Franklin County, New Zealand

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Franklin County
County of New Zealand
1912–1989
Index map of Franklin County.jpg
Map of the eastern portion of Franklin County in 1914
Capital Pukekohe
History 
 Established
1912
 Disestablished
1989
Today part of Auckland Council, Waikato District

Franklin County was one of the counties of New Zealand in the North Island. It was formed following the 1911 Franklin and Manukau Counties Act and continued to exist until 1989 when most of the area became Franklin District.

Contents

Etymology

Franklin County was named after the Franklin electorate. The electorate had been named in honour of Lady Jane Franklin, the wife of Sir John Franklin, the Arctic explorer. Lady Franklin had visited the Waikato Heads in 1841 when see visited the mission station of Robert Maunsell. [1]

History

Franklin County Council Chambers in 1924 Photos 38375 extralarge.jpg
Franklin County Council Chambers in 1924
Franklin County Council Chambers in 2024 Franklin County Council Offices.jpg
Franklin County Council Chambers in 2024

Franklin County was established on 1 April 1912, following the 1911 Franklin and Manukau Counties Act. [2] Previously Franklin County was part of the larger Manukau County. [1]

The first election for the Franklin County Council was held 22 June 1912. The first meeting was held in the Pukekohe Mason Hall on 4 July 1912. A permanent location was discussed at the meeting and the Buckland hall was offered but the council preferred to have their offices in Pukekohe. The council set about obtaining two quarter-acre sites at £425 and in 1913 hired local architect L. C. A. Potter to design the new council premises. The tender went to Macpherson & Harvey of Tuakau who finished construction in February 1914. The County held onto the building until 1972. [2]

From 1913 to 1918 all 15 road districts merged with Franklin County. The county had eight ridings: Awhitu, Waiuku, Waipipi, Mauku, Pukekohe, Drury, Mercer, and Hunua. [2]

In 1915 the approximate rateable value of the county was £3,500,000. [2] In 1923 Franklin County covered 620 sq mi (1,600 km2) and had a population of 9,730, with 183 mi (295 km) of gravel roads, 252 mi (406 km) of mud roads and 400 mi (640 km) of tracks. [3]

Some urban areas were lost to the Papakura Borough in the 1960s. [4] :105

In 1970 the county covered 350,720 acres (141,930 ha) with a population of 18,000. [4] :29

Chairmen of Franklin County Council

Eight men served as chair of Franklin County Council during its 77-year existence: [5]

NameTermNotes
1W. Claud Motion1912–1914
2Joseph Flanagan1914–1917
1W. Claud Motion1917–1924Second period
3Henry Wilcox1924–1928
4 Jack Massey 1928–1953
5R.W. Bennett1953–1966
6P.M. Cochrane1966–1978
7Richard Hoe1978–1983
8D.M. McCartie1983–1989

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Derbyshire, Noel William (2016). Serving the Community: a history of the Pukekohe Anglican Parish. Wily Publications. p. 74. ISBN   978-1-927167-30-4.
  2. 1 2 3 4 The Heritage Studio (July 2017). Franklin County Council Chambers (Former) (PDF) (Report). Auckland Council.
  3. "KAWHIA SETTLER AND RAGLAN ADVERTISER Main Highways - Conference at Hamilton". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 August 1923. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  4. 1 2 Bloomfield, Gerald Taylor (1973). The Evolution of Local Government Areas in Metropolitan Auckland, 1840-1971. Auckland: [Auckland] : Auckland University Press. ISBN   0-19-647714-X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  5. "Timeline of Auckland mayors". Auckland Council Archives. Retrieved 27 July 2019.