Marlborough Anniversary Day in New Zealand Date in the current year: November 3, 2025

New Zealand’s former Marlborough Province was located in the northeast of the South Island and roughly corresponded to the present-day Marlborough region. Captain James Cook was the first European to visit the area. He explored the Marlborough Sounds in the 1770s and proclaimed British sovereignty over the South Island on Motuara Island in 1770.

Over the next few years, Cook mapped the coastline and established contact with local Māori iwi (tribes). For decades after Cook’s visits, there was little sustained European presence in the region beyond the occasional whaler, sealer, or trader operating along the coast.

Permanent European settlement in the Marlborough region began in the 1840s. The fertile Wairau Valley attracted settlers seeking farmland. However, this expansion led to the Wairau Affray in 1843, a violent confrontation between British settlers and the Ngāti Toa tribe. The incident resulted in the deaths of over 20 people, mostly British settlers. It was one of the first serious conflicts between Māori and settlers after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and the only one on the South Island.

Unlike other regions, Marlborough was not settled in an organized manner. Instead, wealthy settlers from Nelson expanded into the area, seeking to invest in large land holdings. In 1847, Frederick Weld became the first to bring sheep to Port Underwood (Te Whanganui), a sheltered harbor on the east coast of the Marlborough Sounds.

After the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 was adopted, New Zealand was divided into six provinces, which were officially established in 1853. The Marlborough region became part of Nelson Province, which covered the entire upper South Island. However, the settlers in Marlborough quickly became dissatisfied with the unequal distribution of income. Although the majority of provincial income came from land sales in Marlborough, the Nelson region mainly benefited from the funds.

As a result, Marlborough settlers petitioned for independence from Nelson Province and succeeded. Marlborough Province officially separated from Nelson Province on November 1, 1859. The new province was named after John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, who played an important role in the Glorious Revolution and was renowned for his undefeated military career. Like other New Zealand provinces, Marlborough was short-lived and ceased to exist in 1876 due to the abolition of the provincial system.

Although New Zealand’s provincial system existed only briefly, former provinces continue to celebrate their anniversary days, commemorating either the arrival of the first settlers or the establishment of the provincial government. These holidays are usually celebrated on the Monday closest to the actual date. Marlborough Anniversary Day is no exception and falls on the Monday closest to November 1.