Oroua County Council

The Oroua County Council was first formed in 1883, breaking away from the Manawatu County Council and covered most of the area of the current Manawatu District Council and some of what is now the Palmerston North City Council. Most of the Councillors who stood for office, did so on a platform of suspending the Counties Act within the Council's boundaries. This would have the effect of dispersing the powers of the Council to the Manchester, Kiwitea and Manawatu Road Boards and the Halcombe Town Board and leave the County Council effectively as a figure head with no staff or funds. This was achieved in 1884 and the council ceased to have any staff or conduct any work, with all responsibilities now devolved to the Road and Town Boards. Elections continued to be held for the Councillors, with the last one being held in 1890. The Council of that year did not meet and the councillors gradually lost their positions during the 1890s as the Road Boards split or became County Councils in their own right (as per Section 93 of the Counties Act, 1886).

By 1902 the Manchester Road Board and the Halcombe Town Board were the only remaining Boards in Oroua County, the others having formed the Kiwitea, Pohangina and Kairanga Counties. In 1902 the Manchester Road Board petitioned for the Counties act to be reinstated in what remained of the Oroua County. This was granted in 1903, the Road Board was dissolved and was used as the basis for reforming the Oroua County Council. This new Council later took over several Boards and Committees in the township of Ashhurst. Oroua County Council remained in existence until 1989 when several councils merged to form the Manawatu District Council, except for the portion of land containing the Ashhurst township which was absorbed into the Palmerston North City Council.