Capital of New Zealand

30 January 1840 was the day that the Union Jack was flown on the masthead of the Herald, the ship that brought Hobson to the Bay of islands, and that the flag was saluted by guns.

[1]A capital city needed to be decided on, and immediately after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on 6 February 1840, Hobson sought advice from those who had been living in New Zealand for some time.

[2] On 21 February, a small party including Hobson, Williams, Symonds, Captain Joseph Nias, and Felton Mathew left on the Herald to explore the Waitematā; they arrived there two days later.

[6] His second recommendation was Captain James Reddy Clendon's property, as it met the requirements for a good anchorage and immediate availability of land suitable for subdivision and on-sale to settlers.

[8] Pōmare II, the local Māori chief in the 1830s, sold land at Okiato to a British merchant and ship owner, Captain Clendon on 7 December 1830 for £28 15s.

Hobson and his family moved there in May 1840 and officials, troops, workmen and immigrants took up residence in permanent or temporary buildings and tents.

After the party watched a sunset and were impressed by a "lovely aspect of the shore further down the harbour in the golden glow of the late afternoon", they went ashore there the following day.

They agreed that the place held great promise for a future capital; it is believed that they landed at Shelly Beach in Ponsonby.

The party, under the command of Symonds, was to finalise the choice of the future capital, buy the land off the Maori, erect stores and accommodation buildings, and find a site for Government House.

On 18 September, the land (some 3,000 acres or 1,200 hectares) had been chosen and an agreement signed with Āpihai Te Kawau and others representing the Ngāti Whātua iwi.

[17] Sarah Mathews, the wife of the Surveyor General, recorded in her diary that the name "Auckland" was inscribed in the flag pole, together with the date of the land purchase.

In 1834, he had given a commission to William Hobson to sail for the East Indies on the Rattlesnake, which ended a six-year period without a command and on half pay.

[4] Whilst the name was bestowed in gratitude, it certainly met with general approval, as Lord Auckland was at the height of his fame in 1840 after he had been appointed Viceroy of India in 1835.

Construction of this building was part of Auckland's campaign to retain the seat of government, as the discussion about the capital moving further south had already started.

[25] This building formally became part of the University of Auckland in 1969, is now known as Old Government House, and was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I heritage structure in 1983.

[29] James FitzGerald, who had briefly lead the country's first ministry, moved that the next session "should be held in a more central position in the colony".

[31] In 1856, a resolution that the next session should be held in Auckland was amended by substituting the phrase "a more central position" as the location, but the matter was left for the governor to decide.

[26] Following a motion in parliament by Alfred Domett, the 4th Premier, three Australian commissioners were tasked with deciding where the capital should move to.

[31][35] Sir George Grey appointed the commissioners to fulfil the brief "that the Seat of Government should be placed in a central position, that is to say, somewhere upon the shores of Cook's Straits."

Their criteria were the central position in New Zealand that was asked for, access by water, land availability, resources in the surrounding country, defence considerations, and any natural disadvantages.

The commissioners reported their findings in a simple two-page letter, where their main finding was summed up in a single sentence without further elaboration:[31] Having thus made themselves acquainted, as far as was practicable, with the character and capabilities of both shores of Cook's Strait, the Commissioners have arrived at the unanimous conclusion that Wellington, in Port Nicholson, is the site upon the shores of Cook's Straits which presents the greatest advantages for the administration of the Government of the Colony.The move of the capital from Auckland to Wellington was undertaken in 1865, and Wellington has been New Zealand's capital since.

Over 30 national institutions opened their collections to the public; this included the Supreme Court, the Reserve Bank, the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace, and the Premier House.