Colony of New Zealand
Colony of New Zealand | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1841–1907 | |||||||||||
Anthem: "God Save the Queen/King" | |||||||||||
British colony | |||||||||||
Capital | Okiato (1841) Auckland (1841–1865) Wellington (since 1865) | ||||||||||
Common languages | English, Māori (de facto) | ||||||||||
Demonym(s) | New Zealander | ||||||||||
Government | Crown colony (1841–1852) Self-governing colony (1852–1907) | ||||||||||
British monarch | |||||||||||
• 1841–1901 | Victoria | ||||||||||
• 1901–1907 | Edward VII | ||||||||||
Governor | |||||||||||
• 1841–1842 | William Hobson (first) | ||||||||||
• 1904–1907 | William Plunket (last of colony) | ||||||||||
Premier | |||||||||||
• 1856 | Henry Sewell (first) | ||||||||||
• 1906–1907 | Joseph Ward (last of colony) | ||||||||||
Legislature | General Assembly1 | ||||||||||
• Upper chamber | Legislative Council | ||||||||||
• Lower chamber | House of Representatives | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
• Separation from the Colony of New South Wales | 3 May 1841[1] | ||||||||||
28 August 1846 | |||||||||||
30 June 1852 | |||||||||||
26 September 1907 | |||||||||||
Population | |||||||||||
• 1901 census | 772,719 | ||||||||||
Currency | New Zealand pound | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
1. The General Assembly first sat in 1854, under the provisions of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852. |
The Colony of New Zealand was a colony of the
Created as a Crown colony, during the early years of British settlement the governor had wide-ranging powers. The colony was granted self-government with the passage of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852. The first parliament was elected in 1853, and responsible government was established in 1856. The governor was required to act on the advice of his ministers, who were responsible to the parliament. In 1907, the colony became the Dominion of New Zealand, which heralded a more explicit recognition of self-government within the British Empire.
History
Establishment
Following a proclamation of sovereignty over New Zealand from Sydney in January 1840, Captain William Hobson came to New Zealand and issued the same proclamation on 1 February 1840.[2]
The
Initially, New Zealand was part of the Colony of New South Wales, and there was a decades-long confusion as to whether this was the case from 1788 onwards when NSW governor Arthur Phillip proclaimed the boundary of the NSW colony as "encompassing all land west to 135 degrees longitude and 'including all the islands adjacent in the Pacific Ocean'." The situation was formalised when a definition of NSW's boundaries arrived from London on 15 June 1839. This stated that the colony would include "any territory which is or may be acquired in sovereignty by Her Majesty ... within that group of Islands in the Pacific Ocean, commonly called New Zealand."[5] This made Lieutenant-Governor Hobson answerable to his superior, the governor of New South Wales. By letters patent, the British (Imperial) Government issued the Charter for Erecting the Colony of New Zealand on 16 November 1840.[1] The Charter stated that the Colony of New Zealand would be established as a Crown colony separate from New South Wales on 3 May 1841.[1]
Crown colony
With the establishment of the Crown colony, Hobson became governor of New Zealand. The first organs of the New Zealand Government were also established to assist the governor: an Executive Council and a (General) Legislative Council.[6]
The Executive Council consisted of the
The colony was initially divided into three
Self-governance
As new European settlements were founded in the colony, demands for self-government became louder. The New Zealand Company settlement of Port Nicholson (Wellington) had its own elected council, which was forcibly dissolved by Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson in 1840.[8] Later, Wellington became the centre of agitation by settlers for a representative government led by Samuel Revans, who founded the Wellington Settlers' Constitutional Association in 1848.[9]
The first New Zealand Constitution Act was passed in 1846, though Governor George Grey was opposed to provisions that would divide the country into European and Māori districts. As a result, almost all of the Act was suspended for six years pending a new Act of 1852, with the only operative part of the 1846 Act being the creation of New Zealand's first provinces. In the meantime, Grey drafted his own Act which established both provincial and central representative assemblies, and allowed for Māori districts and an elected governor.[10] The latter proposal was rejected by the Parliament of the United Kingdom when it adopted Grey's constitution.
