County Council Senior Local Body

Northern Advocate, 6 October 1945, Page 3 (Supplement)

County Council Senior Local Body

ryyHEN, in the year 1876. the nine provincial councils which' previously managed New Zealand affairs were abolished by act of General Assembly, the colony was divided into counties. It was then that the Mangonui County Council, in charge of the wider administration of the Far North, had its birth as a local authority. Prior to that date several road boards, or highways boards as they were paradoxically called in the then “roadless north,” controlled road construction and maintenance, the first being formed in 1863. At its inception Mangonui County included a portion of Whangaroa County, and the first county chairman was Mr R. M. Houston (later elected Member of the House of Representatives for Bay of Islands) who also acted as treasurer and conducted the council's correspondence. Initial revenue was small, consisting mainly of Government road grants.

Main -port of the area. Mangonui. with its deep-water harbour, was also the Far Northern business and administration centre of the day. There a court-house was provided, the first county council chambers erected and a Masonic lodge established. The Mangonui County public hospital was opened near the township in 1907, and was not removed to Kaitaia until 1934. '

In 1918 with Kaitaia assured as the future centre of population and administration, the County Council forsook its old home and settled in the former library building at Kaitaia.

The present Council Chambers were built in 1923, and of recent years have also accommodated officers of the Native. Agricultural, and Transport Departments. The county today covers an area of 934 square miles, and the eight riding representatives also constitute the Awanui Harbour Board. CHAIRMEN AND EXECUTIVES Mr Houston, as first chairman, retained his position until 1881, following which Mr L. M. Lane was in office for two years. Mr Houston again presided over the council from 1883 to 1888, when Mr J. W. Reed took over for one year. In 1889 Mr Piouston commenced his third term, continuing in office until 1904. Mr G. Wilkinson was chairman from that year until 1911, and Mr R. T. Wrathall until 1913. Mr H. C. Powell was chairman for one year, and Mr J. Pearson from 1914 to 1916. The son of the first leader, Mr T. S. Houston, was installed in 1916 and retained office until 1920, when Mr A. H. Long commenced a nine-year term. Messrs W. Vickers and J. N. Berghan each held office for one year, and in 1931 Mr Vickers was returned and retained the position until 1938. In that year Mr C. J. E. Barriball vft\s elected chairman and was only this year displaced by Mr F. Holder. The list of county clerks is small. In 1882 Mr J. Harris was appointed clerk and treasurer to the Mangonui Township Highways Board, which was later absorbed by the County Council. Mr Harris continued as county clerk until 1916. In that year Miss Eva A. Foster (now, as Mrs E. A. Nilsson, the present cleric) was appointed to control the council’s office after having assisted Mr Harris, her uncle, for six

months. Miss. Foster retired in 1920, and Mr Charles McKinnon took over, continuing' until January 1942. when he retired through ill-health. Recalled to the council office. Miss Foster (now Mrs Nilsson) again took office and still retains the .xposition. Upon her retirement this month Mr A. M. Theed, formerly engineer to Akitio county, will commence duty as clerkengineer to Mangonui county. Previous county engineers have been: Messrs F. Watts, A. Wallace, R. R. McMullen, Bray and Wilson, Mr R. Ri Torrie, appointed in 1923, continued until his resignation earlier thfs yeaiv MAJOR WORKS UNDERTAKEN During Miss Foster’s term of office from 1916 to 1920 great advances were made in county I’oadihg, It was at this time that the first county loan of £2OOO for road and bridge improvements was raised, followed by a further loan of £2500 for the road from Waikuruki Bridge—known as Archibald’s Bridge—to Awanui, and the building of the sea wall on Beach Road, Mangonui. The Kaitaia special rating area was also established at this time and, by the foresight of the county council, became later the Kaitaia town area, the same boundaries being retained. A loan of £2OOO was then raised for the reforming of Commerce Street from Waikuruki Bridge to the council chambers.

Under a major road improvement scheme a large loan of £54,000 was obtained and covered by a rate on what was . known as the western special rating area; During Mr McKinnon’s term the Owhata and Lake Ohia special rating areas were formed. In 1935 all loans were consolidated, but since that date there have been raised in turn the Mangonui Wharf loan of £4500, a housing loan of £I6OO, a bridge loan of £15,000 and a rural housing loan of £2900., THE FIRST RECORDS One of the earliest records of local body administration in the Far North now available is that of a meeting of the Mangonui Township Highway Board on November 16, 1872. Chairman was a Mr Clarke, Mr Reynolds secretary, and others present Messrs Mclntosh, Kitchen and Foubister. Other records are of meetings attended by Messrs John Mclntosh, Clarke, Robert Wyles, Samuel Campbell and R. M. Houston, with Mr Wm. Nicholson as an early chairman. On January 10, 1873, the board imposed a tax of 1/3 per head on all cattle' and horses within the township. Business conducted on July 22, when trustees elected were Messrs J. Mclntosh, C. Waddington, W. Butler, J. Foubister and J. D. Gordon, included the striking' of a rate of £d in the £1 on “value to sell,” and 15 tickets for dog collars were applied for. At this meeting Mr Mclntosh was elected chairman and Mr Gordon secretary and treasurer.

Records also indicate the existence of road boards in the Oruru and Qruaiti districts,