Kōrero: Local and regional government

The Counties Act 1876 replaced the provinces with counties based on the boundaries of the earlier roads boards. This 1881 map shows the North Island county boundaries at that date. The names in large type are those of the provinces abolished in 1876 – as provincial districts they continued to be important for some administrative purposes. With expanding settlement, the number of North Island counties approximately doubled, to 76, by 1921.