The Department of Island Territories was a New Zealand government department that was tasked with administrating New Zealand's three Pacific Islands territories—the Cook Islands (until 1965), Niue, and Tokelau—and the country's League of Nations mandate, Samoa (until 1962). It was established on 3 October 1919 under the "External Affairs Bill" as the Department of External Affairs."External Affairs Bill", in New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, Vol. 185 (3 October–5 November 1919), p.337. In 1943, the department was renamed the Department of Island Territories after a separate Department of External Affairs was created to conduct the country's external relations. In 1975, the department was dissolved and its functions were absorbed back into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the successor to the External Affairs Department.Malcolm Templeton, ed., An Eye, and Ear, and a Voice, p.1.
The department was headed by a minister of island territories who oversaw the Resident-Commissioners of the Cook Islands and of Niue, and the Administrator of the Tokelau Islands. Until the appointment of John Mathison in 1957, the Minister of Island Territories was contemporaneously the Minister of External Affairs.
The Island Territories Department was responsible for the formulation and development of New Zealand government policy towards its Island Territories. The department's other functions included transmitting advice and assistance from other New Zealand government departments to local Island governments, operating the ship GMV Moana Roa, and acting as a purchasing agent for the Island Territories. The department had offices in both the capital, Wellington, and the New Zealand's largest city, Auckland.
List of ministers The following ministers have held the office of Minister of Island Territories.
Key
No. Name PortraitTerm of officePrime Minister 1 James Allen 24 November 1919 28 April 1920Massey 2 Ernest Lee 17 May 1920 13 January 1923 3Francis Bell 7 June 192318 January 1926 BellCoates 4 William Nosworthy 24 May 1926 24 August 1928 5 Gordon Coates 25 August 1928 10 December 1928 6 Joseph Ward 10 December 1928 28 May 1930 Ward 7 George Forbes 28 May 1930 6 December 1935 Forbes 8 Michael Joseph Savage 6 December 1935 27 March 1940 Savage 9 Frank Langstone 1 April 1940 21 December 1942 Fraser 10 Peter Fraser 7 July 1943 13 December 1949 11 Frederick Doidge 13 December 1949 19 September 1951 Holland 12 Clifton Webb 19 September 1951 26 November 1954 13 Tom Macdonald 26 November 1954 12 December 1957 Holyoake 14 John Mathison 12 December 1957 12 December 1960 Nash 15 Leon Götz 12 December 1960 20 December 1963 Holyoake 16 Ralph Hanan 20 December 1963 24 July 1969 17 Duncan MacIntyre 24 July 1969 8 December 1972 Marshall18Phil Amos8 December 197210 September 1974 Kirk Rowling
Notes
References
Further reading An eye, an ear and a voice: 50 years in New Zealand’s external relations edited by Malcolm Templeton (1993, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wellington NZ) .