New Zealand Seat of Government Commission : Proclamation, minutes of meetings and report

Comprises copies of letters from the Premier, Sir George Grey, to the Governor concerning the appointments of the commissioners (Ronald Campbell Gunn from Tasmania, Sir Francis Murphy from Victoria and Sir Joseph Docker from New South Wales), official appointments of the three and their travel arrangements, the official proclamation establishing the Commission, a memorandum on the factors to be taken into consideration, minutes of the Commission on their meetings in the various towns, along with summarised submissions from local representatives and advocates, and a draft report of their findings. Also includes an expense claim for Sir Joseph Docker.

Source of title - Supplied by Library

In 1864, following representations from the southern provinces, the Governor, Thomas Gore Browne, established a Commission to propose a more central seat of government to replace the existing capital, Auckland. For neutrality three commissioners from the neighbouring colonies of Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales were appointed. They were given a brief to nominate a new site near Cook Strait, with consideration to be given to communications (principally seaborne), defensibility and the presence of an agricultural hinterland to support the new capital. The Commission visited the towns of Wanganui, Picton, Blenheim, Nelson and Wellington and considered the submissions of these candidates. The full printed report may be found in the Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives 1864 Session I, D-02.

Quantity: 1 volume(s) (57 leaves). 0.01 Linear Metres.

Physical Description: Ms (34 cm; brown cloth)

Provenance: Originally from the Gunn family, Tasmania, 1907. In 1907 newspapers reported that the family of the Tasmanian Commissioner, Ronald Campbell Gunn, either sold or gave his papers relating to the Commission to "a well-known private collector of New Zealand literature", who has since been identified as Walter Godfrey Mantell. (New Zealand Herald, Vol XLIV, Issue 13544, 16 September 1907, page 7; See also Paperspast)