The following lists events that happened during 1925 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 ...

–

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

– Sir Charles Fergusson File:King George 1923 LCCN2014715558 (cropped).jpg, George V File:Sir Charles Fergusson, ca 1926.jpg, Sir Charles Fergusson

Government

The 21st New Zealand Parliament concludes, with its final year marked by the death of premier

William Massey William Ferguson Massey (26 March 1856 – 10 May 1925), commonly known as Bill Massey, was a politician who served as the 19th prime minister of New Zealand from May 1912 to May 1925. He was the founding leader of the Reform Party, New Zea ...

. The Reform Party governs as a minority with the support of independents. Following the

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

in November, the Reform Party holds a much stronger position with 55 of the 80 seats. *

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 ...

–

Charles Statham Sir Charles Ernest Statham (10 May 1875 – 5 March 1946) was a New Zealand politician, and the ninth Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1923 to 1935. Private life He was born in Dunedin in 1875, and trained in law, practising in hi ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

–

until 10 May, then

Francis Bell Francis Bell may refer to: * Arthur Bell (martyr) (1590–1643), also known as Francis Bell, Franciscan and English martyr *Dillon Bell (Francis Dillon Bell; 1822–1898), New Zealand politician, father of the New Zealand Prime Minister * Francis B ...

from 14 to 30 May, then

Gordon Coates Joseph Gordon Coates (3 February 1878 – 27 May 1943) served as the 21st prime minister of New Zealand from 1925 to 1928. He was the third successive Reform prime minister since 1912. Born in rural Northland, Coates grew up on a cattle run a ...

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 Massey until 10 May, then

William Nosworthy Sir William Nosworthy (18 October 1867 – 26 September 1946) was a New Zealand politician. He briefly served as Minister of Finance and then Minister of External Affairs in the Reform Government. Biography Nosworthy stood in the el ...

from 14 May *

Minister of External Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

– Francis Bell File:Charles Statham.jpg, Charles Statham File:William Ferguson Massey 1919.jpg, William Massey File:Francis Bell.jpg, Francis Bell File:Joseph Gordon Coates, 1931.jpg, Gordon Coates File:William Nosworthy.jpg, William Nosworthy

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 ...

–

Thomas Wilford Sir Thomas Mason Wilford (20 June 1870 – 22 June 1939) was a New Zealand politician. He held the seats of Wellington Suburbs then Hutt continuously for thirty years, from 1899 to 1929. Wilford was leader of the New Zealand Liberal Party, and ...

(

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 ...

) until 13 August, then George Forbes (Liberal) until 4 November, then vacant (until June 1926) File:Thomas Wilford, 1928.jpg, Thomas Wilford File:George William Forbes.jpg, George Forbes

Judiciary

* Chief Justice – Sir

Robert Stout Sir Robert Stout (28 September 1844 – 19 July 1930) was a New Zealand politician who was the 13th premier of New Zealand on two occasions in the late 19th century, and later Chief Justice of New Zealand. He was the only person to hold both ...

File:Robert Stout, ca 1919.jpg, Robert Stout

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 ...

–

James Gunson Sir James Henry Gunson (26 October 1877 – 12 May 1963) was a New Zealand businessman and Mayor of Auckland City from 1915 to 1925. He was knighted in 1924. W Gunson & Co Born and educated in Auckland, in his mid-twenties he took over W Gunson ...

, succeeded by

George Baildon George Baildon (1868–1946) was a New Zealand businessman and Mayor of Auckland City from 1925 to 1931. Biography Born and educated in Auckland, George Baildon was a builder and contractor. He was on the Archhill Road Board for four years (one ...

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 ...

– Robert Wright, succeeded by

Charles Norwood Sir Charles John Boyd Norwood (23 August 1871 – 26 November 1966) was a prominent Wellington New Zealand-based businessman with interests throughout New Zealand and Australia. He was a civic leader, his knighthood was awarded for public servic ...

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, Ph ...

