New Zealand Parliament first meets in Wellington

Background. Wellington became the capital city in place of Auckland, which had served as the capital since 1841. The New Zealand Parliament had previously met in Wellington temporarily in 1862. In November 1863, Prime Minister Alfred Domett placed a resolution in Auckland stating that the seat of government should be transferred to a suitable locality in the Cook Strait region, partly due to concerns about the South Island forming a separate colony.

Relocation to Wellington. The New Zealand Parliament relocated to the new capital city after spending the first ten years of its existence in Auckland. Wellington's status as the capital is a result of constitutional convention rather than statute. The city had grown to 1,200 buildings by 1865, with the majority located in Te Aro, while Newtown remained largely undeveloped.

First Permanent Session. A session of parliament officially met in the capital for the first time on 26 July 1865. This event marked the beginning of Wellington's role as the administrative centre for the New Zealand Government, Parliament, and the Supreme Court. The city's capital status is not defined in legislation but is established by convention.