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 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 ...

Prehistory (to 1000 CE)

* 85

mya Mya may refer to: Brands and product names * Mya (program), an intelligent personal assistant created by Motorola * Mya (TV channel), an Italian Television channel * Midwest Young Artists, a comprehensive youth music program Codes * Burmese ...

: Around this time New Zealand splits from the supercontinent

Gondwana Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final stages ...

. * 5 mya: New Zealand's climate cools as Australia drifts north. Animals that have adapted to warm temperate and subtropical conditions become extinct. * 26,500 BP: The Taupō volcano erupts extremely violently, covering much of the country with volcanic ash and causing the Waikato River to avulse from the Hauraki Plains to its current path through the Waikato to the Tasman Sea. * 18,000 BP: New Zealand's North and South islands are connected by a land bridge during the last ice age. Glaciers spread from the Southern Alps carving valleys and making fiords in the South Island. The land bridge is submerged around 9,700 BCE. * 181 CE: Lake Taupō erupts violently.

Pre-colonial time (1000 to 1839)

1000 to 1600

* c1280: Earliest archaeological sites provide evidence that initial settlement of New Zealand occurred around 1280 CE. * ~1300: Most likely period of ongoing early settlement of New Zealand by Polynesian people (the Archaic Moa-Hunter Culture). * ~1400: Rangitoto Island near Auckland is formed by a series of eruptions. * 1400~1500: Development of the Classic Māori Material Culture including expansion of Māori settlement from coastal to inland areas, increase in horticulture and development of

pā The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive terraces – and also to fortified villages. Pā sites o ...

(hillforts) * ~1400~1450: Most likely extinction of the moa. * 1576: Speculation exists that around this time Spanish explorer Juan Fernández visited New Zealand although this is not generally accepted by most reputable authorities.

17th century

;1601 onwards * Expansion and migration of Māori groups and formation of classic iwi. (many still existing today) ;1642 * 13 December: Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sights the

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 ...

. He called it Staten Landt but the Dutch East India Company cartographer Joan Blaeu subsequently changed it to Nieuw Zeeland. * 18 December: Abel Tasman's expedition sails around

Farewell Spit Farewell Spit ( mi, Onetahua) is a narrow sand spit at the northern end of the Golden Bay, South Island of New Zealand. It runs eastwards from Cape Farewell, the island's northernmost point. Farewell Spit is a legally protected Nature Reserve ...

and into

Golden Bay Golden Bay may refer to: * Golden Bay / Mohua, a bay at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island * Golden Bay (Malta), a bay and beach on the coastline of Malta * Golden Bay High School, a high school in Takaka, New Zealand * Golden Bay, Wes ...

. Dutch sailors sight local

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

. * 19 December: Four of Tasman's crew are killed at Wharewharangi (Murderers) Bay by a

Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri is a Māori iwi (tribe) of New Zealand, who arrived on the ''Kurahaupō'' waka. In the 1600s the iwi settled northwestern South Island, becoming a major power in the region until the 1800s. In 1642, members of Ngāti Tūmat ...

war party. Tasman's ships are approached by 11 waka as he leaves and his ships fire on them, hitting a Māori standing in one of the waka. Tasman's ships depart without landing. The Dutch chart the west of the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

18th century

;1701–1730 * Ngāi Tahu migrate from Wellington to the

, as far south as

Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves. The South Island's largest cit ...

. ;1769 * 8 October: English explorer

James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

makes his first visit to New Zealand on board the ''Endeavour'', and sails into Poverty Bay * Cook maps the majority of the New Zealand coastline. * French trader Jean de Surville explores parts of the New Zealand coast. * 25 December : The first Christian service in New Zealand waters when Mass is celebrated on Christmas Day in

Doubtless Bay Doubtless Bay is a bay on the east coast of the Northland Region, north-east of Kaitaia, in New Zealand. It extends from Knuckle Point on Karikari Peninsula in the north to Berghan Point at Hihi in the south. There are rocky headlands, backed by ...

by Father

Paul-Antoine Léonard de Villefeix Paul-Antoine Léonard de Villefeix OP (born 1728 - 1780John Dunmore, "From Nieuw-Zeeland to Nouvelle-Zélande", ''Marist messenger'', February 2020, p. 16) was a French Dominican priest. He conducted the first Christian service in New Zealand. He ...

of the de Surville expedition. ;1772 * April: Expedition of French explorer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne visits Northland, and anchors at

Spirits Bay Spirits Bay, officially named Piwhane / Spirits Bay, is a remote bay at the northern end of the Aupouri Peninsula, which forms the northern tip of New Zealand's North Island. It lies between Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua in the west and Ngataea ...