The second
The 1st New Zealand Parliament was opened on 24 May 1854.[13] The Administrator of Government, Robert Wynyard, was quickly confronted by the demands of the new parliament that responsible government be granted to the colony immediately; on 2 June the House of Representatives passed a resolution, sponsored by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, to that effect. Wynyard refused, stating that the Colonial Office made no mention of responsible government in its dispatches. The Executive Council advised Wynyard against implementing responsible government, and in the meantime, he sent a dispatch to London requesting clarification. Wynyard then offered to add some elected members of parliament to the Executive Council, and appointed James FitzGerald, Henry Sewell and Frederick Weld to the council. The compromise worked for a few weeks but on 1 August parliament demanded complete power to appoint ministers. Wynyard refused, and all three MPs resigned from the council. In response, Wynyard prorogued parliament for two weeks. On 31 August, he appointed Thomas Forsaith, Jerningham Wakefield and James Macandrew to the Executive Council, but when parliament met again, it moved a motion of no confidence in the members.[citation needed]
Parliament met on 8 August 1855, by which time Wynyard had received instructions from the Colonial Office to introduce responsible government. The new governor, Sir Thomas Gore Browne, arrived on 6 September 1855 and relieved Wynyard of his duties.[14] On 28 January 1858, Wynyard was appointed to the Legislative Council.[15]
Governor Thomas Gore Browne subsequently announced that self-government would begin with the
Elevation to Dominion
The Colony of New Zealand continued until 26 September 1907, when, as a result of a decision by the
A
- It read – "Edward R. & I. Whereas We have on the Petition of the Members of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of Our Colony of New Zealand determined that the title of Dominion of New Zealand shall be substituted for that of the Colony of New Zealand as the designation of the said Colony, We have therefore by and with the advice of Our Privy Council thought fit to issue this Our Royal Proclamation and We do ordain, declare and command that on and after the twenty-sixth day of September, one thousand nine hundred and seven, the said Colony of New Zealand and the territory belonging thereto shall be called and known by the title of the Dominion of New Zealand. And We hereby give Our Commands to all Public Departments accordingly. Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace, this ninth day of September, in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven, and in the seventh year of Our Reign. God save the King."[20]
Demography
Population summary for the census of 1901
Māori were counted separately and not as part of the official census. The total population of the Colony of New Zealand was 772,719 people with the number of "full-blooded" Māori being counted at 43,143 people. The number of "half-castes" living as members of Māori tribes, and others living with and counted as Europeans in the census were counted at 5,540 people.
Persons | Males | Females | |
---|---|---|---|
In counties | 417,596 | 231,426 | 186,170 |
In boroughs | 350,902 | 170,450 | 179,752 |
On adjacent islands | 943 | 589 | 354 |
Chatham Islands | 207 | 112 | 95 |
Kermadec Islands | 8 | 5 | 3 |
On shipboard | 3,763 | 3,410 | 353 |
Total for colony | 772,719 |
Māori population
Persons | Males | Females | |
---|---|---|---|
North Island | 40,715 | 21,919 | 13,790 |
Middle Island (South Island) | 1,009 | 1,022 | 887 |
Stewart Islands | 112 | 66 | 46 |
Chatham Islands | |||
Māori | 180 | 90 | 90 |
Moriori | 31 | 15 | 16 |
Māori wives living with European husbands | 196 | 196 | |
Totals | 43,143 | 23,112 | 20,031 |
Persons | Male | Female | |
---|---|---|---|
North Island | 2,517 | 1,379 | 1,138 |
Middle Island (South Island) | 551 | 288 | 263 |
Stewart Islands | 13 | 5 | 8 |
Chatham Islands | |||
Māori | 34 | 14 | 20 |
Moriori | 18 | 8 | 10 |
Totals | 3,133 | 1,694 | 1,439 |
Half-castes living as members of Māori tribes | Half-castes living as Europeans | Total half-caste population | |
---|---|---|---|
1891 | 2,681 | 2,184 | 4,865 |
1896 | 3,503 | 2,259 | 5,762 |
1901 | 3,133 | 2,407 | 5,540 |
Population of principal divisions of New Zealand
Persons | Percentage | |
---|---|---|
North Island and adjacent islands | 390,571 | |
South Island and adjacent islands | 381,661 | |
Stewart Island | 272 | |