–

James Flesher James Arthur Flesher (13 August 1865 – 18 August 1930) was a politician in Christchurch, New Zealand. He held many public offices and was Mayor of Christchurch from 1923 to 1925. Early life Flesher was born on 13 August 1865 in Christchurch. ...

, succeeded by John Archer *

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 ...

–

Harold Tapley Harold Livingstone Tapley (25 January 1875 – 21 December 1932) was a New Zealand politician of the Reform Party. Born in Semaphore, South Australia in 1875, Tapley emigrated to Dunedin in 1893. He represented Dunedin North in Parliament ...

File:James Gunson 1920 (cropped).jpg, James Gunson File:George Baildon.jpg, George Baildon File:Robert Alexander Wright.jpg, Robert Wright File:Charles Norwood.jpg, Charles Norwood File:James Arthur Flesher.jpg, James Flesher File:John Archer, 1935.jpg, John Archer File:Harold Tapley.jpg, Harold Tapley

Events

* 1 January ** National scheme for

vehicle registration plates A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate (Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificatio ...

comes into force **

Ernest Rutherford Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, (30 August 1871 – 19 October 1937) was a New Zealand physicist who came to be known as the father of nuclear physics. ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' considers him to be the greatest ...

is appointed to the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by K ...

* 21 April –

Alfred Averill Alfred Walter Averill (7 October 18656 July 1957) was the second Anglican Archbishop of New Zealand, from 1925 to 1940. He was also the fifth Anglican Bishop of Auckland whose episcopate spanned a 25-year period during the first half of the 20 ...

succeeds

Churchill Julius Churchill Julius (15 October 1847 – 1 September 1938) was an Anglican cleric in England, then in Australia and New Zealand, becoming the first Archbishop of New Zealand. Biography Julius was born at Richmond, Surrey in 1847. He was educated ...

Archbishop of New Zealand Primate of New Zealand is a title held by a bishop who leads the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Since 2006, the Senior Bishop of each '' tikanga'' ( Māori, Pākehā, Pasefika) serves automatically as one of three co-eq ...

* 10 May – Prime Minister

dies in office * 31 May – Tahupotiki Wiremu Rātana announces his intention to form the

Rātana The Rātana movement ( mi, Te Haahi Rātana) is a church and pan-'' iwi'' political movement founded by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana in early 20th-century New Zealand. The Rātana Church has its headquarters at the settlement of Rātana Pā near ...

Church * 17 June – The Franklin by-election, caused by the death of William Massey, is won by Ewen McLennan (

Reform Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill#The Yorkshire Associati ...

) * August – The

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

's Pacific battlefleet of 57 vessels including 12 battleships visits New Zealand during a goodwill tour of the South Pacific after manoeuvres off Hawaii. * 3–4 November – The 1925 general election is held, with the Reform Party winning 55 of the 80 seats in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

* 4 November – An

Order in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' Ki ...

provides for the transfer of

Tokelau Tokelau (; ; known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands) is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, a ...

from the

Gilbert and Ellice Islands The Gilbert and Ellice Islands (GEIC as a colony) in the Pacific Ocean were part of the British Empire from 1892 to 1976. They were a protectorate from 1892 to 12 January 1916, and then a colony until 1 January 1976. The history of the colony w ...

colony to New Zealand (formally gazetted 11 February 1926) * 17 November – The

New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition The New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition was a world's fair held in Dunedin, New Zealand from 17 November 1925 until 1 May 1926, which celebrated that country and the South Seas. It was the third such exhibition held in Dunedin, w ...

opens at

Logan Park, Dunedin Logan Park is a sporting venue in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. It lies on land reclaimed from the former Lake Logan. Features The park contains both Football and rugby grass and artificial pitches, known as both Dunedin Artificial Turf a ...

