Story: Capital city

James FitzGerald

James FitzGerald

James FitzGerald’s ministry (14 June to 2 August 1854) is honoured in Parliament Buildings, where a more formal portrait than this 1868 photo hangs. It begins the gallery of framed images of New Zealand’s heads of government – its 19th-century premiers and subsequent prime ministers. The caption below FitzGerald’s image reads, ‘First Premier of New Zealand’. FitzGerald unsuccessfully proposed in the General Assembly’s first session, in 1854, that the capital be moved from Auckland to a more central position.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Alfred Charles Barker Collection
Reference: PAColl-3060-040
Photograph by Alfred Charles Barker

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Stephen Levine, 'Capital city - A new capital', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/34163/james-fitzgerald (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Stephen Levine, published 20 Jun 2012, updated 1 Aug 2016