The following lists events that happened during 1861 in New Zealand. A ceasefire is reached in the

First Taranaki War The First Taranaki War (also known as the North Taranaki War) was an armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Māori people, Māori and the New Zealand government in the Taranaki district of New Zealand's North ...

, with British efforts to defeat Māori disaffected over land purchases having largely failed. Prosperity comes to the south with the onset of the

Central Otago Gold Rush The Otago Gold Rush (often called the Central Otago Gold Rush) was a gold rush that occurred during the 1860s in Central Otago, New Zealand. This was the country's biggest gold strike, and led to a rapid influx of foreign miners to the area – ...

. Within a year the population of the Tuapeka goldfields is twice that of Dunedin.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Head of State A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

—

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

—

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Thomas Gore Browne Colonel Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne, (3 July 1807 – 17 April 1887) was a British colonial administrator, who was Governor of St Helena, Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Tasmania and Governor of Bermuda. Early life Browne was born on ...

leaves office on 3 October to take up the post of

Governor of Tasmania The governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of the Monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. The incumbent governor is Barbara Baker, who was appointed in June 2021. The official residence of the ...

. His successor is

Sir George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Gov ...

who takes up the position in December.

Government and law

The general election of 1860–61 concludes on 28 March having begun on 12 December the previous year. The 3rd Parliament commences. *

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

—

David Monro Sir David Monro (27 March 1813 – 15 February 1877) was a New Zealand politician. He served as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1861 to 1870. Early life Monro was born in Edinburgh. His father was Alexander Monro, ...

becomes Speaker after the retirement of Sir Charles Clifford the previous year. *

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

— William Fox replaces Edward Stafford on 12 July after Stafford loses a vote of no-confidence. *

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

— William Richmond loses the post on 12 July with the fall of the Fox government, and is replaced by

Reader Wood Reader Gillson Wood (1821 – 20 August 1895) was a 19th-century New Zealand politician. An architect by trade, he designed the 1854 General Assembly House built as New Zealand's first meeting house for the House of Representatives. Early life ...

. * Chief Justice —

Hon Hon or HON may refer to: People * Han (surname) (Chinese: 韩/韓), also romanized Hon * Louis Hon (1924–2008), French footballer * Priscilla Hon (born 1998), Australian tennis player Other uses * Hon (Baltimore), a cultural stereotype of ...

George Arney Sir George Alfred Arney (1810 – 7 April 1883) was the second Chief Justice of New Zealand. Early life Arney was born in 1810 in Salisbury, England. His parents were William Arney, a barrister, and Maria Charlotte Arney. He was educated at Win ...

Events

* 16 February: The ''Southern News and Foveaux Strait's Herald'' publishes its first issue. The paper will become daily by 1875 and change its name to ''The Southland Daily News''. It continues until 1968. * 28 February: The Government-sponsored

Māori language Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...

magazine, ''The Maori Messenger'' or ''Te Karere Maori'' publishes its final issue and is replaced by ''Te Manuhiri Tuarangi and Maori Intelligencer'', which continues until 1863. *21 March: ''The Auckland Examiner'', which started in 1856, ceases publication. * 25 May: ''

The Press ''The Press'' is a daily newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand owned by media business Stuff Ltd. First published in 1861, the newspaper is the largest circulating daily in the South Island and publishes Monday to Saturday. One comm ...

'' publishes its first issue. It begins as a weekly newspaper, will move to bi-weekly in 1862, and becomes daily in 1863. It continues . * 29 June: Confirmation of the richness of

Gabriel Read Thomas Gabriel Read (21 August 182531 October 1894) was a gold prospector and farmer. His discovery of gold in Gabriel's Gully triggered the first major gold rush in New Zealand. Life Read was born on 21 August 1825 in Tasmania, Australia. Th ...

's gold discovery at

Gabriel's Gully Gabriel's Gully is a locality in Otago, New Zealand, three kilometres from Lawrence township and close to the Tuapeka River. It was the site of New Zealand's first major gold rush. The discovery of gold at Gabriel's Gully by Gabriel Read on 25 ...

on the

Tuapeka River The Tuapeka River is located in Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. It is a tributary of the Clutha River, which it joins at Tuapeka Mouth between Roxburgh and Balclutha. The Tuapeka's main claim to fame is as the centre of the Central Ot ...

is published in Dunedin and the

is on. * 15 November: The ''

Otago Daily Times The ''Otago Daily Times'' (ODT) is a newspaper published by Allied Press Ltd in Dunedin, New Zealand. The ''ODT'' is one of the country's four main daily newspapers, serving the southern South Island with a circulation of around 26,000 and a c ...