* Undated –

Lloyd Mandeno Lloyd Mandeno (3 October 1888 – 30 December 1973) was a New Zealand electrical engineer, inventor and local politician. He was born in Rangiaowhia, Waikato, New Zealand, on 3 October 1888. He is credited with nine hydroelectric installatio ...

develops the

single-wire earth return Single-wire earth return (SWER) or single-wire ground return is a single-wire transmission line which supplies single-phase electric power from an electrical grid to remote areas at lowest cost. Its distinguishing feature is that the earth (or ...

electrical distribution system

Arts and literature

:''See: 1925 in art, 1925 in literature, '' * ''Allen Adair'' published by

Jane Mander Mary Jane Mander (9 April 1877 – 20 December 1949) was a New Zealand novelist and journalist. Early life Born in the small community of Ramarama south of Auckland, she had little schooling, yet was teaching at primary school while being ...

Music

:''See: 1925 in music''

Radio

:''See:

Public broadcasting in New Zealand Public broadcasting in New Zealand is funded through New Zealand Government body New Zealand On Air, and consists of a number of television channels, radio stations, and websites. In addition to funding solely public media outlets, New Zealand On ...

'' * The Radio Broadcasting Company (RBC) began broadcasts throughout New Zealand

Film

:''See: 1925 in film,

List of New Zealand feature films This is a list of feature films and pre 1910 short films produced or filmed in New Zealand, ordered by year of release. Key * * = Funded in part by the New Zealand Film Commission. * † = Year given is date of principal photography rather th ...

Cinema of New Zealand Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

, :1925 films'' *

Rewi's Last Stand ''Rewi's Last Stand'' is the title of two feature films directed by pioneering New Zealand filmmaker Rudall Hayward: a 1925 silent movie, and 1940 remake with sound. They are historical dramas, based on the last stand of Rewi Maniapoto at the B ...

Rudall Hayward Rudall Charles Victor Hayward (4 July 1900 – 29 May 1974) was a pioneer New Zealand filmmaker from the 1920s to the 1970s, who directed seven feature films and numerous others. Biography Hayward was born in Wolverhampton, England, and died i ...

* The Adventures of Algy * The Romance of Hinemoa

Sport

Chess

* The 34th National Chess Championship is held in

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

, and is won by C. J. S. Purdy of

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 ...

Football

* The

Chatham Cup The Chatham Cup is New Zealand's premier knockout tournament in men's association football. It is held annually, with the final contested in September. The current champions of the Chatham Cup are 2022 winners Auckland City, who defeated Eastern ...

is won by YMCA (Wellington) * Provincial league champions: ** Auckland – Thistle ** Canterbury – Sunnyside ** Hawke's Bay – Whakatu ** Nelson – Thistle ** Otago – Northern ** South Canterbury – Rangers ** Southland – Central ** Taranaki – Manaia ** Wanganui – Eastown Workshops ** Wellington – YMCA

Golf

* The 15th

New Zealand Open The New Zealand Open is the premier men's golf tournament in New Zealand. It has been a regular fixture on the PGA Tour of Australasia tournament schedule since the 1970s. The 2019 event was the 100th edition of the tournament. Since 2014 it has ...

championship is won by Ewen MacFarlane, an amateur, with an aggregate of 308 * The 29th National Amateur Championships are held at Christchurch (men) and Miramar (women) ** Men – Tom Horton (Masterton) ** Women – Phyllis Dodgshun (Dunedin)

Horse racing

Harness racing

New Zealand Trotting Cup The New Zealand Cup for standardbred horses, also known as either the New Zealand Trotting Cup or the New Zealand Pacing Cup is a Group One (G1) harness race held annually by the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in Chri ...

– Ahuriri *

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 ...

– Nelson Derby

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 ...

– The Banker * Avondale Gold Cup – Star Ranger *

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 ...

– Rapine *

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 ...

– Surveyor *

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 ...