. * 12 June: Marion du Fresne is killed at Tacoury's Cove, Bay of Islands by local Māori. ;1773 * April: Cook's second expedition arrives in Queen Charlotte Sound * 18 December: A skirmish at Grass Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound results in the deaths of two

and nine members of Cook's expedition. ;1777 * Cook returns to New Zealand aboard the ''Resolution'', accompanied by the ''Discovery'' captained by

Charles Clerke Captain Charles Clerke (22 August 1741 – 22 August 1779) was an officer in the Royal Navy who sailed on four voyages of exploration, three with Captain James Cook. When Cook was killed during his 3rd expedition to the Pacific, Clerke took co ...

.McLauchlan, Gordon ''A Short History of New Zealand'' Penguin Group, 2005. ;1788 * New South Wales founded, which, according to Governor Phillip's Commission, includes the islands of New Zealand. ;1790 * An epidemic of ''rewha-rewha'' (possibly

influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...

) kills 60% of the Māori population in the southern North Island. ;1791 * 29 November: Chatham Islands sighted by HMS ''Chatham'' commanded by William Broughton. ;1792 * Group of

sealers Sealer may refer either to a person or ship engaged in seal hunting, or to a sealant; associated terms include: Seal hunting * Sealer Hill, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica * Sealers' Oven, bread oven of mud and stone built by sealers around 180 ...

from the ''Britannia'' landed in Dusky Sound. ;1793 * Dusky Sound sealers picked up. * A Spanish expedition led by Italian explorer Alessandro Malaspina charts

Doubtful Sound Doubtful Sound / Patea is a fiord in Fiordland, in the far south west of New Zealand. It is located in the same region as the smaller but more famous and accessible Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. It took second place after Milford Sound as New Zea ...

* ''La Recherche'' and ''L'Espérance'', captained by Bruni d'Entrecasteaux and Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec sight New Zealand and the Kermadec Islands.

Early 19th century; 1801–1839

;

1806 Events January–March * January 1 ** The French Republican Calendar is abolished. ** The Kingdom of Bavaria is established by Napoleon. * January 5 – The body of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, lies in state in the Painted Hall ...

* First Pākehā (European) women arrive in New Zealand. ;

1807 Events January–March * January 7 – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland issues an Order in Council prohibiting British ships from trading with France or its allies. * January 20 – The Sierra Leone Company, faced with b ...

1808 Events January–March * January 1 ** The importation of slaves into the United States is banned, as the 1807 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves takes effect; African slaves continue to be imported into Cuba, and until the island ab ...

* Ngapuhi fight Ngāti Whātua, Te-Uri-o-Hau and Te Roroa iwi at the battle of Moremonui on the west coast of Northland, the first battle in which Maori used muskets. ;

1809 Events January–March * January 5 – The Treaty of the Dardanelles, between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Ottoman Empire, is concluded. * January 10 – Peninsular War – French Marshal Jean ...

* Ngati Uru attack and burn the ship '' Boyd'', killing all but four of its crew and passengers. Whalers wrongly blame

Te Puna Te Puna is a rural community near Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on State Highway 2, north of Bethlehem and south of Katikati. The local Te Puna Quarry has been redeveloped by volunteers i ...

chief Te Pahi and in a revenge attack kill 60 of his followers. ;

1814 Events January * January 1 – War of the Sixth Coalition – The Royal Prussian Army led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher crosses the Rhine. * January 3 ** War of the Sixth Coalition – Siege of Cattaro: French garrison s ...

* 22 December: British missionary Samuel Marsden, of the (Anglican) Church Missionary Society, arrives at Rangihoua at Oihi Bay in the Bay of Islands to establish the country's first mission station. Sheep, cattle, horses and poultry are introduced. * Christmas Day: Rev Samuel Marsden holds the first

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

service on land, at Rangihoua. ;

1815 Events January * January 2 – Lord Byron marries Anna Isabella Milbanke in Seaham, county of Durham, England. * January 3 – Austria, Britain, and Bourbon-restored France form a secret defensive alliance treaty against Prussi ...

* February: Thomas Holloway King is the first Pākehā child born in New Zealand, at Rangihoua. * ;

1819 Events January–March * January 2 – The Panic of 1819, the first major peacetime financial crisis in the United States, begins. * January 25 – Thomas Jefferson founds the University of Virginia. * January 29 – Si ...

