Chapter 178: The New Zealand Referendum
As New Zealand prepared for its referendum, Australia also welcomed its fourth National Day, marking four full years since the country's founding.
This year's National Day celebration was not as grand as in previous years. Due to the construction of the new royal palace and government building, no military parade was held. The main events were the flag-raising ceremony and the government's annual address, and Arthur did not return to Australia for the occasion.
After half a month of preparation, on January 15, 1904, the nationwide referendum in New Zealand officially began.
To ensure fairness, New Zealand mobilized nearly the entire colonial government's officials and all stationed military forces, firmly resisting any unfair practices.
Additionally, New Zealand invited officials from the German Empire, the British Empire, France, Australia, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form a witness delegation to oversee the referendum's integrity.
Of course, these officials were actually colonial representatives from neighboring territories, which is why they could arrive in New Zealand so quickly.
Still, these individuals were acting under orders from their respective governments and were indeed authorized to represent them.
To maintain fairness, the referendum would run from January 15 to February 15—a full month.
During this time, the witness delegation would be invited to conduct random inspections across all towns in New Zealand to ensure the referendum's legitimacy.
There were three options in this referendum: New Zealand's independence, continued status as a self-governing colony under British rule, or joining Australia.
Of the three, the least popular turned out to be full independence.
During the typhoon crisis, New Zealanders witnessed the limitations of their country's strength when acting alone.
Had it not been for the assistance of Australia and several European nations, New Zealand would have struggled even with post-disaster relief, possibly facing greater casualties and losses.
This was a common issue around the world: weak regions and nations were like meat on a hunter's table, simply waiting to be carved up by the great powers.
Given New Zealand's size, even if it achieved independence, it would become a mere joke.
Though its economy and industry were much stronger than Asian countries of similar size, it still couldn't compete with European nations.
Moreover, an independent New Zealand, though free from British control, would become a target for other imperial powers.
New Zealand was in no position to resist any major nation—not even second-tier powers like Spain or the Netherlands.
Such an outcome might not be better than remaining with the British Empire. At least Britain was still the world's leading power, capable of protecting its colonies.
Amid the hopes of the people, the referendum officially began.
Hundreds of collection points were established across New Zealand to receive referendum ballots from the population.
In addition, the colonial government organized teams to visit remote areas to gather input from eligible voters, ensuring maximum participation.
Due to New Zealand's relatively small size, the voting period was limited to one month.
However, there would be another two weeks allocated for counting the votes, with the final results scheduled for public release on March 1, one and a half months later.
The referendum drew attention from regions around the world. Aside from the unique case of Australia, this was considered the first instance of colonial residents determining the fate of their own land.
This inspired hope among people in other colonial territories, with some wanting to incite referendums in pursuit of national independence.
Unfortunately, their rulers did not possess the kind of evidence Arthur held, and such efforts were doomed to fail.
European colonial powers, unweakened by the World Wars, would never willingly give up their colonies.
Even small European nations regarded their colonial holdings as vital—let alone the old imperial powers that relied heavily on them for profits and resources.
Politicians in these countries had already anticipated the threat that events like New Zealand's referendum could pose to their own colonies, and had long prepared their colonial militaries to suppress potential uprisings.
At this time, the treatment of colonial populations by imperial powers was still brutally harsh. Human rights were something the colonized peoples would not dare dream of for at least another half-century.
Arthur did not appear during the referendum, but his representative, Joshua, conducted inspections across all cities in New Zealand on Australia's behalf.
The referendum saw enthusiastic participation from New Zealanders. The overflowing ballot boxes in town after town were clear evidence of the high turnout, providing a genuine reflection of public sentiment.
Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Invercargill were the four most frequently inspected cities by the witness delegation.
These were the most populous and economically developed cities in New Zealand at the time.
Wellington and Auckland were located on the North Island, while Christchurch and Invercargill were on the South Island.
However, the two southern cities lagged behind Auckland and Wellington in terms of population and economic development.
Both Wellington and Auckland had populations exceeding 100,000, with Wellington surpassing 150,000.
It's worth noting that when New Zealand first separated from Australia, its colonial capital was still Auckland.
It wasn't until 1865 that the capital was moved to Wellington, located at the southernmost tip of the North Island, directly across the strait from the northern coast of the South Island.
At the time, Wellington was still a backward town. The decision to designate it as the capital had come from Australian legislators (since they were relatively neutral and maintained good relations with New Zealand).
The relocation wasn't due to any geographical disadvantage in Auckland.
In fact, Auckland and its surrounding areas were situated on flat plains, hosting New Zealand's largest population and strongest economy.
However, the discovery of gold on the South Island raised concerns within the colonial government. They feared that with the capital situated far away in northern Auckland, South Islanders might develop separatist sentiments and seek to form their own colony.
To counter this, the capital was moved to the more central southern tip of the North Island—Wellington.
When Wellington became the capital, it had fewer than 5,000 residents.
With successive governors working to develop New Zealand, Wellington gradually evolved into a true city and became the nation's second-largest port after Auckland.
Today, Wellington is New Zealand's political, industrial, and economic center—surpassing Auckland to become the country's largest city.
(End of Chapter)
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