The Hawke's Bay Province was a province of New Zealand. The province separated from the

Wellington Province Wellington Province, governed by the Wellington Provincial Council, was one of the provinces of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. It covered much of the southern half of the North Island until November 18 ...

following a meeting in Napier in February 1858, and existed until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. At the time of its establishment in 1858, the European population of the provincial district was only 1,185.

History

One of the earliest European settlers in the area was

William Colenso William Colenso (17 November 1811 – 10 February 1899) FRS was a Cornish Christian missionary to New Zealand, and also a printer, botanist, explorer and politician. He attended the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and later wrote an accou ...

, and had his mission station at Port Ahuriri, the port of Napier. At a meeting in Napier in February 1858, the decision was made to split Hawke's Bay from the Wellington Province, which took effect in November of that year. The province had its own elected Superintendent and provincial council. The provincial council sat at Napier. In 1863, the province was described in ''

The Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication in ...

'' as "one of the principal grazing districts in the colony; it possesses abundance of fine agricultural land, and has a climate proverbially mild and healthy." The article goes on to estimate the population at 3,600 Maori and 2,600 settlers. The system of provincial government was abolished in 1876.

Area

The Crown initially bought two blocks of land: at

Waipukurau Waipukurau is the largest town in the Central Hawke's Bay District on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the banks of the Tukituki River, 7 kilometres south of Waipawa and 50 kilometres southwest of Hastings. H ...

, and at Ahuriri. By 1856, 30 sheep stations existed in Hawke's Bay, located mainly on those two blocks of land. Donald McLean organised further land purchases. The capital of the province was Napier.

Anniversary day

New Zealand law provides an anniversary day for each province. Hawke's Bay Province was founded on 1 November 1858.

Superintendents

The Hawke's Bay Province had four Superintendents:

Legislation

There is no surviving legislation from the Hawke's Bay Provincial Council.

References

External links

Page containing a map
of the old provincial boundaries
Hawke's Bay
(Te Ara)
The Seal of Hawke's Bay
{{Authority control Provinces of New Zealand States and territories established in 1858 1876 disestablishments in New Zealand 1858 establishments in New Zealand