* Raids on Taranaki and

Te Whanganui-a-tara Te Whanganui-a-Tara is the Māori name for Wellington Harbour. The term is also used to refer to the city of Wellington which lies on the shores of the harbour. ''Te Whanganui-a-Tara'' translates as "the great harbour of Tara", named for Tara, a s ...

regions by Ngapuhi and Ngati Toa people led by chiefs Patuone, Nene,

Moetara Moetara, later also known as Moetara Motu Tongaporutu (died 23 December 1838), was a tribal leader, agriculturalist and trader of the Ngāti Korokoro subtribe of the Ngāpuhi Māori iwi that lived on the south side of the Hokianga, New Zealand. Wh ...

, Tuwhare, and Te Rauparaha. * 17 August: the country's second mission station is established, at

Kerikeri Kerikeri () is the largest town in Northland, New Zealand. It is a tourist destination north of Auckland and north of the northern region's largest city, Whangarei. It is sometimes called the Cradle of the Nation, as it was the site of th ...

, when Rev Marsden, John Butler, Francis Hall and William Hall mark out the site which was previously visited by Marsden in 1815. * 25 September: Rev Marsden plants 100 vines, the first grapes grown in New Zealand. * 4 November: Chiefs Hongi Hika and Rewa sell 13,000 acres (5260 hectares) at Kerikeri to the Church Missionary Society for 48 felling axes. ;

1820 Events January–March *January 1 – Nominal beginning of the Trienio Liberal in Spain: A constitutionalist military insurrection at Cádiz leads to the summoning of the Spanish Parliament (March 7). *January 8 – General Maritime T ...

* 3 May: At

, Reverend John Butler uses a plough for the first time in the country. * Hongi Hika visits England, meets

King George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

and secures supply of

musket A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually d ...

s. ;

1821 Events January–March * January 21 – Peter I Island in the Antarctic is first sighted, by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. * January 28 – Alexander Island, the largest in Antarctica, is first discovered by Fabian Gottlieb von Be ...

* Continuation of musket wars by Hongi Hika and Te Morenga on southern iwi throughout the decade. ;

1822 Events January–March * January 1 – The Greek Constitution of 1822 is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus. *January 3 - The famous French explorer, Aimé Bonpland, is made prisoner in Paraguay accused of being a spy. ...

* Ngati Toa begin migration south to Cook Strait region, led by Te Rauparaha. ;

1823 Events January–March * January 22 – By secret treaty signed at the Congress of Verona, the Quintuple Alliance gives France a mandate to invade Spain for the purpose of restoring Ferdinand VII (who has been captured by armed revolutio ...

* Jurisdiction of New South Wales courts is extended to British citizens in New Zealand. * First

Wesleyan Missionary Society Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminianism, Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a Christian theology, theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the Christian ministry, ministry of the 18th-century eva ...

mission established, at Whangaroa. * First Church of England marriage, between

Phillip Tapsell Phillip Tapsell, born Hans Homan Jensen Falk (1777/1791? – 6 or 7 August 1873) was a Danish mariner, whaler, and trader who settled in New Zealand. Tapsell first arrived in New Zealand at the Bay of Islands on the ''New Zealander'' on 26 March 1 ...

and Maria Ringa, conducted by Thomas Kendall in the Bay of Islands. ;

1824 May 7: The almost completely deaf Beethoven premieres his Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven) , Ninth Symphony Events January–March * January 8 – After much controversy, Michael Faraday is finally elected as a member of the Royal Society, ...

* Te Heke Niho-puta migration of Taranaki iwi to the Kapiti Coast. ;

1825 Events January–March * January 4 – King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies dies in Naples and is succeeded by his son, Francis. * February 3 – Vendsyssel-Thy, once part of the Jutland peninsula forming westernmost Denmark, becomes a ...

* The battle of Te Ika-a-ranganui between Ngapuhi and hapu against Ngatiwhatua, resident occupiers of the land fought upon. ;

1827 Events January–March * January 5 – The first regatta in Australia is held, taking place on Tasmania (called at the time ''Van Diemen's Land''), on the River Derwent at Hobart. * January 15 – Furman University, founded in 1826, b ...

* Te Rauparaha's invasion of the

from Kapiti begins. ;

1831 Events January–March * January 1 – William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing '' The Liberator'', an anti-slavery newspaper, in Boston, Massachusetts. * January 10 – Japanese department store, Takashimaya in Kyoto establ ...

* Whaling stations established at Tory Channel and

Preservation Inlet Rakituma / Preservation Inlet is the southernmost fiord in Fiordland National Park and lies on the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. With an area of , it is the fourth largest fiord in New Zealand, after Tamatea / Dusky Sound, ...

