Otago (province)

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Otago Province 1853–1861 and 1870–1876
Otago Province 1861-1870

The province of Otago was one of six provinces that were established in 1853 on the basis of the second New Zealand Constitution Act as an independent administrative unit in the former British colony of New Zealand .

geography

The Otago Province was the southernmost province of New Zealand and was located in the southern third of the South Island of New Zealand. The northern border of the province was defined by the two rivers Awarua River in the west and Waitangi River in the east, the latter now known as the Waitaki River , and a straight line was drawn between the two sources of the rivers as the boundary. The western, eastern and southern borders formed the respective coastline, including the offshore islands, with the exception of Stewart Island on the south coast and the islands further south.

history

On June 30, 1852 in the British Parliament the law " Act to grant a Representative Constitution to the Colony of New Zealand " passed that in New Zealand under New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 is known. The law regulates the administrative redistribution of the New Zealand colony into six provinces. The boundaries of the districts should be determined by proclamation by the governor of New Zealand. The law also stipulated that each province should have a provincial council with at least nine members and a superintendent (head, head).

The then governor George Edward Gray proclaimed the legal changes on January 17, 1853 and with the public announcement of February 28, 1853 the provinces of Auckland , New Plymouth and Wellington in the North Island and Nelson , Canterbury and Otago in the South Island, with the dated Governor proclaimed limits legal force. On March 5, 1853, the first elections to the Provincial Council were held and repeated every four years from then on. The co-founder of the city of Dunedin , William Cargill, was appointed the first superintendent of the province of Otago . He held the position until 1859.

The northern border of the province of Otago has long been a matter of dispute between Otago and Canterbury , as the upper course of the Waitangi River ( Waitaki River ) was unknown at the time of the proclamation by Governor Gray . After three years of negotiations, the border was finally determined along the Ohau River to Lake Ohau and from there to Mount Aspiring .

In 1861, separatist settlers in southern Otago tried successfully to break away from Otago . So on March 25, 1861 Southland was separated from the province of Otago by Order in Council (statutory ordinance) and independent, but reintegrated in 1870.

On October 12, 1875, the British Parliament passed the Abolition of Provinces Act to end the administration of New Zealand over provinces. On November 1, 1876, the law became law. The provincial system was replaced by an administrative system based on boroughs and counties .

See also

literature

  • Otago Province and Provincial District . In: Alexander Hare McLintock (Ed.): An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . Wellington 1966 ( online [accessed August 15, 2016]).
  • New Zealand's Nine Provinces (1853-76) . In: Friends of the Hocken Collection (Ed.): Welcome to the Hocken (Bulletin) . Bulletin number 31 . Dunedin March 2000 (English, online PDF 22 kB [accessed August 15, 2016]).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ WA Taylor : Lore and History of the South Island Maori . Bascands Ltd , Christchurch 1952, p.  179 (English, online [accessed August 15, 2016]).
  2. ^ Proclamation of Boundaries of Provinces . In: Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle . Issue 583 . Nelson May 7, 1853 ( online [accessed August 15, 2016]).
  3. ^ Boundaries of the Province of Otago . In: Otago Witness . Issue 102 . Dunedin April 30, 1853 ( online [accessed August 15, 2016]).
  4. ^ Robert Stokes : The New Zealand Constitution Act (1852): Together with Correspondence between the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Governor-in-chief of New Zealand in Explanation thereof . Ed .: New Zealand Government . Wellington 1853, An Act to grant a Representative Constitution to the Colony of New Zealand. , S.  179 (English, online [accessed August 15, 2016]).
  5. ↑ Friends of the Hocken Collection (ed.): New Zealand's Nine Provinces (1853-76) . 2000, p.  1 (English).
  6. ↑ Provinces 1848-77 . In: Rulers . B. Schemmel , accessed August 15, 2016 .
  7. ↑ McLintock (Ed.): Canterbury Province and Provincial District . 1966 (English).
  8. ↑ Alison Dench : Essential Dates . A Timeline of New Zealand History . Random House , Auckland 2005, ISBN 1-86941-689-9 , pp.  83 (English).