The following lists events that happened during 1890 in New Zealand.

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 ...

–

The Earl of Onslow ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

Government and law

The

10th New Zealand Parliament The 10th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Elections for this term were held in 4 Māori electorates and 91 European electorates on 7 and 26 September 1887, respectively. A total of 95 MPs were elected. Parliame ...

continues. *

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 ...

–

Maurice O'Rorke Sir George Maurice O’Rorke (2 May 1830 – 25 August 1916) was a New Zealand politician, representing (as George O’Rorke) the Auckland seat of Onehunga, and later Manukau, and was Speaker of the House of Representatives. He was a committed ...

. *

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 ...

–

Harry Atkinson Sir Harry Albert Atkinson (1 November 1831 – 28 June 1892) served as the tenth premier of New Zealand on four separate occasions in the late 19th century, and was Colonial Treasurer for a total of ten years. He was responsible for guiding t ...

. *

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", " ...

–

. * 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 ...

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...

James Prendergast The number of members of the House of Representatives is cut from 95 to 74. The

New Zealand Legislative Council The New Zealand Legislative Council was the upper house of the General Assembly of New Zealand between 1853 and 1951. An earlier arrangement of legislative councils for the colony and provinces existed from 1841 when New Zealand became a co ...

has 39 members.

Parliamentary opposition

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

–

John Ballance John Ballance (27 March 1839 – 27 April 1893) was an Irish-born New Zealand politician who was the 14th premier of New Zealand, from January 1891 to April 1893, the founder of the Liberal Party (the country's first organised political part ...

(

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

Main centre leaders

Mayor of Auckland The Mayor of Auckland is the directly elected head of the Auckland Council, the local government authority for the Auckland Region in New Zealand, which it controls as a unitary authority. The position exists since October 2010 after the amalga ...

– John Upton *

Mayor of Christchurch The Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system. The current mayor, Phil ...

–

Charles Louisson Charles Melville Louisson (1840 – 19 April 1924), known as Charles Louisson or Chas Louisson, was a New Zealand politician. Born in London, and relocated to Australia as a teenager, he worked in farming and on the gold fields. He moved to Chri ...

followed by Samuel Manning *

Mayor of Dunedin The Mayor of Dunedin is the head of the local government, the city council of Dunedin, New Zealand. The Mayor's role is "to provide leadership to the other elected members of the territorial authority, be a leader in the community and perform c ...

–

John Roberts John Glover Roberts Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is an American lawyer and jurist who has served as the 17th chief justice of the United States since 2005. Roberts has authored the majority opinion in several landmark cases, including ''Nati ...

followed by

John Carroll John Carroll may refer to: People Academia and science *Sir John Carroll (astronomer) (1899–1974), British astronomer *John Alexander Carroll (died 2000), American history professor *John Bissell Carroll (1916–2003), American cognitive sci ...

Mayor of Wellington The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of the City of Wellington. The mayor presides over the Wellington City Council. The mayor is directly elected using the Single Transferable Vote method of proportional representati ...

– Charles Johnston

Events

* The Maritime Strike involves 8000 unionists * 28 October: The first

Labour Day Labour Day ('' Labor Day'' in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for ...

is celebrated (but it is not a

public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history, ...

)

Sport

Athletics New Zealand, Athletics

The first athletics team to compete overseas travels to

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

.Heidenstrom, P. (1992) ''Athletes of the Century.'' Wellington: GP Publications. At the National Championships the 3 miles,

Pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...

and

Shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

are held for the first time.

National Champions (Men)
/h3>
100 yards – Jack Hempton (Southland) 250 yards – Jack Hempton (Southland) 440 yards – H. Reeves (Canterbury) 880 yards – J. Grierson (Canterbury) 1 mile – Peter Morrison (South Canterbury) 3 miles – Peter Morrison (South Canterbury) 120 yards hurdles – Harold Batger (Wellington) Long jump – T. Harman (Canterbury) High jump – T. McNaught (Otago) Pole vault – D. Robertson (Canterbury) Shot put – R. Malcolm (Wellington)

Chess
National Champion: H. Hookham (his 2nd title)

Horse racing

Harness racing
* The inaugural running of the
Auckland Trotting Cup The Auckland Pacing Cup which is sometimes referred to as the Auckland Trotting Cup or merely the Auckland Cup is a race held at Alexandra Park in Auckland, New Zealand for Standardbred horses. It is one of the two major harness races, along with ...
(over 3 miles) is won by Commodore

Thoroughbred racing
*
New Zealand Cup The New Zealand Cup is a thoroughbred horse race run at the Riccarton Park Racecourse in Christchurch. New Zealand Cup week The New Zealand Cup is raced on the final Saturday of Christchurch "Cup week" held each year in the second week of Novem ...
– Wolverine *
New Zealand Derby The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day o ...
– Medallion *
Auckland Cup The Auckland Cup is an annual race held by the Auckland Racing Club (ARC). It is an Open Handicap for thoroughbred racehorses competed on the flat turf over 3200 metres (two miles) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. The race was ...
– Crackshot *
Wellington Cup The Wellington Cup is a Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand held annually in late January at Trentham Racecourse in Trentham by the Wellington Racing Club. History Inaugurated in 1874, the Wellington Cup has been raced over various ...
–
Cynisca Cynisca or Kyniska ( el, Κυνίσκα; born c. 442 BC) was a wealthy Spartan princess. She is famous for being the first woman to win at the Olympic Games, competing in the sport of chariot racing. Cynisca first entered the Olympics in 396 BC, ...