– Runnymede

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Wellington. * Men's singles champion – J. D. Best (Dunedin Bowling Club) * Men's pair champions – C. W. Davis, J. W. Sexton (skip) (Newtown Bowling Club) * Men's fours champions – H. J. Wernham, F. T. Wilson, A. C. McIntyre, R. N. Pilkington (skip) (Hamilton Bowling Club)

Rugby union

* The All Blacks tour New South Wales * The

Auckland Rugby Union The Auckland Rugby Union is a New Zealand provincial rugby union. The union was established in 1883 and was originally responsible for the administration of the sport in most of the former Auckland Province, although its boundaries have since ...

makes

Eden Park Eden Park is New Zealand's largest sports stadium, with a capacity of 50,000. Located in central Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, it is three kilometres southwest of the CBD, on the boundary between the suburbs of Mount Eden and King ...

its headquarters * defends he

Ranfurly Shield The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challeng ...

for the third consecutive full season, defeating

Wairarapa The Wairarapa (; ), a geographical region of New Zealand, lies in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay Region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service ...

(22–3), (24–18), (31–12), (28–3), (20–11) and (34–14)Palenski, R. and Lambert, M. ''The New Zealand Almanac'', 1982. Moa Almanac Press.

Births

January

* 4 January – Roger Drayton, politician * 12 January –

Allan Burnett Allan Burnett (12 January 1925 in Glasgow – 10 October 2007 in New Zealand) was a Scottish people, Scottish anarchist activist. He was a member of the Glasgow Anarchist Federation in his youth. When, in 1943, he resisted conscription to the ...

, anarchist activist * 13 January – Elwyn Welch, ornithologist * 22 January – Harata Solomon, Māori leader, entertainer * 25 January – Eric Dempster, cricketer * 26 January – Barbara Heslop, immunologist

February

* 1 February –

Assid Corban Assid Khaleel Corban (1 February 1925 – 16 September 2018) was a New Zealand local-body politician and company director. He was the first Mayor of Waitakere City and previously Mayor of the Henderson Borough Council. Biography Early life Corb ...

, politician * 2 February –

Mirek Smíšek Miroslav Smíšek (2 February 1925 – 19 May 2013) was a Czechoslovakian-born New Zealand potter. Biography Smíšek was born in the Bohemia region of Czechoslovakia in 1925. After spending most of World War II in labour camps due to his ef ...

, potter * 3 February – Tay Wilson, sports administrator * 7 February **

Ron Broom Roland Francis "Ron" Broom (7 February 1925 – 24 December 2016) was a New Zealand first-class cricketer who played for Wellington cricket team, Wellington. Born in Te Kūiti on 7 February 1925, Broom was a left-arm medium-pace bowler and lef ...

, cricketer ** John Oakley, cricketer * 19 February –

Trevor Martin Trevor Gordon Martin (17 November 1929 – 5 October 2017) was a British stage and film actor known for playing popular British characters. Early life and education Martin's parents were from Dundee; he was raised in Enfield, and after m ...

, cricket umpire * 22 February – Alexander Grant, ballet dancer and teacher, dance company director * 23 February **

Fraser Colman Fraser MacDonald Colman (23 February 1925 – 11 April 2008) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He represented the electorates of Petone from 1967 to 1978, and then when Petone was renamed, Pencarrow from 1978 to 1987, when he ...

, politician **

Ted McCoy Edward John McCoy (23 February 1925 – 17 January 2018), generally known as Ted McCoy, was a New Zealand architect whose practice was based in Dunedin. He designed the sanctuary of St Paul's Cathedral (completed 1970), and the Richardson (form ...

, architect * 25 February – Campbell Smith, playwright, poet, engraver * 27 February – Joan Hastings, swimmer

March

* 8 March –

Leonard Mitchell Leonard Boyd Mitchell (born October 12, 1958) is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1980s. He played college football for the Un ...

, artist * 9 March ** Johnny Borland, high jumper, athletics administrator ** Aubrey Ritchie, cricketer * 13 March ** John McCraw, pedologist, local historian ** Rahera Windsor, Māori leader in the United Kingdom * 21 March – John Heslop, surgeon, cricket administrator * 25 March – O. E. Middleton, writer

April

* 4 April – Harvey Kreyl, rugby league player * 5 April –

Milan Mrkusich Milan Mrkusich (5 April 1925 – 13 June 2018) was a New Zealand artist and designer. He was considered a pioneer of abstract painting in New Zealand. Retrospective exhibitions of his work were organised by the Auckland Art Gallery in 1972 and 1 ...

