Westland Anniversary Day in New Zealand Date in the current year: December 1, 2025

Westland is a sparsely populated region on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island. The Southern Alps separate it from the eastern part of the island. During the colonial era, Westland was originally administered from Christchurch as part of the Canterbury Province, which was established in 1853 and covered the entire middle part of the South Island between the Hurunui and Waitaki rivers. Due to its remoteness, very few people lived on the West Coast, and its population was predominantly Māori.

Everything changed in 1864 when two Māori people discovered gold near the Taramakau River. Miners began flowing in from Otago and Victoria, where the gold rush had nearly ended. By the end of the year, there were nearly 2,000 prospectors on the West Coast. In just two years, Hoitika, founded right after the start of the West Coast gold rush, became one of the most populous settlements in New Zealand.

The gold rush provided the impetus for Westland to separate from the Canterbury Province. On January 1, 1868, Westland was organized as Westland County. The county government had the administrative powers of a provincial council, but the New Zealand Parliament held the legislative powers. However, members of Parliament did not want to spend their time on local legislation, so it was decided that Westland would become a province.

The Westland Province was officially established on December 1, 1873. It was the last province in New Zealand. However, it existed for less than three years; the provincial system in New Zealand was abolished in November 1876. The province was divided into two counties: Westland, which covered most of the former province, and Grey, which covered the area north of the Taramakau River. Three boroughs (Hokitika, Ross, and Kumara) were designated as separate administrative areas.

The local government reforms of the late 1980s and early 1990s resulted in the formation of the Westland District, which occupies a territory similar to that of the historic Westland Province. The Westland District is the least populated district in the country. Its seat, Hokitika, has a population of just over 3,000.

New Zealand’s short-lived provincial system is reflected in the public holiday calendar. Each former province has a provincial anniversary that commemorates its establishment or the arrival of the first colonists. The Westland Province was established on December 1, 1873; however, its provincial anniversary is celebrated on the Monday closest to December 1 to create a long weekend.

Like all provincial anniversaries in New Zealand, Westland Anniversary Day is a regional public holiday. Festive events are held in Greymouth, Hokitika, and other towns in the district. However, most people simply enjoy spending the long weekend with family or friends.