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Story: Capital city

Government House, Auckland

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Government House, Auckland

New Zealand was a lightly populated colony in the 1840s. Images of the era frequently show rural scenes and sailing ships, even when the subject is Government House in Auckland, the seat of the colonial government.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: E-216-f-015

by Edward Ashworth

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

Stephen Levine, Capital city – The first two capitals, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/34160/government-house-auckland (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Stephen Levine, published 5 June 2012, updated 1 August 2016.