Ashley County, New Zealand facts for kids

Ashley County was a special area in the South Island of New Zealand. It was like a local government district, similar to a city or region today. It existed for many years, helping to manage local affairs before becoming part of a larger area.

What Was Ashley County?

Ashley County was one of the early local government areas in New Zealand. It was located in the Canterbury Region of the South Island. These counties were set up to help manage local services and rules for the people living there.

How It Started

Ashley County was officially created in 1876. This was a time when New Zealand was setting up many local councils to help run different parts of the country. Before this, the central government handled most things.

Local Government and Changes

For a long time, local groups called "road boards" had a lot of power in Ashley County. These boards were in charge of building and maintaining roads in their local areas. They helped make sure people could travel easily.

In 1911, a part of Ashley County was separated. This new area became known as Kowai County. This change meant that the original Ashley County became a bit smaller.

Many years later, in 1968, Ashley County and Kowai County decided to join together again. They "amalgamated," which means they combined to form one larger county. They kept the name Ashley County. At this time, their main office moved from Rangiora to a place called Balcairn.

Becoming Hurunui County

The story of Ashley County continued until 1977. In that year, Ashley County joined with another area called Waipara County. Together, they formed an even larger new county called Hurunui County. This meant that Ashley County, as a separate area, no longer existed. Its history became part of the new Hurunui County.