In 1841, the British Empire allowed New Zealand to separate from New South Wales (Australia) and become a Crown Colony. This made them dependent on a colonial governor appointed by the United Kingdom. In 1852, the British Empire created seven self-governing colonies in Australasia. This encompassed six colonies in Australia and one in New Zealand. This resulted in New Zealand having both a central and six provincial governments. These were later subdivided into nine provinces. When this system become unmanageable for effective government, the Centralists pushed for the abolition of the provinces in 1876. The surviving central democracy was headquartered in this Renaissance Revival building on Lambton Quay. What is remarkable about the Old Government Buildings is they were built entirely of kauri, a Tasmanian hardwood. This is the world’s second largest timber building. After the government moved to the Parliament Buildings, the Old Government Buildings were restored. Since 1996, they have been part of the Pipitea Campus for the Victoria University of Wellington. Inside is the law school (Faculty of Law).
