Franklin County, New Zealand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Franklin County
County of New Zealand
1912–1989
Franklin County in 1914
Capital	Pukekohe
Area
• Coordinates	37°12′06″S 174°54′19″E / 37.201744°S 174.905140°E / -37.201744; 174.905140
History
• Established	1912
• Disestablished	1989
Today part of	North Island

Franklin County was a special area in the North Island of New Zealand. It was like a local government area, similar to a district or region we have today. This county existed for 77 years, from 1912 until 1989. Its main town was Pukekohe.

What Was Franklin County?

Franklin County was one of the many counties that helped manage different parts of New Zealand. These counties were a way of organizing local areas before the current system of districts and regions was created. They looked after things like roads and local services for the people living there.

How Franklin County Got Its Name

The county was named after an existing area called the Franklin Parliamentary electorate. This name was chosen to honor Lady Jane Franklin. She was the wife of Sir John Franklin, a famous explorer who explored the Arctic. Lady Franklin visited a mission station in New Zealand in 1841. This station was run by Robert Maunsell at the Waikato Heads.

Life in Franklin County in 1923

In 1923, Franklin County was quite a large area. It covered about 620 square miles (1,600 square kilometers). Around 9,730 people lived there at that time. The county had different types of roads. There were 183 miles (295 kilometers) of gravel roads. There were also 252 miles (406 kilometers) of mud roads. On top of that, there were about 400 miles (644 kilometers) of tracks.

Leaders of Franklin County Council

The Franklin County Council was in charge of running the county. It had a leader called a Chairman. Eight different men served as the Chairman during the 77 years Franklin County existed. They helped make decisions for the people living in the county.