172
Named Officials
2,182
Unique Officials