, artist * 17 April – Vern Clare, musician, cabaret owner * 19 April **

Eva Rickard Tuaiwa Hautai "Eva" Rickard (née Kereopa; 19 April 1925 – 6 December 1997) rose to prominence as an activist for Māori land rights and for women’s rights within Māoridom. She was born in Raglan. Her methods included public civil disobe ...

, Māori leader and activist **

Maurie Robertson Maurice Hunter Wilson Robertson (also known as Maurie or Morrie) was a New Zealand rugby league player, captain and coach who represented, captained and coached New Zealand. He was sibling to Bruce Robertson who also represented New Zealand, a ...

, rugby league player and coach * 23 April – Al Hobman, professional wrestler, trainer and promoter * 24 April – Dorothy Butler, children's author and bookseller, memoirist, reading advocate * 25 April –

Neville Black Neville Wyatt Black (25 April 1925 – 24 January 2016) was a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league player who represented New Zealand in rugby union. Rugby union career A rugby union first five-eighth, Black played for Ponsonby RFC. He repr ...

, rugby union and rugby league player * 28 April – David Brokenshire, architect, potter

May

* 2 May – Frances Porter, writer, historian * 14 May **

Gordon Gostelow Gordon Massey Gostelow (14 May 1925 – 3 June 2007) was an Australian actor. He was educated in Australia at North Sydney Boys High School and Sydney University where he graduated in Economics. Gostelow went to England in 1950 and worked ...

, actor ** W. H. Oliver, poet, historian * 16 May –

John Ziman John Michael Ziman (16 May 1925 – 2 January 2005) was a British-born New Zealand physicist and humanist who worked in the area of condensed matter physics. He was a spokesman for science, as well as a teacher and author. Ziman was born in Cam ...

, physicist, humanist * 20 May ** Maurice Crow, weightlifter, rowing coxswain ** Bert Potter, commune leader * 27 May – Arthur Campbell, chemist

June

* 3 June –

Trevor Barber Richard Trevor Barber (3 June 1925 – 7 August 2015) was a New Zealand cricketer who played in one Test in 1956, against the West Indies in Wellington. Life and career Barber was born in Ōtaki, on the Kāpiti Coast north of Wellington, where ...

, cricketer * 11 June – Tiny White, rugby union player and administrator, politician * 25 June – Alistair Campbell, poet, playwright, novelist * 27 June –

Ben Couch Manuera Benjamin Rīwai Couch (27 June 1925 – 3 June 1996) was a New Zealand politician and rugby union player. He was a team-member of the All Blacks and the New Zealand Māori rugby union team in the 1940s. Early life Couch was born in 19 ...

, rugby union player, politician * 29 June –

Doody Townley David James "Doody" Townley (29 June 1925 – 28 March 1999) was a driver of Standardbred racehorses in New Zealand. He was associated with many champions and was a leading driver of harness horses in New Zealand. He is notable for winning four I ...

, harness-racing driver

July

* 2 July – Philip Liner, radio broadcaster * 8 July – Elwyn Richardson, educationalist * 9 July – Rex Bergstrom, econometrician * 10 July –

Dixie Cockerton Dixie June Cockerton (10 July 1925 – 26 July 1998) was a New Zealand netball player and coach. She played as goal keep in the New Zealand team in one Test match, in 1948 against Australia. She went on to coach the national team from 1960 to 1 ...

, netball player and coach, cricketer, school principal * 15 July – Stuart Jones, golfer * 16 July – J. B. Trapp, historian * 18 July –

Allan Elsom Allan Edwin George Elsom (18 July 1925 – 25 September 2010) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A three-quarter, Elsom represented Canterbury at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks Th ...

