Golden Bay. One Hundred Years of Local Government

Golden Bay. One Hundred Years of Local Government. J.N.W. Newport.

Publisher: Golden Bay County Council, 1975. FIRST EDITION. 256 pages with photos. Hardback in very good+ condition. Green cloth boards have a little bumping to edges, and some minor marks. Light scattered foxing to endpapers.

This was the author's fourth history covering areas in the Nelson Province, at the north of NZ's South Island. His history records the development of local government over a century in the areas of Takaka, Collingwood and the Golden Bay. The content of is best summed up in the words of a former Prime Minister and Golden Bay resident, W E Rowling, in his forward to the work, in which he said: "When the first pioneers came to Golden Bay they discovered and settled a region largely isolated by the natural barriers of sea, bush and mountain.The environment and the isolation proved to be a test for their energy and determination to build a new life. It also produced a closely-knit community spirit which drew people together and enabled continual development and progress." As well as being a detailed account of the evolution of local government in the Golden Bay region, Newport's history also records the earliest days of European settlement, how various aspects of agriculture were introduced with some flourishing, how natural resources were mined,and milled and the manner in which the various communities were created, some being of brief duration owing to the short life span of the enterprises around which they were based. Can be recommended as an excellent and comprehensive example of regional history. 256 pages with photos.