CIVICSNZ

Royal Commissions

The Institute found that there is no singular platform that holds a comprehensive collection of historical Royal Commissions; we aim to fill this gap.

Working Paper 2020/10 – A List of Royal Commissions since 1868 and Table 1 below provide a list of all Royal Commissions established in New Zealand. We would encourage government to establish a Royal Commissions website that contains a user–friendly list of Royal Commissions.

We have been unable to find a copy of some commissions’ reports so in these cases we have simply added some evidence that shows the commission existed. If you have or know where we could find a copy of any of these reports, please contact us.

Working Paper 2020/10 – A List of Royal Commissions between 1868 and 2020

See all Working Papers

Royal Commissions since 1868

Last updated: 15 March 2022.

Key:
* = PDF not found
# = Ongoing

Date	Publication title
2020#	Abuse in state care and in the care of faith-based institutions
2020	Terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019
2012	Building failure caused by the Canterbury earthquakes
2012	Pike River coal mine tragedy
2009	Auckland governance
2001	Genetic modification
1988	Social policy
1986	Electoral system
1986*	Broadcasting and related telecommunications in New Zealand
1981	The crash on Mt Erebus, Antarctica of a DC10 aircraft operated by Air New Zealand Limited
1980	The circumstances of the convictions of Arthur Allan Thomas for the murders of David Harvey Crewe and Jeanette Lenore Crewe
1980*	Māori Land Court
1978*	The Courts
1978	Nuclear power generation
1977*	Contraception, sterilisation and abortion
1975*	Sale of liquor in New Zealand
1974*	Future use of Rangatira B and C Blocks
1973*	Parliamentary salaries and allowances
1973	Hospital and related services
1972*	Social security
1972*	Salary and wage fixing procedures in the New Zealand State Services
1972*	Handling of containers, seafreighters and unitised cargo (containers commission)
1970*	Parliamentary salaries and allowances
1970*	Horse racing, trotting and dog racing in New Zealand
1968*	Parliamentary salaries and allowances
1968	Salary and wage fixing procedures in the New Zealand State Services
1967	Compensation for personal injury [accidents]
1964*	Parliamentary salaries and allowances
1962*	State services in New Zealand
1961*	Parliamentary salaries and allowances
1959*	Parliamentary salaries and allowances
1959*	Local authority finance
1958*	Parliamentary salaries and allowances
1957*	D.I.C. scaffolding accident, Wellington
1956	Monetary, banking and credit systems
1955*	Parliamentary salaries and allowances
1952*	New Zealand Government Railways
1952*	Waterfront industry in New Zealand [Act is passed in 1950]
1951*	Parliamentary salaries and allowances
1951*	Desirability of establishing an additional meat-export slaughterhouse in Southland
1951*	Matters and questions relating to certain leases of Maori lands vested in Maori Land Boards
1951*	Claims preferred by certain Maori claimants concerning the payment of certain moneys by the Aotea District Maori Land Board in respect of the West Taupo Timber Lands, Tarawera and Tataraakina Blocks, the Mohaka Block, and the Opouturi Block
1950	Claims made by certain Maoris in respect of the Wanganui River
1949	Sheep-farming industry in New Zealand
1948	Assessment of rentals under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Leases
1948	Ballantyne fire, Christchurch
1948	Gaming and racing
1948	Claims preferred by certain claimants concerning the Pukeroa-Oruawhata (Rotorua township) Block
1948	Claims preferred by certain Maori claimants concerning the Mokau (Manginangina) Block
1948	Claims preferred by certain Maori claimants concerning the Mahia Block
1948	Claims preferred by members of the Maori race touching certain lands known as surplus lands of the Crown [land disputes]
1946	Trans-harbour facilities in the Auckland metropolitan area and the approaches thereto [railway and roading]
1946	Acquisition and disposal of surplus assets by the War Assets Realization Board [governance and accountability]
1946	Licensing [manufacture, importation and supply of intoxicating liquors]
1941	Kaye’s mine [colliery accident at Ten-Mile Creek, near Greymouth]
1940	Glen Afton collieries [coal mine]
1939	Orakei lands [grievances alleged by Māori with regard to certain lands at Ōrākei, in the city of Auckland]
1930	Special land-tax [on any cases of hardship arising from the Land and Income Tax Amendment Act 1929]