, rugby union player * 20 July – Eric Watson, cricketer * 26 July –

Alister Atkinson Alister James Atkinson (1925-2002) was a New Zealand rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played representative rugby league (RL) for New Zealand in the 1954 World Cup. His position of preference was at Loose forward. Play ...

, rugby league player * 31 July ** John O'Brien, politician ** Helen Ryburn, school principal, local-body politician

August

* 3 August – John Robertson, public servant * 5 August – Bob Duff, rugby union player, local-body politician * 13 August –

Peter Beaven Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a s ...

, architect * 15 August –

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

, public servant * 23 August –

John Armitt Sir John Alexander Armitt (born 2 February 1946) is an English civil engineer, and current chairman of the UK's National Infrastructure Commission. From 2007 Armitt was chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, the body which successfully bu ...

, amateur wrestler * 28 August –

Trevor Young Trevor James Young (28 August 1925 – 13 May 2012) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. Biography Early life Young was born in 1925 in Turua on the Hauraki Plains. The son of Leslie Robert Young, he grew up in Cambridge and Bl ...

, politician * 30 August – Joan Hart, athlete

September

* 1 September – Te Aue Davis, tohunga raranga * 4 September ** Phil Amos, politician ** Bruce Stewart, television scriptwriter * 19 September –

Lyn Forster Lyndsay McLaren Forster (née Clifford; 19 September 1925 – 20 January 2009) was a New Zealand arachnologist. Biography Forster was born in Upper Hutt and grew up on a small farm near Feilding. She enrolled at Victoria University College in ...

, arachnologist

October

* 7 October **

Bryan Drake Bryan Ernest Hare Drake (7 October 192525 December 2001) was a New Zealand-born baritone who became particularly associated with the operas of Benjamin Britten. Born in Dunedin, Drake sang in the choir of the local St Paul's cathedral, and was e ...

, opera singer ** Bill Wolfgramm, musician * 9 October – Bill Schaefer, field hockey player * 19 October –

David Gould David L. Gould (January 9, 1873 – January 25, 1939) was a Scottish American soccer player, coach and referee. He coached the U.S. national team at the 1934 FIFA World Cup and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He was born in ...

, rower, businessman * 21 October –

Ian Ballinger Ian Roy Ballinger (21 October 1925 – 24 December 2008) was a New Zealand shooter who won a bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Ballinger competed at three consecutive Olympic Games (1968, 1972 and 1976) and two Commonwealth Games ( ...

, sports shooter * 22 October – George Grindley, geologist * 23 October – Brian Nordgren, rugby league player * 25 October –

Donald Brian Donald Brian (February 17, 1877 – December 22, 1948) was an actor, dancer and singer born in St. John's, Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada). In 1907, he starred in the hit operetta ''The Merry Widow''. Life and care ...

, cricketer * 30 October **

Audrey Eagle Audrey Lily Eagle (née Brodey; 30 October 1925 – 27 November 2022) was a New Zealand botanical illustrator, whose work mainly focused on New Zealand's distinctive trees and shrubs. As the author and illustrator of the two volume ''Eagle's ...

, botanical illustrator **

Colin Kay Colin Milton Kay (30 October 1926 – 5 June 2008) was a New Zealand sportsman and politician. He was the 34th Mayor of Auckland City, elected for one term serving from 1980 to 1983, and chairman of the Auckland Regional Council from 1986 to 1 ...

, athlete, politician * 31 October – Ngaire Lane, swimmer

November

* 6 November –

Ian Cross Ian Robert Cross (6 November 1925 – 2 November 2019) was a New Zealand novelist, journalist and administrator, and contributed significantly to New Zealand letters. His first novel, ''The God Boy'', was released in 1957 to critical acclaim. ...

, novelist, journalist, broadcasting and arts administrator * 12 November – Bill Toomath, architect * 20 November –

Bill Subritzky Wilfred Allen Subritzky (20 November 1925 – 23 December 2015) was a New Zealand lawyer and property developer, active from the mid-1950s until the mid-1980s. His company, Universal Homes, mass-produced houses in standard designs, and sold 14,00 ...

