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I am the Provinces Guy and I agree. Neale's rational for a national day is sound. Also, some provincial borders now mean little to our communities—esp the sprawling Auckland Province including places like Rotorua, Gisborne. But read on if you want to know the reason for each day. https://twitter.com/nealejones/status/1353418614263582720
Most, strictly, don't commemorate an anniversary relating to the 1853–76 provincial units. Some are relevant to a city more than a region. Many are Mondayised or otherwise moved for convenience—e.g. Easter Tuesday in Southland. Below, I note the actual date the holiday based on.
Wellington Anniversary Day, 22/1, commemorates the Aurora arriving at Petone in 1840, the first settler ship—but an advance party on the Tory arrived in Sept 1839. Doesn't commemorate the historic province and the reason for the day might now seem... fraught, shall we say.
Auckland Anniversary Day, 29/1, commemorates first governor William Hobson's arrival at the Bay of Islands in 1840. Hobson intended to commemorate the 30th, when he proclaimed his commission, but that was a Sunday the first year it was marked, so they used the 29th and it stuck.
Keep in mind that in 1842 (the first celebration), Saturdays were (half-)workdays, which explains why it was not Mondayised instead. Not only does this not commemorate an *Auckland* anniversary of any sort, it's sorta on the wrong date and it's a poor basis for a holiday.
Northland Anniversay Day is officially separate to Auckland Anniversary Day, but it's held on the same day for the same reason. At least this time it commemorates something that happened in Northland, but uhh yeah we can do better.
Nelson Anniversary Day, 1/2, commemorates the arrival of the Fifeshire in 1842, Nelson's first NZ Company settler ship. Again, this strictly doesn't have anything to do with the historic province—it's a city day at best—and it's a poor basis for a holiday in today's world.
Otago Anniversary Day, 23/3, is for the arrival of the John Wickliffe in 1848, which was—you guessed it—the first settler ship to arrive at Port Chalmers. Do I need to say again that we can find reasons for holidays more relevant to today's society?
There is a claim online, including in the ODT, that Otago Ann'y Day *actually* marks the establishment of the provincial govt on 23/3/1852. This is unambiguously false, not least because the act creating the provincial system didn't pass the UK parliament until later that year!
Southland Anniversary Day, 25/3, ACTUALLY DOES COMMEMORATE A HISTORIC PROVINCE. An order-in-council on 25 March 1861 proclaimed Southland a separate province from Otago, effective 1 April (a source of mirth a few years later when Southland's provincial government went bankrupt).
Taranaki Anniversary Day, 31/3, marks the arrival of the ship William Bryan in 1841, which was... yes... the first settler ship to land at New Plymouth. Bla bla bla.
South Canterbury Anniversary Day, 26/9, is a weird one: it's Dominion Day! The day NZ became a dominion, not a colony. It is also very close to the ann'y of the Timaru & Gladstone Board of Works (act given assent 10/10/1867), a body created in lieu of making Sth Canty a province.
Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day, 1/11, marks the day Hawke's Bay became a separate province from Wellington in 1858. Finally, another provincial anniversary that actually marks the anniversary of a historic province!
Marlborough Anniversary Day, also 1/11, is likewise the actual anniversary of a historic province—this time, it marks the start of Marlborough's independent existence from Nelson Province in 1859.
Canterbury Anniversary Day was once 16/12, the day the Charlotte Jane and the Randolph arrived at Lyttelton in 1850, the leading two of the First Four Ships. But it's been the second Friday in November since the 1950s to align with the Canterbury A&P Show. Look, that makes sense.
Chatham Islands Anniversary Day, 30/11, marks when William Broughton and the crew of the ship Chatham became the first Europeans to see Rēkohu and interact with Moriori. That was 29 November 1791, not the 30th; I'm unsure why the holiday is observed on the Monday nearest 30/11.
Last, Westland Anniversary Day, 1/12, is an actual provincial anniversary. Westland was separated from Canterbury in 1868 as an autonomous county under parliament's supervision; it became a fully-fledged province with legislative powers on this day in 1873.
To summarise: four provincial anniversary days actually recall the creation of historic provinces. One is a local celebration of a national day, one is for an A&P show, and SEVEN are for early European arrivals.
But the fact I had to list these is suggestive of something:
But the fact I had to list these is suggestive of something:
Many people have no idea what their ann'y day marks or vaguely know it's an early Pākehā thing. The absence of any Australia Day-esque controversy, esp for days marking first ships, proves the obscurity. Let's choose a new day, a nat'l one, for a reason people care about today.
