Grey County, New Zealand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grey County |
|
|---|---|
| County of New Zealand | |
| 1876–1989 | |
| Capital | Greymouth Borough |
| History | |
|
• Established
|
1876 |
|
• Disestablished
|
1989 |
| Today part of | Grey District |
Grey County was a type of local government area in the South Island of New Zealand. It was one of the many counties of New Zealand that helped manage different parts of the country.
Contents
Grey County: A Look Back
Grey County existed for over 100 years. It played an important role in managing the land and communities in its area.
Where Was It Located?
The area that became Grey County was once split between two larger regions. These were Nelson Province and Canterbury Province. This was from 1853 to 1873. Later, parts of Canterbury Province joined a new area called Westland Province. This happened between 1873 and 1876. The county covered both rural land and small towns. However, the main town of Greymouth had its own council, the Greymouth Borough Council, from 1868.
The reason this area was split across different provinces was interesting. The boundary line was set when the land was mostly empty. It ran from the Hurunui River to Lake Brunner. But then, the West Coast Gold Rush started. Gold was found on both sides of this boundary! In 1866, there was a plan to give parts of Canterbury Province, including Greymouth, to Nelson Province. But this plan did not happen.
How Grey County Started
New Zealand's old system of provinces ended in 1876. This was because of the Abolition of Provinces Act. After this, Grey County was officially created. It started managing its area in January 1877.
The southern border of Grey County was the Taramakau River. The county shared the job of looking after the bridge over this river with Westland County. Grey County stretched for about 64 kilometres (40 miles) along the coast. It also went inland as far as the high mountains of the Southern Alps.
Running the County
The local government of Grey County was led by an elected chairman. This person was like a mayor for the county. The county council's main office was located in Greymouth Borough. This is where decisions were made and managed for the county.
The End of Grey County
Grey County continued to operate until 1989. In that year, there were big changes to local government in New Zealand. These were called the 1989 local government reforms. As a result, Grey County joined with Greymouth Borough. Together, they formed a new, larger area called the Grey District.
