Selwyn District is a predominantly rural district in central Canterbury, on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is named after the Selwyn River / Waikirikiri, which is in turn named after Bishop George Selwyn, the first Anglican bishop of New Zealand who, in 1843 and 1844, travelled the length of the country by horse, foot, boat and canoe, leaving in his wake a sprinkling of locations that now bear his name. History The first inhabitants of the area were the Māori who first settled New Zealand from the Cook and Society Islands about 700 years ago. The predominant Māori tribe today, in Selwyn and most of the rest of the South Island, is Ngāi Tahu, whose local marae (meeting house) is at Taumutu near the exit of Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora). In the late 19th century, European (chiefly British) colonists arrived and carved the area up into farmland. This has remained the predominant pattern ever since. The Selwyn District as a unit of government was formed in the 1989 local government reforms from a legislated merger of the Malvern and Ellesmere counties, along with a portion of Paparua County. Since this time, the district has enjoyed a stable and prosperous existence. Recent years have seen above-average population growth, making it the fastest-growing local authority in New Zealand in 2013. Most of Selwyn's new residents have moved from Christchurch to settle on small "lifestyle" farms and in Selwyn's small towns which are within easy commuting distance of the city (e.g. Rolleston, Prebbleton, Lincoln, West Melton, Kirwee). Rolleston is the largest town in Selwyn. Selwyn District, along with Christchurch and Waimakariri District, experienced some damage in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake. The earthquake epicentre was located just outside Darfield. Government The district is governed by an elected mayor and a council of 11 members, elected simultaneously every 3 years. The current mayor is Sam Broughton, who was first elected mayor in October 2016. The mayor is elected on a First Past the Post basis. The 11 councillors are elected from four wards on a multi-member First Past the Post basis; the total number of votes a candidate receives are considered: a.) 2 councillors are elected from Ellesmere Ward b.) 2 councillors are elected from Malvern Ward c.) 4 councillors are elected from Selwyn Central Ward d.) 3 councillors are elected from Springs Ward The Malvern Ward also has a Community