Dominion of New Zealand - wikipedia Dominion of New Zealand Dominion of New Zealand Dominion of the British Empire 1907 -- 1947 Flag Motto Onward Anthem `` God Save the King '' Location of the Dominion of New Zealand Capital Wellington Languages English ( official ), Māori Government Constitutional monarchy Monarch 1907 -- 1910 Edward VII 1910 -- 1936 George V 1936 Edward VIII 1936 -- 1947 George VI Governor - General 1907 -- 1910 William Plunket ( first ) 1946 -- 1947 Bernard Freyberg ( last ) Prime Minister 1907 -- 1912 Joseph Ward ( first ) 1940 -- 1947 Peter Fraser ( last ) Legislature General Assembly ( Parliament ) Upper Chamber Legislative Council Lower Chamber House of Representatives History Declared a Dominion 26 September 1907 Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 25 November 1947 Currency New Zealand pound Preceded by Succeeded by Colony of New Zealand Realm of New Zealand The Dominion of New Zealand was the historical successor to the Colony of New Zealand. It was a constitutional monarchy with a high level of self - government within the British Empire. New Zealand became a separate British Crown colony in 1841 and received responsible government with the Constitution Act in 1852. New Zealand chose not to take part in Australian Federation and became the Dominion of New Zealand on 26 September 1907, Dominion Day, by proclamation of King Edward VII. Dominion status was a public mark of the political independence that had evolved over half a century through responsible government. Just under one million people lived in New Zealand in 1907 and cities such as Auckland and Wellington were growing rapidly. The Dominion of New Zealand allowed the British government to shape its foreign policy and it followed Britain into the First World War. The 1923 and 1926 Imperial Conferences decided that New Zealand should be allowed to negotiate their own political treaties and the first commercial treaty was ratified in 1928 with Japan. When the Second World War broke out in 1939 the New Zealand government made its own decision to enter the war. In the post-war period, the term ' Dominion ' has fallen into disuse. Full independence was granted with the Statute of Westminster in 1931 and adopted by the New Zealand Parliament in 1947. Contents 1 Dominion status 1.1 Debate 1.2 Royal proclamation 1.3 Effect and reception 2 Dominion gets bigger 3 Dominion Day 4 Changes to dominion status 4.1 Balfour Declaration 4.2 Statute of Westminster 5 Dominion in disuse 6 See also 7 References 8 External links 9 Further reading Dominion status Debate The alteration in status was stirred by a sentiment on the part of the prime ministers of the self - governing colonies of the British Empire that a new term was necessary to differentiate them from the non-self - governing colonies. At the 1907 Imperial Conference, it was argued that self - governing colonies that were not styled ' dominion ' like Canada, or ' commonwealth ' like Australia, should be designated by some such title as ' state of the empire '. After much debate over lexicon, the term ' Dominion ' was decided upon. Following the 1907 conference, the New Zealand House of Representatives passed a motion respectfully requesting that King Edward VII `` take such steps as he may consider necessary '' to change the designation of New Zealand from the ' Colony of New Zealand ' to the ' Dominion of New Zealand '. Dominion status was anticipated to be a halfway house between colonial status and full independence. The adoption of the designation of ' Dominion ' would, `` raise the status of New Zealand '' stated Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward and ``... have no other effect than that of doing the country good ''. Ward also had regional imperial ambitions. He hoped the new designation would remind the world that New Zealand was not part of Australia. It would dignify New Zealand, a country he thought was `` the natural centre for the government of the South Pacific ''. Dominion status was strongly opposed by Leader of the Opposition Bill Massey, an ardent imperialist, who suspected that the change would lead to demands for increases in viceregal and ministerial salaries. Royal proclamation A royal proclamation granting New Zealand the designation of ' Dominion ' was issued on 9 September 1907. On 26 September the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, read the proclamation from the steps of Parliament : Edward R. & I. Whereas We have on the Petition of the Members of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of Our Colony of New Zealand determined that the title of Dominion of New Zealand shall be substituted for that of the Colony of New Zealand as the designation of the said Colony, We have therefore by and with the advice of Our Privy Council thought fit to issue this Our Royal Proclamation and We do ordain, declare and command that on and after the twenty - sixth day of September, one thousand nine hundred and seven, the said Colony of New Zealand and the territory belonging thereto shall be called and known by the title of the Dominion of New Zealand. And We hereby give Our Commands to all Public Departments accordingly. Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace, this ninth day of September, in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven, and in the seventh year of Our Reign. God save the King Lord Plunket declaring New Zealand a Dominion, Wellington, 26 September 1907. Programme for the Dominion Day service at Wellington Town Hall. The New Zealand Gazette published the royal proclamation. Effect and reception The New Zealand Observer ( 1907 ) shows Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward as a pretentious dwarf beneath a massive ' Dominion ' top hat. The caption reads : The Surprise Packet : Canada : `` Rather large for him, is it not ? '' Australia : `` Oh his head is swelling rapidly. The hat will soon fit. '' Letters patent were issued to confirm New Zealand 's change in status, declaring that : `` there shall be a Governor and Commander - in - Chief in and over Our Dominion of New Zealand ''. Dominion status allowed New Zealand to become virtually independent, while retaining the British monarch as head of state, represented by a governor - general appointed in consultation with the New Zealand government. Control over defence, constitutional amendments, and ( partially ) foreign affairs remained with the British government until the Statute of Westminster was adopted in 1947. Ward had thought that New Zealanders would be `` much gratified '' with the new title. However, Dominion status was received with limited enthusiasm and indifference from the general public. The shift from colony to Dominion was viewed as a change of name only. The general public were unable to discern any practical difference. Dominion status was symbolic and recognised the country 's shift to self - governance, but this change had been accomplished with the first responsible government in the 1850s. Historian Keith Sinclair later remarked :... the change of title, for which there had been no demand, produced little public interest. It was largely regarded as Ward 's personal show... it was merely cosmetic. According to Dame Silvia Cartwright, 18th Governor - General of New Zealand, in a 2001 speech : This event passed relatively unheralded. It attracted little comment. This illustrates that what may appear as a constitutional landmark, particularly from this point in time needs to be seen in its context. And so, although new Letters Patent and Royal Instructions were issued in 1907, and the requirement to reserve certain classes of Bill for His Majesty 's pleasure was omitted, New Zealand certainly did n't embrace dominion status with the vigour of a young nation intent on independence. In 1917 letters patent were issued again re-designating the ' governor ' as ' governor - general '. The changes in the viceroy 's title were intended to reflect more fully New Zealand 's self - governing status. The 1917 letters patent constituted the office ' Governor - General and Commander - in - Chief in and over Our Dominion of New Zealand '. Until 1911 New Zealand used the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom on all official documents and public buildings, however following its new status a new coat of arms for New Zealand was designed. A Royal Warrant granting armorial ensigns and supports was issued on 26 August 1911 and published in the New Zealand Gazette of 11 January 1912. Despite the new status, there was some apprehension in 1919 when Prime Minister Bill Massey signed the Treaty of Versailles ( giving New Zealand membership of the League of Nations ). This act was a turning point in New Zealand 's diplomatic history, indicating that the dominion had a degree of control over its foreign affairs. Massey himself did not view it as a symbolic act and would have preferred New Zealand to maintain a deferential role within the empire. Dominion gets bigger The Antarctic territory of the Ross Dependency, previously under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, is today regarded by New Zealand as having become part of the