At the time of its establishment in 1858, the European population of the provincial district was only 1,185.

[1] At a meeting in Napier in February 1858, the decision was made to split Hawke's Bay from the Wellington Province, which took effect in November of that year.

In 1863, the province was described in The Illustrated London News as "one of the principal grazing districts in the colony; it possesses abundance of fine agricultural land, and has a climate proverbially mild and healthy."

By 1856, 30 sheep stations existed in Hawke's Bay, located mainly on those two blocks of land.

Hawke's Bay Province was founded on 1 November 1858.