100 YEARS A COLONY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 45, 16 November 1940, Page 10

100 YEARS A COLONY

New Zealand’s Separation From New South Wales ANNIVERSARY TODAY One hundred years ago, on November .16, 1840, a Royal Charter was signed in London creating New Zealand a colony in its own right, separate from New South Wales. A few days later, on November 2-1, letters patent were issued appointing Captain William Hobson first Governor of the new colony. Hobson was already New Zealand’s first and only LieutenantGovernor.

New Zealand's partnership witli New South Wales had been natural enough to begin with. Much of the trading and whaling activities of white men round the New Zealand coasts before 1840 had been based on the Australian settlements at Hobart and Sydney. Australia was the nearest British possession, and the obvious source of protection to the new colonists. On the other hand the interests of the Australian merchants were by no means identical with those of the New Zealand colonists. Dependency on New South Wales could be only temporary. Severance from New South Wales was desirable because of the relations of Hobson with his superior officer, Governor Gipps of New South Wales. Governor Gipps took his duty as overlord of New Zealand sufficiently seriously to rap Hobson over the knuckles more than ouce. He acted, no doubt, with the best of motives, but inevitably he could hardly judge New Zealand affairs with the same eyes as the man on the spot. In 1840 mails took at least three months to travel from England to New Zealand, so Hobson did not receive notification of the change of New Zealand’s status—and incidentally, his own—until 1841. On May 3 Hobson proclaimed New Zealand a separate colony and assumed office as Governor. At the same time he appointed executive and legislative councils. The former consisted of the Governor and his three senior officials. The latter consisted of the executive council with the addition of the three senior justices of the peace, but it had an entirely advisory capacity. In actual practice neither of these bodies had any more power than the Governor chose to allow them. No doubt, however, their deliberations aided him in deciding policy. Hobson’s health was already failing, but he struggled manfully with the financial difficulties that Inevitably attend a new colony. New Zealand owes him gratitude for the Treaty of Waitangi and’ for the foundation of Auckland.

New South Wales was always ready to come to Now Zealand’s aid with troops, and Australia was for manyyears New Zealand’s principal overseas customer. So, though New Zealand’s individual destiny demanded independence, political separation did not sever the bonds of mutual interest that united and still unites her with Australia.