Incumbents
Regal and viceregal
* Head of State – George V * Governor-General of New Zealand, Governor-General – Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool until 7 July, then John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, John Jellicoe, Viscount Jellicoe from 27 SeptemberGovernment
The 20th New Zealand Parliament commences, with the Reform Party (New Zealand), Reform Party in Government * Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, Speaker of the House – Frederic Lang (Reform Party) * Prime Minister of New Zealand, Prime Minister – William Massey * Minister of Finance (New Zealand), Minister of Finance – James Allen (New Zealand politician), James Allen until 28 April, then William Massey from 12 May * Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand), Minister of External Affairs – James Allen (New Zealand politician), James Allen until 28 April, then Ernest Lee from 17 MayParliamentary opposition
* Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand), Leader of the Opposition – William MacDonald (New Zealand politician), William MacDonald (New Zealand Liberal Party, Liberal Party) until his death on 31 August, then Thomas WilfordJudiciary
* Chief Justice of New Zealand, Chief Justice – Sir Robert StoutMain centre leaders
* Mayor of Auckland City, Mayor of Auckland – James Gunson * Mayor of Wellington – John Luke (New Zealand politician), John Luke * Mayor of Christchurch – Henry Thacker * Mayor of Dunedin – William Begg (mayor), William BeggEvents
* 1 May – The Colonist (New Zealand newspaper), ''The Colonist'', established in 1857, publishes its final issue, and is incorporated into ''The Nelson Mail, The Nelson Evening Mail''. * 25 August – Captain Euan Dickson makes the first aerial crossing of Cook Strait, from Christchurch to Upper Hutt, in an Avro 504, Avro 504K.Arts and literature
See 1920 in art, 1920 in literature, :1920 booksMusic
See: 1920 in musicFilm
See: :1920 film awards, 1920 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :1920 filmsSport
Chess
* The 29th National Chess Championship, held in Wellington, is won by W. E. Mason of Wellington, his fifth title.Cricket
* New Zealand first-class cricket championship, Plunket ShieldFootball
* Provincial league champions: ** Auckland – YMCA ** Canterbury – Nomads ** Hawke's Bay – Waipukurau ** Otago – Kaitangata FC ** Southland – No competition ** Wanganui – Eastbrooke ** Wellington – Wellington ThistleGolf
* The 10th New Zealand Open championship is won by J. H. Kirkwood * The 24th National Amateur Championships are held in Hamilton: ** Men – Sloan Morpeth (Hamilton) ** Women – N. E. Wright (her second title)Horse racing
Harness racing
* New Zealand Trotting Cup – Reta Peter * Auckland Trotting Cup – Man O'WarThoroughbred racing
* New Zealand Cup – Oratress * Auckland Cup – Starland * Wellington Cup – Kilmoon / Oratress (dead heat) * New Zealand Derby – DuoLawn bowls
The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Christchurch. * Men's singles champion – E. Harraway (Dunedin Bowling Club) * Men's pair champions – J. Turnbull, W. Spiller (skip) (Sydenham Bowling Club) * Men's fours champions – H. Brookfield, F.L. Anderson, H.F. Tilley, A.P. London (skip) (Wanganui Bowling Club)Olympic games
: * New Zealand sends a team of four competitors across three sports * Darcy Hadfield wins the bronze medal in the Rowing at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's single sculls, men's single sculls * New Zealand also competes at the Inter-Allied Games held in ParisRugby league
* The 1920 Great Britain Lions tour, Great Britain Lions tour New Zealand, winning the test series 3–0 ** 1st test, at Wellington, 23–10 ** 2nd test, at Christchurch, 19–3 ** 3rd test, at Auckland, 31–7Rugby union
* The All Blacks 1920 New Zealand rugby union tour of New South Wales, tour New South Wales * defends the Ranfurly Shield 10 times before losing it to :Palenski, R. and Lambert, M. ''The New Zealand Almanac'', 1982. Moa Almanac Press. **vs 15–3 **vs 22–3 **vs 20–9 (played in Hāwera) **vs 20–5 **vs 23–20 (played in Auckland) **vs Taranaki 16–5 **vs 20–14 **vs Auckland 20–3 **vs 32–16 (played in Timaru) **vs 16–5 (played in Dunedin) **vs Southland 6–17 (played in Invercargill)Births
January–March
* 1 January – Ruth Miriam Ross, Ruth Ross, historian * 4 January – Murray Gittos, fencer * 6 January – Winifred Lawrence, swimmer * 11 January – Betty Plant, netball player, coach and administrator * 14 January – Don Beard, cricketer * 24 January – ** Len Jordan (rugby league), Len Jordan, rugby league player ** Gerard Wall, surgeon and politician * 26 January – Tapihana Paraire Paikea, politician * 29 January – Bob Yule, fighter pilot * 9 February – Fred Allen (rugby union), Fred Allen, rugby union player and coach * 17 February – Dorothea Anne Franchi, pianist, harpist, music educator and composer * 29 February – Mary Sullivan (netball), Mary Sullivan, netball player * 9 March – Diggeress Te Kanawa, tohunga raranga * 23 March – Peter Quilliam, juristApril–June
