✨ Provincial boundary dispute memorandum
NEW ZEALAND
GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.
PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY.
Published by Authority.
All Public Notifications which appear in this Gazette, with any Official signature, are to be considered as Official Communications made to those persons to whom they may relate, and are to be obeyed accordingly.
By His Honor's command,
RICHARD PACKER,
Provincial Secretary.
VOL. IV.] SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1857. [No. XXVI.
Provincial Secretary's Office,
Christchurch, Sept. 19, 1857.
HIS Honor the Superintendent of Canterbury directs the following memorandum to be published for public information :
A difference of opinion has arisen between the Provincial Governments of Canterbury and Otago as to the boundary line between the two Provinces. Sir George Grey fixed this boundary by a Proclamation dated the 28th day of February, 1853, in the following words:
"The Province of Canterbury shall be bounded on the south by the river Waitangi to its source, thence by a right line running to the source of the river Awarua, thence to the river Awarua to its mouth "
"The Province of Otago shall be bounded on the north by the southern boundary of the Province of Canterbury, as already described in this Proclamation."
The river Waitangi having several branches, all bearing different native names, and the direction of the upper waters being unknown, an ambiguity in the meaning of the Proclamation would have existed had it not been accompanied by a map, annexed to, and made a part of it. This map marks out the branch running nearly east and west, and the head waters of which are nearest to the head waters of the Awarua river, as the branch intended in the Proclamation, the boundary between the Provinces mostly running in nearly a direct line across the island from east to west.
The Superintendent of the Province of Otago, neglecting the map attached to the Proclamation, claims as a part of the Province of Otago all the land south of the north branch of the Waitangi; by which claim the boundary line would appear on the map as running first westerly, then for at least 70 miles northerly, an equal distance southerly to the Awarua river.
The Superintendent of Canterbury has applied to the General Government, and has been assured that the matter will be made the subject of legislation at the approaching Session of the General Assembly.
In the mean time, notice is given, that all persons, not holding licenses from the Waste Lands' Board of the Province of Canterbury, occupying land lying north of the west branch of
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Canterbury Provincial Gazette 1857, No 26
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🏘️ Memorandum regarding the boundary dispute between the Provinces of Canterbury and Otago
🏘️ Provincial & Local Government19 September 1857
Boundary dispute, Canterbury, Otago, Waitangi River, Awarua River, Sir George Grey, Provincial Government
- George Grey (Sir), Fixed boundary by Proclamation
- Richard Packer, Provincial Secretary
- Superintendent of Canterbury
- Superintendent of the Province of Otago