Franklin District


Franklin District was a New Zealand territorial authority that lay between the Auckland metropolitan area and the Waikato Plains. As a formal territory it was abolished on 31 October 2010 and divided between Auckland Council in the Auckland Region to the north and Waikato and Hauraki districts in the Waikato region to the south and east. The Auckland portion is now part of the Franklin ward, which also includes rural parts of the former Manukau City.
Before its abolition, it was administered from the town of Pukekohe. Out-going Franklin District Mayor Mark Ball had proposed that Franklin district become an independent unitary authority, fulfilling both the functions of a local and regional council. However, this was rejected by Minister Rodney Hide.

Location and extent

The district was bounded in the north by the start of the Auckland metropolitan area and the waters of the Manukau Harbour. Awhitu Peninsula stretches up the Tasman coast to the mouth of this harbour. Here are located several holiday spots, such as Karioitahi Beach and Matakawau.
To the south, Franklin was bounded by the fertile lowlands of the Waikato Plains. In the east, the land rises to the Hunua Ranges, then falls to the coast of the Firth of Thames. In the west is the Tasman Sea. The Waikato River mouth is at Port Waikato in the south of the region. This is renowned as a good place for surfcasting.
The area is mainly rural, with local settlements such as Waiuku and Tuakau supporting the farming industry. One industry of note is the New Zealand Steel steel mill at Glenbrook, north of Waiuku.

Mayors

Six people served as mayor of Franklin District during its 21-year existence:
NameTerm
1Max R. Short1989–1992
2Peter Aitken1992–1995
3Joan O'Sullivan1995
4Matt Barnett1995–1998
5Heather Maloney1998–2004
6Mark Ball2004–2010

Nomenclature

The name of "Franklin" probably derives from Lady Jane Franklin, an early British traveller and the wife of Captain Sir John Franklin,
who served as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land. Lady Franklin visited the Waikato Heads in 1841.

Media

Franklin County News, a twice-weekly newspaper based in Pukekohe, serves the former Franklin district. The Post Newspaper distributes 26,000 printed copies weekly on a Tuesday covering Franklin and North Waikato. The Post Newspaper has an office in both Pukekohe and Waiuku. In 2015, the online events calendar and photo news Franklin Life NZ was launched.

Populated centres

Here are some of the following suburbs, towns, villages and other settlements within the former Franklin District's territorial area borders, grouped into their present-day adjacent areas:
Northern Franklin
Southern Franklin
North Eastern Franklin