Greymouth Borough

{{Short description|Borough council in New Zealand}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}} The '''Greymouth Borough''' was the borough council covering the urban part of [[Greymouth]], New Zealand between {{start date and age|1868|p=y}} and {{start date and age|1989|p=y}}, when it became part of [[Grey District]].

==History== The Municipal Corporations Act, 1867 was passed by the [[New Zealand Parliament]], and this allowed for petitions to the [[Governor-General of New Zealand|governor]] for towns to be constituted a borough. This would then allow such borough to govern itself. Such a petition was forwarded on behalf of the citizens by [[John Hall (New Zealand politician)|John Hall]] in May 1868.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=GRA18680519.2.19.3 | title=Colonial Secretary's Office | work=Grey River Argus | date=19 May 1868 | accessdate=16 September 2015 | volume=VI | issue=366 | page=3}}</ref> By notice in the ''[[New Zealand Gazette]]'' on 16 July 1868, Greymouth was constituted a borough;<ref name="Borough gazetted">{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=GRA18680723.2.9 | title=Untitled | work=Grey River Argus | date=23 July 1868 | accessdate=16 September 2015 | volume=VI | issue=394 | page=2}}</ref> the same day as [[Timaru]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP18680717.2.6 | title=The Evening Post | date=17 July 1868 | accessdate=16 September 2015 | volume=IV | issue=132 | page=2}}</ref> The boundaries of the borough were defined as follows:<ref name="Borough gazetted" />

{{Blockquote |text=All that piece or parcel of land situate and being in the [[Westland County|County of Westland]], bounded on the west by a line of 160 chains and 80 links [3.23 km], extending from the South Spit along the beach thence along the South Town Belt 115 chains and 50 links [2.32 km]; thence along the East Town Belt 120 chains and 90 links [2.43 km] thence along the Native Reserve, number 31, 41 chains 30 links [0.83 km] to the Grey River and thence along the [[Grey River (New Zealand)|River Grey]] to the point of commencement. |author=Governor of New Zealand |source=Notice in the ''[[New Zealand Gazette]]'', 16 July 1868}}

The area covered by the borough was later extended to the north across the Grey River, and the suburbs of [[Cobden, New Zealand|Cobden]] (effective 1 October 1934<ref>{{cite news | title=West Coast Notes | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19341003.2.16 | accessdate=18 September 2015 | work=[[The Press]] | volume=LXX | issue=21285 | date=3 October 1934 | page=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=West Coast Notes | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19341008.2.29 | accessdate=18 September 2015 | work=[[The Press]] | volume=LXX | issue=21289 | date=8 October 1934 | page=7}}</ref>) and Coal Creek were added.<ref name="Te Ara">{{cite book |title=An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand |orig-year=First published in 1966 |publisher=[[Ministry for Culture and Heritage|Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga]] |url= http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/greymouth | editor-first=A. H. |editor-last=McLintock |editor-link=Alexander Hare McLintock |accessdate= 14 September 2015 |chapter=Greymouth |date= 22 April 2009}}</ref> Greymouth Borough existed until its abolition in the [[1989 local government reforms]], when the area was amalgamated with [[Grey County, New Zealand|Grey County]] to form [[Grey District]].

Out of 22 candidates,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=GRA18680822.2.14.3 | title=Election Notice | work=Grey River Argus | date=22 August 1868 | accessdate=18 September 2015 | volume=VI | issue=407 | page=3}}</ref> the first nine councillors were elected on 26 August 1868.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=WCT18680828.2.18 | title=West Coast Times | date=28 August 1868 | accessdate=18 September 2015 | issue=915 | page=2}}</ref> Within days, it was discovered that according to the Municipal Corporations Act, 1867, three of those councillors had to retire by rotation on 10 September.<ref>{{cite book |title=An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand |orig-year=First published in 1966 |publisher=[[Ministry for Culture and Heritage|Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga]] |url= http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/government-local-government/page-6 | editor-first=A. H. |editor-last=McLintock |editor-link=Alexander Hare McLintock |accessdate= 18 September 2015 |chapter=Government – Local Government |date= 22 April 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=GRA18680903.2.8 | title=Untitled | work=Grey River Argus | date=3 September 1868 | accessdate=18 September 2015 | volume=VI | issue=412 | page=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=GRA18680908.2.16.2 | title=Election Notice | work=Grey River Argus | date=8 September 1868 | accessdate=18 September 2015 | volume=VI | issue=414 | page=3}}</ref> All three councillors stood for re-election,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=GRA18680910.2.19.3 | title=Election Notice | work=Grey River Argus | date=10 September 1868 | accessdate=18 September 2015 | volume=VI | issue=415 | page=3}}</ref> but one of them was replaced by [[Edward Masters]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=GRA18680912.2.17.3 | title=Election Notice | work=Grey River Argus | date=12 September 1868 | accessdate=18 September 2015 | volume=VI | issue=416 | page=3}}</ref> At the first meeting of the council in the following week, Masters was elected the first [[Mayor of Grey]]mouth by his fellow councillors.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=GRA18680917.2.10 | title=Borough Council | work=Grey River Argus | date=17 September 1868 | accessdate=18 September 2015 | volume=VI | issue=418 | page=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts |year=1906 |url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc05Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d26-d3.html |publisher=[[The Cyclopedia of New Zealand]] |author=Cyclopedia Company Limited |accessdate= 14 September 2015 |location=Christchurch |chapter=Greymouth Corporation}}</ref> The office of mayor of Greymouth was the predecessor to the current office of mayor of Grey District.

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

[[Category:History of the West Coast Region]] [[Category:Greymouth]] [[Category:Boroughs of New Zealand]]