Waimea County

Waimea County
County of New Zealand
1 November 1876 – 31 October 1989
CapitalRichmond
Area 
• 1896
4,304 km2 (1,662 sq mi)
• 1976
7,511 km2 (2,900 sq mi)
Population 
• 1896
8,591
• 1976
16,651
• 1986
18,471
History 
• Established
1 November 1876 
• Disestablished
 31 October 1989
Today part ofTasman District

Waimea County was one of the counties of New Zealand, covering a large but lightly populated region at the top of the South Island. The county existed from 1876 to 1989.

Waimea County in 1928

During the period 1853 to 1876, the area that would become Waimea County was administered as part of Nelson Province. With the Abolition of Provinces Act 1876, Waimea County was created, taking over administration of its area in January 1877. The county council's administrative headquarters was located in Richmond.

Neighbouring territorial authorities in 1928 were (anti-clockwise from north) Takaka County (previously part of Collingwood County and later Golden Bay County), Buller County, Murchison County, Amuri County, Marlborough County, and Sounds County. Neighbouring territorial authorities that were enclosed were Motueka Borough, Richmond Borough, and Nelson City. Stoke, these days a suburb of Nelson, was part of Waimea County and physically separated Richmond and Nelson.

Geographic extent

The area encompassed by the county was set forth in First Schedule of the Counties Act 1876.[1] Roughly, this consisted of the catchment areas of the Motueka, Waimea and Hope rivers, as well as the mountain ranges surrounding Nelson city and the coastline to the northeast. Section 31 of the Municipal Coroporations Act (1876) [2] explicitly excluded boroughs and cities from their surrounding counties. As a result, Nelson was never part of the county.

The county boundaries underwent several modifications. Richmond was awarded borough status on 1 July 1891[3] and so left the county. Similarly, Motueka left the county when awarded borough status on 6 December 1899.[4][5][6]

In 1958, Stoke, Enner Glynn, Wakatu, Annesbrook, and Monaco were taken from Waimea County and amalgamated with Nelson City. Waimea County lost Atawhai to Nelson City in April 1968.[7]

The biggest geographical change to the county occurred on 1 April 1965, when Waimea county merged with neighbouring Murchison County.[8] Technically, this merger abolished both counties, and created a new Waimea County covering both regions.

Governance

The county was governed by the Waimea County Council. A 1954 map[9] shows the council offices located in the Smythe Building on Trafalgar Street in central Nelson. The council moved to a new building on Queen Street in Richmond in March 1966.[10]

The large rural county was divided into a number of Ridings, each with their own representation on the council. The order for the Waimea/Murchison merger[8] in 1965 specified the ten ridings: Wangapeka, Whangamoa, Waimea East, Appleby, Wai-iti, Central, Moutere, Motueka, Murchison North and Murchison South. Each was represented by one member of the council.

Abolition

Waimea County existed until the 1989 local government reforms took effect on 1 November 1989. The Whangamoa Riding, covering the area east and northeast of Nelson, was incorporated into a much-expanded Nelson city. The remainder of the county was amalgamated with Golden Bay County, Motueka Borough and Richmond Borough to form the Tasman District. The regional council function was given to the shortlived Nelson-Marlborough Regional Council.[7][11]

Demographics

Population and area of Waimea County
Census YearPopulationAreaNotes
1891[12] 8,942
1896[13] 8,5911,662 square miles (4,300 km2)excludes Borough of Richmond
1901[14] 7,8331,662 square miles (4,300 km2)excludes Borough of Motueka
1931[15] 9,150
1956[16] 17,0321,537 square miles (3,980 km2)
1961[17] 14,1031,533 square miles (3,970 km2)excludes Stoke and environs
1966[18] 16,8882,905 square miles (7,520 km2)merged with Murchison County
1976[19] 16,6517,511 square kilometres (2,900 sq mi)
1981[20] 16,878
1986[20] 18,471

References

  1. ↑ "Counties Act 1876 (First Schedule)". 31 October 1876. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  2. ↑ "Municipal Corporations Act 1876". 31 October 1876. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  3. ↑ Uchter_Knox,_5th_Earl_of_Ranfurly (18 June 1891). "Proclaiming Borough of Richmond, County of Waimea, under "The Municipal Corporations Act, 1886."" (PDF). The New Zealand Gazette. 1891 (46): 704.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ William Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow (7 December 1899). "A Proclamation" (PDF). The New Zealand Gazette: 2217.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ "Motueka town council". The Colonist. Vol. XLIII, no. 9689. 19 January 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  6. ↑ Davis, Brian Newton; Dollimore, Edward Stewart (1966). McLintock, Alexander Hare (ed.). Motueka. An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Nelson City Council – the origins". The Prow. November 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  8. 1 2 Bernard Fergusson, Governor-General (1 April 1965). "Counties of Waimea and Murchison Abolished and County of Waimea Constituted" (PDF). New Zealand Gazette. 1965 (17): 437–438. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  9. ↑ Map of Nelson and Environs (NZMS 17 Nelson) (1st ed.). Department of Lands and Survey. August 1954. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "New County Offices Opened". Nelson Photo News. 2 April 1966. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Walrond, Carl (3 August 2015). "Nelson region – Government". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  12. ↑ "Results of a Census of the Colony of New Zealand". 1988. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1897". 1897. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1902". 1902. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1931". 1931. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1957". 1957. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1962". 1967. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1967". 1967. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1977". 1977. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  20. 1 2 "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1987–88".

41°20′S 173°11′E / 41.333°S 173.183°E / -41.333; 173.183

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