Wanting to be safe guarded from attack from other Maori tribes the Chiefs of the Ngati Whatua encouraged Hobson to site the Capital on the Tamaki Isthmus. During a meeting at Okahu, about 1780, a tohunga, Titai, had recited a prophecy:

He aka te ha e wawara mai He tiu, he raki, Naua I u mai to pupup terakihi kiuta & tikina atu e au te kotiu Koi ate pou Whakairo Kat u ki Waitamataa I aku wairangi e

What is the wind that softly blows? It is the wind of the Northwest, of the North. That drives the Nautilus [ship] on our shore. If I bring from the north The handsome carved post And place it here in Waitamata My dream will be fulfilled.

“they took the post to the Governor, so they went to the Bay of Islands and invited Hobson to settle. He decided to set up his Capital here [Auckland] and purchased the three thousand acres of the area that is now the centre of Auckland City”

The Office of the Governor: 1840 - 1851

From 1840 until 1851 Auckland was directly administered by the Governor's Officials.

In 1851 the Governor George Grey proclaimed Auckland a Borough and elections were held.

Auckland Borough Council: 1851 - 1852

Mayor: Archibald Clark 1851 - 1852

The legality of George Grey's proclamation was questioned by the Colonial Office in London and the House of Representatives here. For these reasons and an inability to raise income led to the Auckland Borough being dissolved.

The Office of the Governor: 1852-1854

From 1852 to 1854 Auckland was again administered by the Office of the Governor. In 1854 new proceedings created the shortlived Auckland City Council.

Auckland City Council: 1854 - 1855

Chairman: Dr. Walter Lee 1854 - 1855

The legality of the Council being questioned led to its dissolution and between 1855 and 1862 Auckland was administered by the Auckland Provincial Council.

Auckland Provincial Council: 1855 - 1862

Superintendent William Brown 15 Mar 1855 - Nov 1855

Superintendent Dr John Logan Campbell 15 Nov 1855 - 17 Sep 1856

Superintendent John Williamson 11 Nov 1856 Dec 1862

In 1862 the Town Board was created to oversee services and repairs to public roads and other facilities.

Auckland Town Board (Board of Works) 1862 - 1863

Chairman: Stannus Jones July 1862

Chairman: Andrew Beveridge Oct 1862

Following a great deal of arguing and accusations of incompetence and corruption this body was dissolved and replaced by a new entity - The Auckland City Board of Commissioners. (In 1864 the Capital was relocated to Wellington, although the Auckland Provincial Council continued to meet in Auckland)

Auckland City Board of Commissioners: 1863 - 1871

Chairman: Andrew Beveridge June 1863 - June 1864

Chairman: David Graham June 1864 - June 1865

Chairman: John Watson Bain (decd) June 1865 - Dec 1867

Chairman: George Webster  Jan 1868 - July 1869

Chairman: Dr Walter Lee Aug 1869 - Nov 1869

Chairman: Philip Aaron Philips 1867 - 1871

In 1871 Auckland was again proclaimed a City and elections were held. Initially the elections were every year.

Auckland City Council: 1871 - 2010

The first two Mayors were appointed by the Councillors.

Philip Aaron Philips 1871-1874

Henry Isaacs 1874

From 1874 the Mayor was elected directly by ratepayers

Frederick Prime 1874 - 1875

Benjamin Tonks 1875 - 1876

(In 1876 the Provincial Governments were abolished bringing an end to the Auckland Provincial Council) 

William Hurst 1876 - 1877

Henry Brett (Kt 1926) 1877 - 1878

Thomas Peacock 1878 - 1880

James Clark 1880 - 1883

William Waddel 1883 - 1886

Albert Devore 1886 - 1889

John Upton 1889 - 1891

William Crowther 1891 - 1893

James Job Holland 1893 - 1896

Abraham Boardman 1896 - 1897

Peter Dignan 1897 - 1898

David Goldie 1898 - 1901 - resigned over Temperance issue on the eve of the 1901 Royal Tour.

Dr John Logan Campbell (Kt 1901) 1901 (Appointed by the Councillors not electors)

Alfred Kidd 1901 - 1903

Edwin Mitchelson (Kt 1920) 1903 - 1905

Arthur Myers (Kt 1924) 1905 - 1909

Charles Grey 1909 - 1910

Lemuel Bagnall 1910 - 1911

Christopher James Parr (Kt 1914) 1911 - 1915

From 1915 until 1935 the Mayors' term was biennial.

James Gunson (Kt 1924) 1915 - 1925

George Baildon 1925 - 1931

George Hutchison 1931 - 1935

From 1935 the Mayor's term became triennial.

 Ernest Davis (Kt 1937) 1935 - 1941

John Allum (Kt 1946) 1941 - 1953

John Luxford (Kt 1953) 1953 - 1956

Thomas Ashby 1956 - 1957

Keith Buttle 1957 - 1959

Dove-Myer Robinson (Kt 1970) 1959 - 1965

Dr. Roy McElroy 1965 - 1968

Sir Dove-Myer Robinson (Kt 1970) 1968 - 1980

Colin Kay 1980 - 1983

Catherine Tizard (Kt 1994) 1983 - 1990

In 1989 several Borough Councils on and around the Auckland isthmus were forced to amalgamate with Auckland City Council.