| Auckland Province | |
| Native Name: | Porowini o Tamaki Makaurau |
| Native Name Lang: | mi |
| Settlement Type: | Provinces of New Zealand |
| Total Type: | Province |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | New Zealand |
| Subdivision Type1: | Island |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Island |
| Seat: | Auckland |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1853 |
| Extinct Title: | Abolished |
| Extinct Date: | 1876 |
| Named For: | Baron Auckland |
-35.9°N 194°WThe Auckland Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.
The province covered roughly half of the North Island of New Zealand. It was the largest of the six initial provinces, both by area and population. The southern boundary was mostly along the 39th latitude, which was an arbitrary line, as the country's interior was little known by Europeans.[1] It was not subdivided during its existence; the Taranaki Province (originally named New Plymouth Province)[2] was the only other that remained unchanged during its existence.
The six original provinces were established in 1853. At that time, about 30,000 Europeans were living in New Zealand, a third of them in the Auckland Province. An estimated 70% of the Māori population was within the Auckland Province. Although the population of Otago Province (triggered by the Otago gold rush) and then also the Canterbury Province surpassed Auckland's, the northernmost area of the country became most populous again by 1901.
The provincial system was abolished in 1876. Auckland Province was from then used as an administrative district by the Department of Lands and Survey, but the area was later subdivided into the North Auckland, South Auckland, and Gisborne land districts. The 39th latitude was subsequently replaced by boundaries that took landforms into account, and as a consequence, parts of the former Auckland Province are now in the Wellington and Hawke's Bay land districts, and part of the former Wellington Province is in the South Auckland Land District.
New Zealand law provides a public holiday for each province's anniversary day. Auckland Anniversary Day generally occurs in late January, on the Monday closest to 29 January, and is still observed throughout the historic province.
Auckland Provincial Council was the elected body of Auckland Province. From its second session onwards, the council used the General Assembly House for its meetings. It shared the use of this building with the New Zealand Parliament from 1854 until 1864 during the time that Auckland was the capital of New Zealand. From 1858, the province owned the building, but continued to make it available to parliament.
The Auckland Province had nine Superintendents:[3]
| No. | from | to | Superintendent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 July 1853 | 5 January 1855 | Robert Wynyard | |
| 2 | 15 March 1855 | Nov 1855 | William Brown | |
| 3 | 15 November 1855 | 17 September 1856 | John Logan Campbell | |
| 4 | 11 November 1856 | Dec 1862 | John Williamson | |
| 5 | 11 December 1862 | 22 September 1865 | Robert Graham | |
| 6 | 25 October 1865 | 2 March 1867 | Frederick Whitaker | |
| (4) | 18 April 1867 | Dec 1869 | John Williamson (2nd time) | |
| 7 | 2 December 1869 | Nov 1873 | Thomas Gillies | |
| (4) | 20 November 1873 | 16 February 1875 | John Williamson (3rd time) | |
| 8 | Feb 1875 | Mar 1875 | Maurice O'Rorke | |
| 9 | 24 March 1875 | 1 January 1877 | George Grey |
The Provincial Council had three Speakers:
| No. | from | to | Speaker | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1853 | 1857 | Thomas Bartley | |
| 2 | 1857 | 1865 | William Powditch | |
| 3 | 1865 | 1876 | Maurice O'Rorke |
In 1853 the province had 6 electorates, with 24 members:[4]
For its last session of 1873–76, it had 43 members:[5]