Waimea County

{{Short description|Former county in New Zealand}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}} {{Infobox Former Subdivision |conventional_long_name = Waimea County |common_name = Waimea County |subdivision = [[County (New Zealand)|County]] |nation = [[New Zealand]] |p1 = |s1 = |flag_s1 = |year_start = 1876 |event_end = |year_end = 1989 |date_end = |image_coat = |image_map = |capital = [[Richmond, New Zealand|Richmond]] |stat_area1 = |stat_pop1 = |stat_year1 = |category= |today = [[Tasman District]] |footnotes = }} '''Waimea County''' was one of the [[counties of New Zealand]] on the [[South Island]]. The county existed from 1877 to 1989.

{{multiple image|perrow = 2|total_width=400 | align = left | image1 = Waimea County (7).jpg | image2 = Waimea County (8).jpg | image3 = Waimea County (9).jpg | image4 = Waimea County (10).jpg | footer = Waimea County in 1928 }}

During the period 1853 to 1876, the area that would become Waimea County was administered as part of [[Nelson Province]]. With the [[Provinces of New Zealand#Abolition of Provinces Act 1876|Abolition of Provinces Act 1876]], Waimea County was created, taking over administration of its area in January 1877. The county council's administrative headquarters was located in [[Richmond, New Zealand|Richmond]].

Neighbouring territorial authorities in 1928 were (anti-clockwise from north) [[Takaka County]] (previously [[Collingwood County]] and later [[Golden Bay County]]), [[Buller County, New Zealand|Buller County]], [[Murchison County, New Zealand|Murchison County]], [[Amuri County]], [[Marlborough County]], and [[Sounds County]]. Neighbouring territorial authorities that were enclosed were [[Motueka Borough]], [[Richmond Borough, New Zealand|Richmond Borough]], and [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson City]]. [[Stoke, New Zealand|Stoke]], these days a suburb of Nelson, was part of Waimea County and physically separated Richmond and Nelson.

Motueka Borough split off in 1900 to become its own territorial authority.<ref>{{cite news |title=Motueka town council |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TC19000119.2.10 |access-date=5 April 2026 |work=[[The Colonist (New Zealand newspaper)|The Colonist]] |volume=XLIII |issue=9689 |date=19 January 1900 |page=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopaedia |last1=Davis |first1=Brian Newton |last2=Dollimore |first2=Edward Stewart |title=Motueka |url= https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/motueka |publisher=[[An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand]] |access-date=5 April 2026 |date=1966 |editor-last=McLintock |editor-first=Alexander Hare |editor-link=Alexander Hare McLintock}}</ref>

In 1958, [[Stoke, New Zealand|Stoke]], [[Enner Glynn]], [[Wakatu]], [[Annesbrook]], and [[Monaco, New Zealand|Monaco]] were taken from Waimea County and amalgamated with Nelson City. Waimea County lost [[Atawhai]] to Nelson City in April 1968.<ref name="Nelson City origins">{{cite web |title=Nelson City Council – the origins |url=https://www.theprow.org.nz/society/nelson-city-council/ |publisher=The Prow |access-date=4 April 2026 |date=November 2021}}</ref>

Waimea County existed until the [[1989 New Zealand local government reforms|1989 local government reforms]]. One local body that succeeded Waimea County was the [[Tasman District]], which was formed through the amalgamation of the Waimea County, [[Golden Bay County]], [[Murchison County, New Zealand|Murchison County]] and [[Richmond, New Zealand|Richmond Borough]] administrative areas. Other areas were added to Nelson City. The regional council function was given to the shortlived [[Nelson-Marlborough Regional Council]].<ref name="Nelson City origins" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/interactive/28965/local-government-boundaries |title=Nelson region – Government |first=Carl |last=Walrond |work=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |publisher=[[Ministry for Culture and Heritage|New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage]] |date=3 August 2015 |access-date=5 November 2018}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Counties of New Zealand]] [[Category:Politics of the Tasman District]] [[Category:1989 disestablishments in New Zealand]] [[Category:1876 establishments in New Zealand]]