Province of New Zealand (1859?1876)
Provinces of New Zealand in South Island
The
Marlborough Province
operated as a
province of New Zealand
from 1 November 1859, when it split away from
Nelson Province
, until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.
[1]
History
[
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]
Marlborough split away from the
Nelson Province
because the majority of the income of the Provincial Council came from land sales in the Marlborough region, but the funds were mostly used in the Nelson region. Land sales in Nelson and Marlborough netted the Nelson Provincial Council £33,000 and £160,000, respectively. Of that, £200 were expended benefiting the Marlborough region. Marlborough settlers successfully petitioned for a split from Nelson.
[2]
Another reason was that large landholders feared the growing influence of smaller farmers and urban residents. By splitting the Marlborough Province off with its large farms, it was easier for these landholders to control the provincial council.
[3]
When the province was formed, Sir
Thomas Gore Browne
, the Governor of New Zealand, named it after
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
. The settlement of
Blenheim
was subsequently named after the
Battle of Blenheim
(1704), where troops led by the Duke defeated a combined French and
Bavarian
force at the village of Blenheim (
Blindheim
) in Germany.
[4]
Area
[
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]
View from above looking north from
Blenheim
The Marlborough Province was notable for its intense personal rivalries among its politicians. This led to a farcical change of capital from at first
Blenheim
, then
Picton
from 1861, and back again to Blenheim from July 1865.
[5]
In a symbolic way, government buildings in both Blenheim and Picton burned down some months after the abolition of the provincial system.
[5]
Marlborough was not systematically settled like other regions, but capital-rich settlers from the Nelson area spilled over who wanted to invest in large land holdings.
Frederick Weld
was the first in 1847 to land sheep at
Port Underwood
, a sheltered harbour which forms the north-east extension of
Cloudy Bay
in the
Marlborough Sounds
. Because of its early start in sheep farming, other
South Island
areas were stocked from here.
[6]
Anniversary Day
[
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]
New Zealand law provides an
anniversary day
for each former province. Marlborough celebrates its founding on a Monday near 1 November each year.
Superintendents
[
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]
The Marlborough Province had five
Superintendents
:
[7]
Legislation
[
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]
References
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]
External links
[
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]
- Map
of provincial boundaries
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1841?1846
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1846?1853
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1853?1876
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41°30′50″S
173°57′36″E
/
41.514°S 173.960°E
/
-41.514; 173.960