Dominion of New Zealand on 16 August 1923. The legality of that contemporary assertion has been questioned but is nonetheless the position of New Zealand. The Cook Islands and Niue each already formed part of the Dominion of New Zealand on the date it was proclaimed. Both had become part of the Colony of New Zealand on 11 June 1901. Western Samoa was never part of New Zealand, having instead been the subject of a League of Nations Mandate and subsequently a United Nations Trusteeship Agreement. Dominion Day Main article : Dominion Day To mark the granting of Dominion status, 26 September was declared ' Dominion Day '. The first Dominion Day was celebrated on 25 September 1907, when one politician said it would be remembered as New Zealand 's Fourth of July. Today, it is observed only as a Provincial Anniversary Day holiday in South Canterbury. There is support in some quarters for the day to be revived as an alternative New Zealand Day, instead of renaming Waitangi Day, New Zealand 's current national day. Changes to Dominion status Balfour Declaration King George V ( front, centre ) with his prime ministers at the 1926 Imperial Conference. Standing ( left to right ) : Monroe ( Newfoundland ), Coates ( New Zealand ), Bruce ( Australia ), Hertzog ( Union of South Africa ), Cosgrave ( Irish Free State ). Seated : Baldwin ( United Kingdom ), King George V, William Lyon Mackenzie King ( Canada ). The 1926 Imperial Conference devised the ' Balfour formula ' of Dominion status, stating that : The United Kingdom and the Dominions are autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth -- Balfour Declaration of 1926 The Balfour Report further resolved that each respective governor - general occupied `` the same position in relation to the administration of public affairs in the Dominion '' as was held by the monarch in the United Kingdom. The only advisers to the governor - general ( and the monarch in New Zealand ) were his New Zealand ministers. Prime Minister Gordon Coates, who led the New Zealand delegation to the 1926 Conference, called the Balfour Declaration a `` poisonous document '' that would weaken the ties of empire. Statute of Westminster In 1931, the British ( Imperial ) Parliament passed the Statute of Westminster, which gave effect to resolutions passed by the imperial conferences of 1926 and 1930. It essentially gave legal recognition to the `` de facto independence '' of the Dominions by removing Britain 's ability to make laws for the Dominions without their consent : No Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom passed after the commencement of this Act shall extend, or be deemed to extend, to a Dominion as part of the law of that Dominion, unless it is expressly declared in that Act that that Dominion has requested, and consented to, the enactment thereof. -- Statute of Westminster, Section 4. New Zealand initially viewed the Statute of Westminster as an `` unnecessary legal complication that it perceived would weaken imperial relations. '' The New Zealand government only allowed the Dominion of New Zealand to be cited in the statute provided that the operative sections did not apply unless adopted by the New Zealand Parliament. Preferring the British government to handle most of its foreign affairs and defence, New Zealand held back from adopting the Statute of Westminster Act. The First Labour Government ( 1935 -- 1949 ) pursued a more independent path in foreign affairs, in spite of the statute remaining unadopted. In 1938 Deputy Prime Minister Peter Fraser told Parliament, `` this country has to make up its own mind on international problems as a sovereign country -- because under the Statute of Westminster ours is a sovereign country ''. In the 1944 Speech from the Throne the Governor - General announced the government 's intention to adopt the Statute of Westminster. It was forced to abandon the proposal when the opposition accused the government of being disloyal to Britain at a time of need. The Labour Government of Peter Fraser adopted the Statute of Westminster in 1947. Ironically, the National opposition prompted the adoption of the statute in 1947 when its leader, and future prime minister, Sidney Holland introduced a private member 's bill to abolish the Legislative Council. Because New Zealand required the consent of the British Parliament to make the necessary amendments to the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, Peter Fraser, now Prime Minister, had a reason to finally adopt the statute. It was formally adopted on 25 November 1947 with the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947, along