Editing List of cities in New Zealand (section)

===Summary of claims as New Zealand's first city===

{| class="wikitable"
! Foundation Date
! City
! Basis of claim
|-
| 1839
| Wellington
| First of New Zealand's modern cities to be settled
|-
| 21 May 1852
| Auckland
| Electorate of "City of Auckland" established
|-
| 6 February 1854
| Auckland
| First city council established (disestablished 1856 and not re-established until 1871)
|-
| 31 July 1856
| Christchurch
| First settlement to receive [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]] by [[letters patent]]
|-
| 31 January 1863
| Christchurch
| Longest continuously operating city council (name changed to Christchurch Borough Council between May and November 1868)
|-
| 18 May 1865
| Dunedin
| Longest continuously operating municipal council to continuously use the title "city council"
|}