1930	Waitemata Harbour transit facilities [building a bridge across the Waitematā Harbour]
1929	Waikato-Maniapoto Native Land Court District [leases of native lands]
1928	Confiscated native lands and other grievances [by Māori]
1928	Administration of Western Samoa [complaints]
1927*	Water supplies for the metropolitan area and the city of Auckland
1927	Harbour Board matters at Napier
1927	Dobson Colliery disaster [coal mine]
1926	Rural credits [providing farmers with further financial assistance]
1925	University education in New Zealand
1925	Sale of the Poverty Bay Farmers’ Meat Company (Limited) to Messrs Vestey Bros (Limited) and other matters
1924	Land and income taxation in New Zealand
1922	Rotorua–Taupo railway
1918	Defence Department Expenditure
1915	Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act 1914
1914	Mining districts in Nelson, Marlborough, and Westland [administration and disposal of the land, forests and timber belonging to the Crown]
1914	Hauraki mining district and Te Aroha township [administration and disposal of Crown land, forests, and timber and also land-tenures in Te Aroha township]
1914	Huntly mining accident
1914	Explosives in New Zealand [care and carriage]
1913	Forestry [whether forests should be retained for conservation or used for settlement or timber production]
1912	Cost of living in New Zealand [review on extent of increase]
1912	Mines [health and safety of miners]
1911	Kaiapoi Reserve [land]
1910	Auckland City and suburban electric tramways
1909	Police Force of New Zealand
1908	Auckland electric tramways [efficiency and working of the brakes
1907	Nightcaps coal-mine disaster [on 21 June 1907]
1907*	Native lands and native-land tenure
1907	Fires on wool-ships
1906	Te Aute and Wanganui School Trusts [land ceded to the Crown]
1906	West Coast Settlement Reserves [complaints against the Public Trustee]
1906	Usury on loans to Maoris
1905	Porirua, Otaki, Waikato, Kaikokirikiri and Motueka School Trusts
1905	Police Force of New Zealand [receipt of stolen goods]
1905	Crown Lands [land tenure, land-settlement, and other matters affecting the Crown Lands of the Colony]
1905	The Maori Land Claims Adjustment and Laws Amendment Act 1904
1904	Te Akau Block
1904	The Native Land Claims Adjustment and Laws Amendment Act 1901
1901	Coal-mines of New Zealand
1901	New Zealand Midland Railway
1901	Staffs of schools and salaries of public school teachers
1901	Ships “G. M. Tucker” and “Monowai” [alleged delays in inspection]
1901	Federation [with Australia]
1900	Stoke Industrial School, Nelson [orphanage for boys, treatment of inmates]
1898	Police Force of New Zealand
1898	Kauri-gum industry [conditions and status of employees]
1897	Private benefit societies [employees coerced by employers to join]
1897	Charges against Inspector John Emerson
1896	Brunner coal-mine disaster [on 26 March 1896]
1894	Fox correspondence [private letters to Premier published in the Evening Post]
1893	Charges made by Mr. G. W. Ell against Mr. Bloxam, Registrar of the Supreme Court, Christchurch, and Mr. E. C. Latter, lately Official Assignee, Christchurch
1893	Westport Colliery Reserve [railways]
1891	Strikes [causes of conflict between capital and labour]
1890	Sweating Commission: Certain relations between the employers of certain kinds of labour and the persons employed therein
1889	Land taken for defence purposes at Point Resolution, Auckland
1889	The Tauponuiatia Block
1888	Middle Island [South Island] native land question
1883	The immigrant ship “Oxford” [outbreak of typhoid fever]
1880	The Confiscated Lands Inquiry and Maori Prisoners’ Trials Act 1879
1880	University of New Zealand, and its relations to the secondary schools of the colony [continues report of 1879 by same title]
1880	Civil service of New Zealand
1879	Electoral roll of Mongonui [Mangōnui] and Bay of Islands District
1879	University of New Zealand, and its relations to the secondary schools of the colony
1878	Petition of James Mackintosh and Son [over land]
1878	Employment of Females Acts [whether the Acts are effective]
1877	Charges made by Thomas Butler, late Keeper, Nelson Lunatic Asylum
1877	Jackson’s Bay settlement [governance]
1877	Philadelphia Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 [to secure the representation of New Zealand]
1876	New General Assembly Library
1876	Claims to compensation by owners of tramways
1874	Boiler accident at the Kurunui Battery, Thames Gold Field [and the machinery and boilers on the field generally]
1874*	Ship Scimitar [deaths of immigrants from scarlet fever and measles]
1868	Prisons