, property developer, evangelist * 23 November –

Tui Flower Lucy Tui Hampton Aitken ( Flower, 23 November 1925 – 15 August 2017), generally known as Tui Flower, was a pioneering New Zealand food writer. She has been described as "New Zealand's Julia Child". Early life and family Born in Matamata on ...

, food writer * 26 November –

Ross Taylor Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor (born 8 March 1984) is a former international cricketer and former captain of the New Zealand national team. Batting predominantly at number four, when he announced his retirement from international cricket at ...

, geochemist, planetary scientist * 27 November – Reginald Johansson, field hockey player * 29 November –

Peter Jacobson Peter Jacobson (born March 24, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Chris Taub on the Fox medical drama series ''House''. He also starred on the USA Network science fiction drama ''Colony'' as former Proxy Snyd ...

, poet

December

* 1 December **

Noeline Gourley Noeline Brokenshire ( Gourley; 1 December 1925 – 3 April 2022) was a New Zealand sportswoman, who represented her country in field hockey, and as a hurdler at the 1950 British Empire Games. Later she was a gallery owner and noted woodturner, ...

, field hockey player, athlete, woodturner ** Thomas Thorp, jurist * 5 December – Jack Tynan, field hockey player, cricketer * 10 December – Betty Maker, cricketer * 23 December – Ellis Child, cricketer * 31 December – Ray Bell, rugby union player

Exact date unknown

* Nightmarch, Thoroughbred racehorse

Deaths

January–March

* 3 January – John Endean, gold miner, hotel proprietor (born 1844) * 11 January – Oliver Samuel, politician (born 1849) * 13 February – Margaret McKenzie, pioneer (born 1839)

April–June

* 14 April – Donald Cameron Hamilton, Don Hamilton, rugby union player, cricketer (born 1883) * 27 April – George Williams (rugby union), George Williams, rugby union player (born 1856) * 10 May –

, politician, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1912–1925) (born 1856) * 15 May – Stephen Boreham, trade unionist (born 1857) * 18 May – Sir Theophilus Cooper (judge), Theophilus Cooper, jurist (born 1850) * 19 May ** Andrew Cameron (Presbyterian minister), Andrew Cameron, Presbyterian minister, educationalist, community leader (born 1855) ** Frances Wimperis, artist (born 1840) * 21 May – Samuel Kirkpatrick (businessman), Samuel Kirkpatrick, businessman (born 1854) * 3 June – Frank Surman, rugby union player, athlete (born 1866)

July–September

* 18 July – John Sinclair (New Zealand carpenter), John Sinclair, carpenter, builder, harbourmaster (born 1843) * 19 July – James Cox (labourer), James Cox, diarist (born 1846) * 22 July – William McCullough (New Zealand politician), William McCullough, politician (born 1843) * 5 August – Emily Cumming Harris, Emily Harris, painter (born 1837) * 9 August – Catherine Adamson, diarist (born 1868) * 1 September – Donald Petrie (botanist), Donald Petrie, botanist (born 1846) * 19 August – Harriet Russell Morison, Harriet Morison, trade unionist, suffragist, public servant (born 1862) * 15 September – Charles Melvill, military leader (born 1878) * 18 September – Charles Hayward Izard, politician (born 1862) * 19 September – Henry Chidley Reynolds, Henry Reynolds, butter manufacturer and exporter (born 1849) * 27 September – Thomas MacGibbon, politician (born 1839)

October–December

* 2 October – Thomas William Hislop, Thomas Hislop, politician (born 1850) * 20 November – Charles Mackesy, military leader (born 1861) * 28 November – William Joseph Napier, politician (born 1857) * 10 December – John Liddell Kelly, journalist, poet (born 1850) * 29 December – John Crewes, Bible Christian minister, social worker, journalist (born 1847)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:1925 in New Zealand 1925 in New Zealand, Years of the 20th century in New Zealand