Editing New Plymouth (section)

===Borough/City of New Plymouth===
[[File:Crest of the City of New Plymouth, Taranaki.png|thumb|right|New Plymouth City Council Coat-of-Arms as used from 1949]]

A town board was formed in 1863 and the town was constituted as a borough in August 1876. Its new status did little to overcome some outside perceptions, however. In 1876, author E. W. Payton wrote that "all the great bustling 'cities' of the colony had a patronising way of trying to snub New Plymouth, referring to it in such derogatory terms as the dullest hole in the colony ... nothing whatever to do there... I find a great liking for this 'slow, old hole' ... it is a quiet, unassuming place and has not done so much to attract immigrants and settlers by exaggerating reports, as some districts have done."<ref>As quoted by J.S. Tullett, who cites "Early Days, Taranaki" by F. B. Butler (1942).</ref>

Fitzroy Town District was merged with New Plymouth borough in August 1911; Vogeltown, [[Frankleigh Park]] and Westown were added a year later, followed by St Aubyn-Moturoa. By 1913, the town had a population of 7,538. Seafront land was added in 1931 and 1941; land acquired on Omata Rd was added in 1955 and in 1960, large areas including land to the south of Paritutu, as well as Hurdon, Ferndale and Huatoki were included, as well as land straddling Mangorei Rd between Te Hēnui Stream and Waiwakaiho River.

New Plymouth was declared a city in 1949.