Public Seal of New Zealand

When the Public Seal was first sent to New Zealand in 1841, it was used with the Governor's signature on all dispatches to the British Government, on grants of waste land, and on letters patent designating local body areas.

Use of the Public Seal

The Public Seal is reserved for documents which require the signature of the Governor-General. These include the following categories where its use is obligatory: (a) Proclamations; (b) Crown grants (now very rare); (c) Warrants of appointment of members of the Executive Council and Ministers' warrants of appointment; (d) Appointments of the Chief Justice and of Justices of the Supreme Court; (e) Appointments of Royal Commissions; (f) Warrants for appointments to Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Documents which merely require ministerial signature are, if necessary, sealed with the common seal of the particular Department concerned.

Procedure for Obtaining a New Seal

A copy of the draft warrant is submitted by the Department of External Affairs to the Commonwealth Relations Office for its unofficial approval. Once this has been obtained the Warrant is submitted for Royal approval by the Governor-General. Before this can be gazetted, however, the new seal must be received in New Zealand so that its impression can appear on the Royal Warrant.

In all probability the first Public Seal of New Zealand was sent out in 1841, as Governor Hobson wrote a dispatch of 6 August 1841 to the Colonial Secretary acknowledging its receipt. The seal was designed by Benjamin Wyon, R.A. (1802–58) who was appointed Chief Engraver to the Seals on 10 January 1831. The design depicted Queen Victoria in treaty with a group of Maori chiefs. The second seal was also designed by Benjamin Wyon and was approved by Queen Victoria in February 1848. It was dispatched with the New Ulster and New Munster seals on 1 April 1848 and was received on 8 September. This seal, which was made of silver, remained in use until 1880 when, because of wear, it was decided to replace it with a steel one. The second seal was sent to Her Majesty in Council who defaced it in November 1881 and returned it to New Zealand.

Later seals were withdrawn on the death of a sovereign and replaced on the accession of a new ruler. Exceptions to this rule were at the death of George V and the accession of Edward VIII.

The third seal was engraved by Alfred B. Wyon, Chief Engraver of Her Majesty's Seals, son of Benjamin Wyon. With screw press, copper counters, and box, it cost £90 6s. It was received in early August 1881 and was in use until late 1903. The fourth seal was ordered on 17 February 1902 and received in November 1903. The fifth seal was dispatched from England on 29 July 1912, received on 1 October 1912, and defaced on 15 November 1939. The sixth seal came into use on 15 November 1939 and was ordered by a Royal Warrant, published on 28 July 1959, to be defaced on the arrival of the seventh seal, which is in use at the present time.

Provincial Seals

The seals of the Provinces of New Ulster and New Munster were engraved by Benjamin Wyon and sent out with the second Public Seal in 1848. They were used until the creation of six new provinces under the 1852 Constitution Act. Each province had its own seal and these remained in use until the provinces were abolished. After the abolition in 1876 the seals were lost sight of for many years until C. E. Mackay, of Wanganui, made inquiries in 1904 which resulted in all of the seals, except those of Westland and Southland, being located. Later, an impression of the West-land seal was found and in 1940 the Southland provincial seal was located.

Seals are used by some local, ecclesiastical, educational bodies, societies, and associations.

by John Sidney Gully, M.A., DIP.N.Z.L.S., Assistant Chief Librarian, General Assembly Library, Wellington.

• New Zealand Centennial News, Nos. 8, 9, and 12.