* 2 April – David Gay, soldier, cricketer and educator * 4 April – Jim Kearney (rugby union), Jim Kearney, rugby union player * 5 April – Patricia Marjorie Ralph, Pat Ralph, marine biology academic * 12 April – Shona Dunlop MacTavish, dancer, choreographer * 14 April – John Chewings, politician * 23 April – Colin Horsley, classical pianist and music teacher * 26 April – Joyce McDougall, psychoanalyst * 17 May – Frank Corner, diplomat * 18 May – Molly Morell Macalister, Molly Macalister, sculptor * 19 May – Frank Tredrea, cyclist * 26 May ** Frank Bethwaite, pilot, boat designer ** Merimeri Penfold, Māori language academic * 4 June – Bev Malcolm, netball player * 8 June – Manahi Nitama Paewai, doctor, rugby union player, politician and community leader * 20 June – John O'Shea (director), John O'Shea, filmmaker * 28 June – Kōhine Pōnika, composer of waiata MāoriJuly–September
* 10 July – Warwick Snedden, cricketer * 11 July – Richard Dell, malacologist * 9 August – Albert F. A. L. Jones, Albert Jones, amateur astronomer * 29 August ** Eric Batchelor, soldier ** Jack Laird (potter), Jack Laird, potter * 3 September – Peter Bernard David de la Mare, Peter de la Mare, physical organic chemist * 9 September – Joan Francis, cricketer * 10 September – Russell Pettigrew, businessman and philanthropist * 24 September – Alister Abernethy, trade unionist, politician and public servant * 30 September ** Margaret Alington, librarian and historian ** Trevor Horne (New Zealand politician), Trevor Horne, politicianOctober–December
* 6 October – Hugh Sheridan (boxer), Hugh Sheridan, boxer * 7 October – James William Brodie, James Brodie, geologist, oceanographer and amateur historian and philatelist * 8 October – Jean Wishart, magazine editor * 24 October – Ron Westerby, rugby league player * 28 October ** Peggy Dunstan, poet, writer ** Bob Stuart, rugby player and administrator * 1 November – Harry Dansey, journalist, cartoonist, broadcaster, politician and race relations conciliator * 9 November – John Macdonald (psychiatrist), John Macdonald, forensic psychiatrist * 16 November – Ronald Davison, jurist * 11 December – Gus Fisher (fashion), Gus Fisher, fashion industry leader and philanthropist * 15 December – Peg Batty, cricketer * 27 December – Warren Freer, politician * 28 December – Marty McDonnell, Australian rules footballerExact date unknown
* Entreaty, Thoroughbred racehorseDeaths
January–March
* 5 January – Walter Edward Gudgeon, Walter Gudgeon, farmer, soldier, historian, land court judge, colonial administrator (born 1841) * 15 January – Richard Cockburn Maclaurin, mathematical physics academic (born 1870) * 24 January – William Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket, Governor of New Zealand (1904–1910) (born 1864) * 27 January – William Sanderson Fitzgerald, William Fitzgerald, teacher, educationalist (born 1838) * 29 January – Constance Helen Frost, Constance Frost, doctor, bacteriologist, pathologist (born 1863) * 3 March – George Vesey Stewart, politician (born 1832)April–June
* 10 April – Courtney Nedwill, doctor, public health officer (born 1837) * 21 April – Jesse Piper, politician (born 1836) * 26 April ** George Robertson (rugby union), George Robertson, rugby union player (born 1859) ** George Hogben, educationalist, seismologist (born 1853) * 2 May – A. L. Beattie, locomotive designer/engineer (born 1852) * 6 May – James Black (cricketer), James Black, cricketer (born 1873) * 13 May – Fred Hobbs, politician (born 1841) * 20 May – Henare Kaihau, politician * 20 June – John Grigg (astronomer), John Grigg, astronomer (born 1838)July–September
* 23 July – Robin Dods, architect (born 1868) * 28 July – Edward Shillington (New Zealand), Edward Shillington, librarian (born 1835) * 17 August – Amey Daldy, women's suffrage campaigner (born 1829) * 23 August – David Cossgrove, teacher, soldier, scout leader (born 1852) * 25 August – Donald Reid (politician born 1855), Donald Reid, politician (born 1855) * 31 August – William MacDonald (New Zealand politician), William MacDonald, politician (born 1862) * 26 September – Appo Hocton, servant, landlord, carter, farmer (born 1823)October–December
* 1 October – Henare Wepiha Te Wainohu, Māori leader, Anglican clergyman, army chaplain (born 1882) * 7 October – Chew Chong, merchant, fungus exporter, butter manufacturer (born 1844) * 10 October – Meri Te Tai Mangakāhia, women's suffrage campaigner (born 1868) * 14 October – Samuel Carnell, politician (born 1832) * 21 October – Mary Elizabeth Gibbs, Mary Gibbs, community leader (born 1836) * 12 November – Thomas William Porter, Thomas Porter, soldier, land purchase officer (born 1843) * 14 November – Edward Ker Mulgan, newspaper editor, teacher, school inspector (born 1858) * 17 November – Alexander Hogg, politician (born 1841) * 23 November – Cyril Mountfort, architect (born 1853) * 28 November – Peter Webb (rugby union), Peter Webb, rugby union player (born 1854) * 13 December – Joseph Tole, politician (born 1846) * 16 December – George Jones (New Zealand politician), George Jones, politician (born 1844) * 27 December – Charles Button, politician, solicitor, judge (born 1838)See also
*History of New Zealand *List of years in New Zealand *Military history of New Zealand *Timeline of New Zealand history *Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica *Timeline of the New Zealand environmentReferences
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:1920 in New Zealand 1920 in New Zealand, Years of the 20th century in New Zealand