with consenting legislation from the British Parliament -- New Zealand was the last Dominion listed in the statute to adopt it. Dominion in disuse The country joined the United Nations as simply ' New Zealand '. And in 1946, Prime Minister Peter Fraser instructed government departments not to use the term ' Dominion ' any longer. One of the first examples of New Zealand 's status as an independent monarchy was the alteration of the monarch 's title by the Royal Titles Act 1953. For the first time, the monarch 's official New Zealand title mentioned New Zealand separately from the United Kingdom and the other Dominions, now called ' Realms ' : Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. -- Royal Titles Act 1953 ( NZ ), s 2 ; Royal Titles Proclamation ( 1953 ) II New Zealand Gazette 851 Following the change of royal title, the term ' Dominion ' gradually fell into disuse over the next decade. The term persisted the longest in the names of institutions ( the Dominion Museum was not renamed the National Museum until as late as 1972 ), businesses and in the constitutions of clubs and societies. One rare surviving usage is in the title of a broadsheet newspaper, The Dominion Post ( formerly The Dominion ). The Realm of New Zealand ( the continuation of the Dominion ) also encompasses outlying territories and associated states. The change in style did not otherwise affect the legal status of New Zealand or the government of New Zealand ; the 1907 royal proclamation of Dominion status has never been revoked and remains in force today. Nevertheless, the opinion of the New Zealand government is that New Zealand became a sovereign state in 1947 : ``... both in terms of gaining formal legal control over the conduct of its foreign policy and the attainment of constitutional and plenary powers by its legislature ''. In passing the Constitution Act 1986 ( effective 1 January 1987 ), New Zealand `` unilaterally revoked all residual United Kingdom legislative power ''. Generally, the country is today known as the Realm of New Zealand. More specifically, the Monarch of New Zealand 's realm comprises New Zealand, Tokelau ( a non-self - governing territory ), the Ross Dependency ( Antarctic territorial claim ), and the Cook Islands and Niue ( self - governing states in free association ). Other countries that have Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state ( such as Canada and Australia ) are known as Commonwealth realms. See also New Zealand portal British Empire portal History of New Zealand Independence of New Zealand Proclamation of accession of Elizabeth II References Jump up ^ Whether New Zealand 's status as a British Dominion came to an end in 1947 with the enactment of the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947 is unclear. For a discussion, see the relevant section of this article. Jump up ^ `` The New Zealand Official Year - Book 1907 ''. stats.govt.nz. Statistics New Zealand. 1907. Retrieved 20 December 2016. ^ Jump up to : McIntyre, W. David ( 20 June 2012 ). `` Self - government and independence ''. www.teara.govt.nz. Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. ^ Jump up to : `` Research papers ''. New Zealand Government / New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 18 December 2016. ^ Jump up to : McIntyre, W. David ( 2001 ). A guide to the contemporary Commonwealth. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire : Palgrave. p. 11. ISBN 9781403900951. Jump up ^ Report on the Inquiry into New Zealand 's Constitutional Arrangements ^ Jump up to : `` Becoming a dominion ''. NZ History. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 20 December 2016. Jump up ^ See Proclamation of the Dominion of New Zealand ( London, September 9, 1907 ), archived on WikiSource ^ Jump up to : `` Dominion Day - From colony to dominion ''. NZHistory. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Dominion status ''. nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 5 August 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Role of the Governor - General, '' speech by Governor - General Dame Silvia Cartwright, New Zealand Centre for Public Law, Victoria University, Wellington, 2 October 2001. Jump up ^ `` Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor - General of New Zealand ( SR 1983 / 225 ) ( as at 22 August 2006 ) -- New Zealand Legislation ''. www.legislation.govt.nz. New Zealand Government. Jump up ^ `` Coat of Arms ''. www.mch.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. ^ Jump up to : McLean, Gavin. `` William Massey ''. NZ History. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 19 December 2016. Jump up ^ http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/imperial/1923/0974/latest/DLM1195.html Order in Council Under the British Settlements Act, 1887 ( 50 & 51 Vict c 54 ), Providing for the Government of the Ross Dependency. Jump up ^ See `` New Zealand 's Claims in the Antarctic '' by Ivor L.M. Richardson, New Zealand Law Journal, Vol. 33, No. 9, p. 133 Jump up ^ `` Commonwealth and Colonial Law '' by Kenneth Roberts - Wray, London, Stevens, 1966. P. 891 and 897 Jump up ^ `` Editorial : Dominion Day debate needless - National - NZ Herald News ''. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Balfour Declaration of 1926 ''. National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 2006 - 07 - 23. Jump up ^ Dawson, R. MacGregor ( 1 January 1937 ). `` Review of The King and His Dominion Governors : A Study of the Reserve Powers of the Crown in Great Britain and the Dominions ''. The Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science / Revue canadienne d'Economique et de Science politique. pp. 139 -- 142. doi : 10.2307 / 136836. Retrieved 19 December 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` What changed ? - Dominion status ''. nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 18 December 2016. Jump up ^ `` Statute of Westminster ''. thecommonwealth.org. The Commonwealth. Retrieved 18 December 2016. Jump up ^ `` Statute of Westminster, 1931 '' ( PDF ). legislation.gov.uk. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 1931. Jump up ^ Harshan Kumarasingham, ' The `` New Commonwealth '' 1947 -- 49 : A New Zealand Perspective on IndiaJoining the Commonwealth ', The Round Table, Vol. 95 ( 385 ), July 2006, pp. 441 -- 454. ^ Jump up to : McIntyre, W. David ( 20 June 2012 ). `` Self - government and independence : Statute of Westminster ''. Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 20 December 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Statute of Westminster passed ''. NZ history. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. ^ Jump up to : Michael Bassett and Michael King ( 2001 ). `` Tomorrow Comes the Song : A Life of Peter Fraser ''. Penguin Books. Retrieved 2007 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ Dame Silvia Cartwright ( 2001 ). `` The Role of the Governor - General ''. Governor - General of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2006 - 10 - 16. Retrieved 2006 - 07 - 23. Jump up ^ `` Former National / Dominion Museum and National Art Gallery '' ( PDF ). Massey University. p. 6. Retrieved 21 December 2016. Jump up ^ `` New Zealand ' still a colony ' ''. Stuff.co.nz. 30 September 2007. Retrieved 21 December 2016. Jump up ^ Philip A. Joseph, Constitutional and Administrative Law in New Zealand, Brookers Ltd., Wellington, 2001, p. 459. External links Dominion status symposium 2007 Radio talks, 2007, about Dominion status ( Radio New Zealand ) Further reading Wikisource has original text related to this article : Proclamation of the Dominion of New Zealand McIntyre, David ( 1999 ). `` The Strange Death of Dominion Status ''. Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History : 193, 196. 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Occupied jointly with the United States. 2. In 1931, Canada and other British dominions obtained self - government through the Statute of Westminster. See Name of Canada. 3. Gave up self - rule in 1934, but remained a de jure Dominion until it joined Canada in 1949. South America 1631 -- 1641 Providence Island 1651 -- 1667 Willoughbyland 1670 -- 1688 Saint Andrew and Providence Islands 1831 -- 1966 Guiana Since 1833 Falkland Islands Since 1908 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 4. Now a department of Colombia. 5. Occupied by Argentina during the Falklands War of April -- June 1982. Africa 17th and 18th centuries 19th century 20th century Since 1658 Saint Helena 1792 -- 1961 Sierra Leone 1795 -- 1803 Cape Colony Since 1815 Ascension Island Since 1816 Tristan da Cunha 1806 -- 1910 Cape of Good Hope 1807 -- 1808 Madeira 1810 -- 1968 Mauritius 1816 -- 1965 The Gambia 1856 -- 1910 Natal 1862 -- 1906 Lagos 1868 -- 1966 Basutoland 1874 -- 1957 Gold Coast 1882 -- 1922 Egypt 1884 -- 1900 Niger Coast 1884 -- 1966 Bechuanaland 1884 -- 1960 Somaliland 1887 -- 1897 Zululand 1890 -- 1962 Uganda 1890 -- 1963 Zanzibar 1891 -- 1964 Nyasaland 1891 -- 1907 Central Africa 1893 -- 1968 Swaziland 1895 -- 1920 East Africa 1899 -- 1956 Sudan 1900 -- 1914 Northern Nigeria 1900 -- 1914 Southern Nigeria 1900 -- 1910 Orange River 1900 -- 1910 Transvaal 1903 -- 1976 Seychelles 1910 -- 1931 South Africa 1914 -- 1960 Nigeria 1915 -- 1931 South - West Africa 1919 -- 1961 Cameroons 1920 -- 1963 Kenya 1922 -- 1961 Tanganyika 1923 -- 1965 and 1979 -- 1980 Southern Rhodesia 1924 -- 1964 Northern Rhodesia 6. League of Nations mandate. 