Prior to the introduction of the County system in 1943, New Zealand Scouting was organised into six Metropolitan Districts and twenty four Country Districts.

Appart from ten of these Districts (some merged) they were all given County status in 1943.

Counties continued through till 1955, when a number of larger counties became Provinces containing separate Districts, while others were split into autonomus Districts.

The final major change occured in 1962 when the Area system was introduced and twelve Areas were then formed, each with there own Districts

In 1999 one of these Areas (Auckland) was split into three.