Chatham Islands | 207 | |
Kermadec Islands | 8 | |
Totals for colony | 772,719 | 100.0% |
1901 population by provincial district
District / Settlement | Males | Females | Total | Percent |
---|---|---|---|---|
Auckland | 92,944 | 82,994 | 175,938 | 22.77% |
Taranaki | 20,569 | 17,286 | 37,855 | 4.9% |
Hawke's Bay | 18,859 | 16,565 | 35,424 | 4.6% |
Wellington | 74,234 | 67,120 | 141,334 | 18.29% |
Marlborough | 7,151 | 6,175 | 13,326 | 1.72% |
Nelson | 20,607 | 17,308 | 37,915 | 4.91% |
Westland | 8,106 | 6,400 | 14,506 | 1.88% |
Canterbury | 72,871 | 70,170 | 143,041 | 18.51% |
Otago | 90,534 | 82,611 | 173,145 | 22.41% |
Chatham Islands | 112 | 95 | 207 | 0.03% |
Kermadec Islands | 5 | 3 | 8 | 0.001% |
Colony of New Zealand | 405,992 | 366,727 | 772,719 | 100.0% |
Source: 1901 New Zealand Census[21] |
Religion in 1901
Religion | Total | Percent |
---|---|---|
Christianity | 748,490 | 96.97% |
Church of England and Protestants (not defined) | 315,263 | 40.84% |
Presbyterians | 176,503 | 22.87% |
Methodists | 83,802 | 10.86% |
Baptists | 16,035 | 2.08% |
Congregationalists
|
6,699 | 0.87% |
Lutherans | 4,833 | 0.63% |
Salvation Army | 7,999 | 1.04% |
Society of Friends
|
313 | 0.04% |
Unitarians | 468 | 0.06% |
Other Protestants | 16,877 | 2.19% |
Roman Catholics and Catholics (undefined) | 109,822 | 14.23% |
Greek Church
|
189 | 0.02% |
Other denominations | 1,347 | 0.17% |
No denomination | 8,240 | 1.07% |
Hebrews (Jews) | 1,611 | 0.21% |
Buddhists, Confucians | 2,432 | 0.30% |
No religion | 1,109 | 0.14% |
Uspecified | 882 | Nil |
Object to state | 18,295 | 2.38% |
Colony of New Zealand | 772,719 | 100.0% |
Flags
The first flag used by the Colony of New Zealand was the British
In 1869,
See also
- History of New Zealand
- List of governors of New Zealand
References
Citations
- ^ a b c Moon 2010, p. 66.
- ISBN 978-0-473-31284-8.[page needed]
- ^ "Differences between the texts – Read the Treaty". NZ History. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
- ^ Orange, Claudia (20 June 2012). "Treaty of Waitangi – Interpretations of the Treaty of Waitangi". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- ^ "New Zealand becomes a separate colony". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Crown colony era – the Governor-General". 30 August 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ "NO. 21. – Charter for erecting the Colony of New Zealand, and for creating and establishing a Legislative Council and an Executive Council, and for granting certain powers and authorities to the governor for the time being of the said colony". Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ Simpson, K. A. "Hobson, William". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- ^ Coleridge, Kathleen A. "Samuel Revans". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ "Constitution Act 1852 – English Version". 30 June 1852. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ Wilson, John (March 2009). "Government and nation [See Pages 2 and 3]". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
- ^ "165th anniversary of New Zealand's first General Election". www.parliament.nz. New Zealand Parliament. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ Gavin McLean (2006), The Governors, Otago University Press, p. 50
- ^ Rogers, Frank. "Wynyard, Robert Henry". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
- ^ Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 88.
- ^ McIntyre, W. David. "Sewell, Henry". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ McIntyre, W. David. "FitzGerald, James Edward". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 31.
- ^ "Constitution Act 1986". New Zealand Legal Information Institute. 1986. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- WikiSource
- ^ "Report on the Results of a Census of the Colony of New Zealand Taken for the Night of the 31st March, 1901". www3.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ Volker Preuß. "Flagge Neuseeland" (in German). Retrieved 7 September 2003.
- ^ "Rear-Admiral Sir Albert Hastings Markham, Norfolk Museums and Archeology Service". Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ^ "New Zealand Signalling Ensign" (in Italian). rbvex.it. Retrieved 20 August 2004.
Bibliography
- Brett, André (June 2016). Acknowledge No Frontier – The Creation and Demise of New Zealand's Provinces, 1853–76. Dunedin: ISBN 978-1-927322-36-9.
- ISBN 9780958299718.
- Peter Spiller et al. (2001, 2nd ed.) A New Zealand Legal History (Brookers: Wellington).