DEVONPORT NEW ZEALAND EARLY GOVERNMENT

                                     (From 1848)

 In 1848 the setting up of the "Hundred of Pupuke" gave the landholders at North  Shore some small degree of self-government.   The Constitution Act set up Provincial  Councils and the Provincial  Govt. of Auckland was the immediate  governing body.

Among the first Council Members were Allan and James O'NEILL, who owned part  of Stanley Point and the present O'Neills Point.  Sir Frederick  WHITAKER owned the 5 acre block fronting  Victoria Rd  and Clarence St. Mr. BECKHAM  lived on the Beach Rd.    
Mr. W.J.HURST (whose name is perpetuated in   Hurstmere  Ave., Takapuna)was many years M.H.R. for the Waitemata  as well  as  being on the Council. G.M.REID, a well known  newspaper man,  lived at Cheltenham. Captain DALDY owned  a large area behind  Mt. Victoria. Maurice O'RORKE, W.L.REES,      P.A.PHILLIPS,     J.T. BOYLAN, John LUNDON, F.M BROOKFIELD,            Mr. R.  G. WOOD, Mr. George WEBSTER, J. Logan CAMPBELL,  J. CADMAN ,  H.McILHONE, I.R.COOPER and many   other men were all property owners  on the Shore and Members of the Provincial Council.                                   

On Dec. 19th. 1851 the first By Laws were drawn up.. These were signed  by  Thomas POYNTON and P. MELAVIN.

The course of Politics was as rocky then as it is today. In 1853 an advertisement was inserted in the paper, protesting against the Election, for a variety of reasons.                   

The following names were appended to the Advertisement:    W. MENARY. B. MENARY. G.H. ALDRICH,   ROBT. MACKAY,  M.SHEA,   F.P. GARDNER, E. BIDDLE,        W. DAVIS,   J. ANDREWS, H. WILSON,  B. BUTTERWORTH     W. TREVARTHEN,    R. PHILP, T. DUDER, A. ALISON,   W. OLIVER, T. HAMMOND, E. HAMMOND, R. EAMES,   W.  NICHOLSON,   
                  P.MCNENNY, T. POYNTON.