Concurrently a detachment of the 80th Regiment arrived from Sydney in April 1840[1] with a representative of the Board of Ordnance to cater for their Logistical needs.

As with all the Imperial military activities in the Colony of New Zealand, Command and Control was exercised from Sydney in New South Wales, including the activities of the Board of Ordnance and by 1846 offices had been established in Auckland and Wellington; On 25 December 1852 the following promotions and appointments were announced for the Ordnance Department for the Colony of New Zealand;[5] The Ordnance Boards performance in the Crimean War brought about the Board's demise in 1855 and the reformation of the British Army's administration, including the establishment of the Military Store Department in 1855.

[9] From a strength of a few hundred men in the early 1840s, the Imperial Governments troop contribution over the next decade, had grown by the end of 1865 to a force of 10,000, including ten Infantry Regiments,[10] two batteries of Field Artillery, Royal Engineers and Military Train, with garrisons at Auckland, Wellington, Napier, Wanganui, and New Plymouth.

[13] By 1866 the security situation had improved to a point where operations were more often being conducted by colonial forces resulting in a draw down of Imperial units.

[14][15] With the withdrawal of Imperial Forces completed by July 1870,[16] and the full responsibility for defence matters handed over to the New Zealand Armed Constabulary.