Story: Colonial and provincial government

North Island counties, 1881 (1st of 2)

The Counties Act 1876 replaced the provinces, in respect of rural areas, with counties. They were intended to build roads and bridges, but in many instances already established roads boards continued to do that work and were constituted as counties. With expanding settlement the 32 North Island counties in 1876 had become 76 counties by 1921.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: MapColl -830fb 1881 29305

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Malcolm McKinnon, 'Colonial and provincial government - Julius Vogel and the abolition of provincial government', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/35491/north-island-counties-1881 (accessed 1 October 2023)

Story by Malcolm McKinnon, published 20 Jun 2012