7. Self - governing Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965 ( as Rhodesia ) and continued as an unrecognised state until the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement. After recognised independence in 1980, Zimbabwe was a member of the Commonwealth until it withdrew in 2003. Asia 17th and 18th century 19th century 20th century 1685 -- 1824 Bencoolen 1702 -- 1705 Pulo Condore 1757 -- 1947 Bengal 1762 -- 1764 Manila and Cavite 1781 -- 1784 and 1795 -- 1819 Padang 1786 -- 1946 Penang 1795 -- 1948 Ceylon 1796 -- 1965 Maldives 1812 -- 1824 Banka and Billiton 1819 -- 1826 Malaya 1824 -- 1948 Burma 1826 -- 1946 Straits Settlements 1839 -- 1967 Aden 1839 -- 1842 Afghanistan 1841 -- 1997 Hong Kong 1841 -- 1946 Sarawak 1848 -- 1946 Labuan 1858 -- 1947 India 1874 -- 1963 Borneo 1879 -- 1919 Afghanistan ( protectorate ) 1882 -- 1963 North Borneo 1885 -- 1946 Unfederated Malay States 1888 -- 1984 Brunei 1891 -- 1971 Muscat and Oman 1892 -- 1971 Trucial States 1895 -- 1946 Federated Malay States 1898 -- 1930 Weihai 1878 -- 1960 Cyprus 1907 -- 1949 Bhutan ( protectorate ) 1918 -- 1961 Kuwait 1920 -- 1932 Mesopotamia 1921 -- 1946 Transjordan 1923 -- 1948 Palestine 1945 -- 1946 South Vietnam 1946 -- 1963 North Borneo 1946 -- 1963 Sarawak 1946 -- 1963 Singapore 1946 -- 1948 Malayan Union 1948 -- 1957 Federation of Malaya Since 1960 Akrotiri and Dhekelia ( before as part of Cyprus ) Since 1965 British Indian Ocean Territory ( before as part of Mauritius and the Seychelles ) League of Nations mandate. Iraq 's mandate was not enacted and replaced by the Anglo - Iraqi Treaty Oceania 18th and 19th centuries 20th century 1788 -- 1901 New South Wales 1803 -- 1901 Van Diemen 's Land / Tasmania 1807 -- 1863 Auckland Islands 1824 -- 1980 New Hebrides 1824 -- 1901 Queensland 1829 -- 1901 Swan River / Western Australia 1836 -- 1901 South Australia since 1838 Pitcairn Islands 1841 -- 1907 New Zealand 1851 -- 1901 Victoria 1874 -- 1970 Fiji 1877 -- 1976 Western Pacific Territories 1884 -- 1949 Papua 1888 -- 1901 Rarotonga / Cook Islands 1889 -- 1948 Union Islands 1892 -- 1979 Gilbert and Ellice Islands 1893 -- 1978 Solomon Islands 1900 -- 1970 Tonga 1900 -- 1974 Niue 1901 -- 1942 * Australia 1907 -- 1953 * New Zealand 1919 -- 1942 and 1945 -- 1968 Nauru 1919 -- 1949 New Guinea 1949 -- 1975 Papua and New Guinea 9. Now part of the * Realm of New Zealand. 10. Suspended member. 11. Now Kiribati and * Tuvalu. 12. Now the * Solomon Islands. 13. Now * Papua New Guinea. Antarctica and South Atlantic Since 1658 Saint Helena Since 1815 Ascension Island Since 1816 Tristan da Cunha Since 1908 British Antarctic Territory 1841 -- 1933 Australian Antarctic Territory ( transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia ) 1841 -- 1947 Ross Dependency ( transferred to the Realm of New Zealand ) 14. Since 2009 part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ; Ascension Island ( 1922 -- ) and Tristan da Cunha ( 1938 -- ) were previously dependencies of Saint Helena. 15. Both claimed in 1908 ; territories formed in 1962 ( British Antarctic Territory ) and 1985 ( South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ). Coordinates : 41 ° 17 ′ 20 '' S 174 ° 46 ′ 38 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 41.2889 ° S 174.7772 ° E ﻿ / - 41.2889 ; 174.7772 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dominion_of_New_Zealand&oldid=796865443 '' Categories : Former countries in Oceania States and territories established in 1907 Political history of New Zealand British colonisation of Oceania 1907 establishments in New Zealand Hidden categories : Former country articles requiring maintenance Pages using infobox country or infobox former country with the flag caption or type parameters Pages using infobox country or infobox former country with the symbol caption or type parameters Coordinates on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Bahasa Indonesia Norsk Português Русский Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Svenska اردو 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 23 August 2017, at 14 : 39. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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Question: when did new zealand stop being a dominion
Answer: 1947