Department_of_Island_Territories_(New_Zealand)

Department of Island Territories

Department of Island Territories

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The Department of Island Territories was a New Zealand government department that was tasked with administrating New Zealand's three Pacific Islands territories—the Cook Islands (until 1965), Niue, and Tokelau—and the country's League of Nations mandate, Samoa (until 1962). It was established on 3 October 1919 under the "External Affairs Bill" as the Department of External Affairs.[1] In 1943, the Department was renamed the Department of Island Territories after a separate Department of External Affairs was created to conduct the country's external relations. In 1975, the Department was dissolved and its functions were absorbed back into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the successor to the External Affairs Department.[2]

The Department was headed by a Minister of Island Territories who oversaw the Resident-Commissioners of the Cook Islands and of Niue, and the Administrator of the Tokelau Islands. Until the appointment of John Mathison in 1957, the Minister of Island Territories was contemporaneously the Minister of External Affairs.

The Island Territories Department was responsible for the formulation and development of New Zealand government policy towards its Island Territories. The Department's other functions included transmitting advice and assistance from other New Zealand government departments to local Island governments, operating the ship GMV Moana Roa, and acting as a purchasing agent for the Island Territories. The Department had offices in both the capital, Wellington, and the New Zealand's largest city, Auckland.[3]

List of ministers

The following ministers have held the office of Minister of Island Territories.[4]

Key

  Reform   United   Labour   National

More information No., Name ...

Notes

  1. [1]
    "External Affairs Bill", in New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, Vol. 185 (3 October–5 November 1919), p.337.
  2. [2]
    Malcolm Templeton, ed., An Eye, and Ear, and a Voice, p.1.
  3. [3]
    "Island Territories". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 1966 Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  4. [4]
    Wilson 1985, pp. 89–97.

References

  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

Further reading

  • An eye, an ear and a voice: 50 years in New Zealand’s external relations edited by Malcolm Templeton (1993, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wellington NZ) ISBN 0-477-03725-9.
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