Lawn bowls

National Champions
Singles – G. White (Milton) Fours – W. Savage, V. Parsons, E. Ashby and B. Hale (skip) (Canterbury) As the New Zealand Bowling Association at this time consists largely of South Island clubs, the first truly "national" championships are not deemed to have begun until
1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...
.

Polo
The Savile Cup, the premier polo trophy in New Zealand, is held for the first time. It is presented by and named after the aide-de-camp to the
Governor of New Zealand The governor-general of New Zealand ( mi, te kāwana tianara o Aotearoa) is the viceregal representative of the monarch of New Zealand, currently King Charles III. As the King is concurrently the monarch of 14 other Commonwealth realms and liv ...
,
The Earl of Onslow ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
. Savile Cup winners – Christchurch

Rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

National Champions (Men)
Single sculls – T. Sullivan (Wellington) Double sculls – Wellington Coxless pairs – Wellington Coxed fours – Wellington

Rugby Union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
Provincial club rugby champions include: :''see also :Rugby union in New Zealand''

Shooting
Ballinger Belt – P. Williams (Wellington Navals)

Swimming
The New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association is formally constitutedSwimming New Zealand: History
/ref> on 4 January. It is the second national governing body in the world after the A.S.A. of
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.Beresford, P. (1976) ''Encyclopedia of Swimming'' London: Robert Hale and Company A subsequent disagreement between the
North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...
and
South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
clubs leads to the formation of a rival association in the North Island known as the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association Registered. The two associations remain apart until uniting on 21 March 1904. The first national titles are instituted. Each event is held at a separate carnival (this continues until 1905 when a single championships is held for the first time).Todd, S. (1976) ''Sporting Records of New Zealand.'' Auckland: Moa Publications. In the first year there are 2 separate carnivals for 100 yards and thus 2 different champions.

National champions (Men)
100 yards freestyle (
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland Lord Hamilt ...
) – H. Bailey (Auckland) 100 yards freestyle (
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
) – W. Sneddon (Canterbury) 440 yards freestyle – H. Bailey (Auckland) 880 yards freestyle – A. Duthie (Auckland)

Tennis

National champions
Men's singles – M. Fenwicke Women's singles – E. Gordon Men's doubles – M. Fenwicke and J. Jarkine Women's doubles – K. Hitchings and E. Gordon

Organisations
Founding of the Freemasons' Grand Lodge of New Zealand (April)

Births
* 2 December:
Robert Macalister Sir Robert Lachlan Macalister (2 December 1890 – 23 May 1967) was the Mayor of Wellington from 1950 to 1956, and had been the acting mayor for five months in 1948 during the absence overseas of Will Appleton. Biography Early life and career Ma ...
, Mayor of Wellington.

Deaths
* 10 February:
Joseph May Joseph May is a British-born Canadian actor, who has appeared in television and film. He is best known for his role as Andy Button in the television series ''Episodes'', Paul who was the boyfriend of Sam Colloby, in ''Casualty'', Luke in ''I Live ...
, politician * 14 April:
Allan Kerr Taylor Allan Kerr Taylor (30 December 1832 – 14 April 1890) was a notable New Zealand landowner and businessman. He was born in Negapatam, India in 1832. His second wife was Sophia Taylor (née Davis). His father was General William Taylor. Personal ...
, businessman * 14 July:
Hugh Carleton Hugh Francis Carleton (3 July 1810 – 14 July 1890) was New Zealand's first member of parliament. Early life Carleton was born in 1810. He was the son of Francis Carleton (1780–1870) and Charlotte Margaretta Molyneux-Montgomerie (d. 1874). ...
, politician and "first Member of Parliament". * 17 July: Richard Turnbull, politician * 7 December: Henry Richmond, Superintendent of Taranaki.

See also
*
List of years in New Zealand The table of years in New Zealand is a tabular display of all years in New Zealand, for overview and quick navigation to any year. While a chronological century would include the years (e.g.) 1801 to 1900, and hence a decade would be 1801-1810 ...
*
Timeline of New Zealand history This is a timeline of the history of New Zealand that includes only events deemed to be of principal importance – for less important events click the year heading or refer to List of years in New Zealand. Prehistory (to 1000 CE) * 85 mya ...
*
History of New Zealand The history of New Zealand ( Aotearoa) dates back to between 1320 and 1350 CE, when the main settlement period started, after it was discovered and settled by Polynesians, who developed a distinct Māori culture. Like other Pacific cultures, M� ...
*
Military history of New Zealand The military history of New Zealand is an aspect of the history of New Zealand that spans several hundred years. When first settled by Māori people, Māori almost a millennium ago, there was much land and resources, but war began to break out a ...
*
Timeline of the New Zealand environment This is a timeline of environmental history of New Zealand. It includes notable events affecting the natural environment of New Zealand as a result of human activity. Pre 1700s 14th century- Arrival of Māori who brought with them the kiore r ...

Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica This is a timeline of the history of New Zealand's involvement with Antarctica. Pre 1900s ;1838–1840 French and American expeditions, led by Jules Dumont d'Urville and Charles Wilkes. John Sac, a Māori travelling with Wilkes, becomes th ...

References
;General Romanos, J. (2001) ''New Zealand Sporting Records and Lists.'' Auckland: Hodder Moa Beckett. ;Specific

External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:1890 in New Zealand