'' produces its first issue. The newspaper continues . *

Otago Gold Rush The Otago Gold Rush (often called the Central Otago Gold Rush) was a gold rush that occurred during the 1860s in Central Otago, New Zealand. This was the country's biggest gold strike, and led to a rapid influx of foreign miners to the area – ...

(1861–63) ;Undated * The

Māori King Movement The Māori King Movement, called the in Māori, is a movement that arose among some of the Māori (tribes) of New Zealand in the central North Island in the 1850s, to establish a role similar in status to that of the monarch of the British c ...

begins publication of ''Te Hokioi o Nui-Tireni e Rere atu ra'', which continues until 1863.

Sport

Shooting

The first National Rifle Shooting Championships is held. This is the oldest national championships in New Zealand in any sport. The Championships are held in conjunction with various district contests until the first centralised Championships at Trentham in

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's f ...

.Todd, S. (1976) ''Sporting Records of New Zealand.'' Auckland: Moa Publications. The winner receives the Championship Belt (and Pouch). In

1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 11 – The French warship ''Jean Bart'' sinks off the coast of Morocco. ...

the belt is won outright by A. Ballinger and it is renamed the Ballinger Belt. This name has been applied retroactively to the Championship since its inception. Ballinger Belt:

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

Brighton (Auckland)

Births

* 21 February (in Italy): –

G. P. Nerli Girolamo Pieri Pecci Ballati Nerli (21 February 1860 – 24 June 1926), was an Italian painter who worked and travelled in Australia and New Zealand in the late 19th century influencing Charles Conder and Frances Hodgkins and helping to mo ...

, painter * 12 June: James Gardiner, Australian politician.

Unknown date

* William Stewart, politician.

Deaths

* 8 February:

William Cutfield King William Cutfield King (1829 – 8 February 1861) was a 19th-century New Zealand politician who was elected to Parliament, but was killed in the New Zealand Wars before the first session. Early life King was born in Devonshire, England in 1829 ...

, member of the

New Zealand House of Representatives The House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the New Zealand Parliament. The House passes Law of New Zealand, laws, provides Ministers of the New Zealand Government, ministers to form Cabinet of New Zealand, Cabinet, and supervises the ...

* 26 March:

Andrew Sinclair Andrew Annandale Sinclair FRSL FRSA (21 January 1935 – 30 May 2019) was a British novelist, historian, biographer, critic, filmmaker, and a publisher of classic and modern film scripts. He has been described as a "writer of extraordinary flu ...

, British surgeon notable for his botanical collections * 13 June:

Te Herekiekie Te Herekiekie ( 1810s – 13 June 1861) was a notable New Zealand tribal leader. Of Māori descent, he identified with the Ngāti Tūwharetoa iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means ...

, tribal leader * 18 July (in London):

Joseph Greenwood Joseph Greenwood (1818 – 18 July 1861) was a soldier and New Zealand politician. Greenwood was born in St Pancras, London. His parents were Thomas Greenwood and Esther née Munden. He joined the 31st Regiment of Foot in Bengal, India, wh ...

, soldier and member of the

* 16 September: Jeanie Collier, runholder * 17 November (in London):

John Robert Godley John Robert Godley (29 May 1814 – 17 November 1861) was an Anglo-Irish statesman and bureaucrat. Godley is considered to be the founder of Canterbury, New Zealand, although he lived there for only two years. Early life Godley was born in Dubli ...

, founder of Canterbury * 22 November (in

Grafton, New South Wales Grafton ( Bundjalung-Yugambeh: Gumbin Gir) is a city in the Northern Rivers region of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is located on the Clarence River, approximately by road north-northeast of the state capital Sydney. The closest m ...

): William Edward Vincent, printer and publisher

Unknown date

* Te Huruhuru, tribal leader

References

;General * Romanos, J. (2001) ''New Zealand Sporting Records and Lists.'' Auckland: Hodder Moa Beckett. ;Specific {{DEFAULTSORT:1861 in New Zealand

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Government and law

Events

Sport

Shooting

Births

Unknown date

Deaths

Unknown date

See also

References