Editing New Zealand Defence Force (section)

===Colonial Defence Force (1862–1867)===
In 1863 the government passed the Colonial Defence Force Act 1862 creating the first Regular Force. This was to be a mounted body of not more than 500 troops, with both Maori and settlers, and costing no more than 30,000 pounds per annum.<ref>Wellington – split in the Ministry, ''Otago Daily Times'', Issue 233, 18 September 1862, Page 5</ref> All were volunteers and expected to serve for three years.

Formation of the first unit did not begin until early April 1863, with 100 men being sought at New Plymouth under Captain Atkinson.<ref>(From our own correspondent), Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1782, 6 April 1863, Page 6</ref> Hawke's Bay was to have the next unit.<ref>Provincial Council, Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 6, Issue 376, 11 April 1863, Page 2</ref> By late April, papers were reporting few had enlisted in New Plymouth.<ref>Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 37, 25 April 1863, Page 2</ref>

Formation of an Auckland unit under Colonel Nixon commenced in July and by the 14th had 30 men.<ref>Military and volunteer movements, Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1869, 14 July 1863, Page 3</ref>

====Authorised units by July 1863====
Commander: Major-General Galloway<ref>The Defence Force, ''Wellington Independent'', Volume XVII, Issue 1895, 16 July 1863, Page 2</ref><ref>Military and volunteer movements, Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1870, 15 July 1863, Page 3</ref><ref>''Taranaki Herald'', Volume XII, Issue 585, 17 October 1863, Page 2</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! header 1|Location
! header 2|Authorised
! header 3|Actual
! header 4|Commander
|-
| row 1, cell 1|Auckland
| row 1, cell 2|100
| row 1, cell 3| 50
| row 1, cell 4|Lieutenant Colonel [[Marmaduke Nixon|Marmaduke George Nixon]]
|-
| row 2, cell 1|Ahuriri (Hawke's Bay)<ref>Hawke's Bay (from our own correspondent) Napier, 17 July 1863, ''Daily Southern Cross'', Volume XIX, Issue 1876, 22 July 1863, Page 3</ref>
| row 2, cell 2|100
| row 2, cell 3|100
| row 2, cell 4|Major [[George Stoddart Whitmore]]<ref>Local Intelligence, ''Hawke's Bay Herald'', Volume 6, Issue 406, 29 July 1863, Page 2</ref>
|-
| row 3, cell 1|New Plymouth
| row 3, cell 2|100
| row 3, cell 3|-
| row 3, cell 4|Captain [[Harry Atkinson|Harry Albert Atkinson]]
|-
| row 4, cell 1|Otago<ref>Local Intelligence, ''Wellington Independent'', Volume XVIII, Issue 1897, 21 July 1863, Page 2</ref>
| row 4, cell 2|50
| row 4, cell 3|
| row 4, cell 4|Mr Branigan
|-
| row 5, cell 1|Wairarapa
| row 5, cell 2| 50
| row 5, cell 3|
| rwo 5, cell 3|
|-
| row 6, cell 1|Wellington
| row 6, cell 2|100
| row 6, cell 3|
| row 6, cell 4|James Townsend Edwards<ref>Appointments, ''Wellington Independent'', Volume XVIII, Issue 1970, 15 October 1863, Page 3</ref>
|}

By October 1863 there was no Wairarapa-based defence force, and 50 were based in Wanganui.<ref>News of the Week, ''Otago Witness'', Issue 622, 30 October 1863, Page 5</ref> The Otago force had earlier been moved to Wellington, with further Otago volunteers heading for the Auckland and Hawke's Bay Units. The total Defence Force numbered 375 by 3 November 1863.<ref>House of Representatives – Tuesday, 3 November 1863, ''Daily Southern Cross'', Volume XIX, Issue 1966, 4 November 1863, Page 4</ref>

In October 1864 the Government decided to reduce the numbers in the Colonial Defence Force to 75 with three units of 25 members each in Wellington, Hawkes Bay and Taranaki.<ref>Disbanding the Defence Force, 'Wellington Independent', Volume XIX, Issue 2121, 29 October 1864, Page 3</ref> By this time there were about 10,000 British Imperial troops in New Zealand, supplemented by about as many New Zealand volunteer and militia forces. There were calls, particularly from South Island papers, for the British Imperial troops to be replaced by local forces.<ref>Imperial v. colonial troops question, Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 74, 18 November 1864, Page 3</ref> Parliamentary debates in late 1864 also supported this view, especially as the cost of maintaining the Imperial troops was becoming a greater financial burden on the colony.<ref>Parliament of New Zealand, Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2298, 1 December 1864, Page 5</ref>

====Defence review, March 1865====
At the request of the governor in January 1865 a formal statement on the defence of the colony was presented on 20 March 1865. This proposed an armed constabulary force supported by friendly natives, volunteer units, and militia as the case may require be established to take the place of the Imperial troops.<ref>On the defences of the Colony, ''Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle'', Volume XXIV, Issue 51, 29 April 1865, Page 3</ref> The proposed force was to consist of 1,350 Europeans and 150 Maori – 1,500 in total. They were to be divided into 30 companies of 50 men each based as follows:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! header 1|Province
! header 2|Location
! header 3|Number
|-
| row 1, cell 1|Auckland
| row 1, cell 2|Queens Redoubt south, between the Waikato and Waipa Rivers
| row 1, cell 3|6
|-
| row 2, cell 1|
| row 2, cell 2|From the Bluff to Pukorokoro
| row 2, cell 3|3
|-
| row 3, cell 1|
| row 3, cell 2|In reserve at Papakura or vicinity
| row 3, cell 3|3
|-
| row 4, cell 1|
| row 4, cell 2|Tauranga
| row 4, cell 3|1
|-
| row 5, cell 1|Taranaki and Wellington
| row 5, cell 2|Taranaki and Wanganui Districts
| row 5, cell 3|12
|-
| row 6, cell 1|
| row 6, cell 2|Wellington
| row 6, cell 3|1
|-
| row 7, cell 1|Hawke's Bay
| row 7, cell 2|Napier
| row 7, cell 3|4
|}
The total Defence budget, which included purchasing a steamer for use on the Waikato, Patea, and Wanganui rivers, was 187,000 pounds per annum. The budget's focus was solely on internal conflict. The issue of external conflict did not begin to resurface until the following year, with thought being given again to coastal defences.<ref>Coastal defences, 'Colonist', Volume IX, Issue 916, 13 July 1866, Page 5</ref>

The Colonial Defence Force was disbanded in October 1867 by the Armed Constabulary Act 1867. Its members transferred to the Armed Constabulary.