. ;

1832 Events January–March * January 6 – Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison founds the New-England Anti-Slavery Society. * January 13 – The Christmas Rebellion of slaves is brought to an end in Jamaica, after the island's white plan ...

* 19 April: stonemason William Parrott begins work on the missionaries'

Stone Store The Stone Store at Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands is New Zealand’s oldest surviving stone building. Part of the second Church Missionary Society station in New Zealand, the store was designed by John Hobbs to replace an earlier wooden store ...

at Kerikeri. * James Busby appointed British Resident. ;

1833 Events January–March * January 3 – Reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (1833), Reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. * February 6 – His Royal Highness Prince Otto ...

* May: James Busby arrives at the Bay of Islands. ;

1834 Events January–March * January – The Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad is chartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. * January 1 – Zollverein (Germany): Customs charges are abolished at borders within its member states. * January 3 � ...

* March: United Tribes of New Zealand flag adopted by some 25 northern chiefs at Busby's suggestion. ;

1835 Events January–March * January 7 – anchors off the Chonos Archipelago on her second voyage, with Charles Darwin on board as naturalist. * January 8 – The United States public debt contracts to zero, for the only time in history. ...

* 22 April: Wesleyan missionaries extend south beyond their main base at Hokianga to the Waikato Coast, among them

James and Mary Wallis James and Mary Wallis were Wesleyan missionaries and the first European Settlers in Raglan, New Zealand. Early years and journey to New Zealand Born on 18 April 1809 in Blackwall, London, James Wallis felt the call to ministry at a young age ...

. * October: ''

Declaration of Independence of New Zealand The Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand ( mi, He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni), signed by a number of Māori people, Māori chiefs in 1835, proclaimed the Sovereignty, sovereign independence of New Zealand prior to th ...

'' by the "Confederation of United Tribes" signed by 34 northern chiefs (and later by another 18). * 19 November: The brig ''Lord Raglan'' carrying 500 Māori from

Ngati Tama ''Ngati'' is a 1987 New Zealand feature film directed by Barry Barclay, written by Tama Poata and produced by John O'Shea. Production ''Ngati'' is of historical and cultural significance in New Zealand as it is the first feature film written an ...

and

Ngati Mutunga ''Ngati'' is a 1987 New Zealand feature film directed by Barry Barclay, written by Tama Poata and produced by John O'Shea (director), John O'Shea. Production ''Ngati'' is of historical and cultural significance in New Zealand as it is the first ...

armed with guns, clubs and axes, arrives on the Chatham Islands. It is followed by another ship with 400 more Māori on 5 December. Those Moriori that are not killed are enslaved. ;

1837 Events January–March * January 1 – The destructive Galilee earthquake causes 6,000–7,000 casualties in Ottoman Syria. * January 26 – Michigan becomes the 26th state admitted to the United States. * February – Charles Dickens's ...

Captain William Hobson Captain William Hobson (26 September 1792 – 10 September 1842) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first Governor of New Zealand. He was a co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi. Hobson was dispatched from London in July ...

sent by New South Wales Governor to report on New Zealand. He suggested a treaty with the Māori and imposition of British Law. * New Zealand Association formed in London, becoming the New Zealand Colonisation Society in 1838 and the New Zealand Company in 1839, under the inspiration of Edward Gibbon Wakefield. ;

1838 Events January–March * January 10 – A fire destroys Lloyd's Coffee House and the Royal Exchange in London. * January 11 – At Morristown, New Jersey, Samuel Morse, Alfred Vail and Leonard Gale give the first public demonstration o ...

Bishop Pompallier Jean-Baptiste François Pompallier (11 December 1801 – 21 December 1871) was the first Roman Catholic bishop in New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two m ...

founds Roman Catholic Mission at Hokianga. ;

1839 Events January–March * January 2 – The first photograph of the Moon is taken, by French photographer Louis Daguerre. * January 6 – Night of the Big Wind: Ireland is struck by the most damaging cyclone in 300 years. * January 9 – T ...

* William Hobson instructed to establish British rule in New Zealand, as a dependency of New South Wales. * Colonel William Wakefield of the New Zealand Company arrives on the '' Tory'' to purchase land for a settlement.

Colony and self-government (1840 to 1946)

1840s

;

1840 Events January–March * January 3 – One of the predecessor papers of the ''Herald Sun'' of Melbourne, Australia, ''The Port Phillip Herald'', is founded. * January 10 – Uniform Penny Post is introduced in the United Kingdom. * Janua ...

* 22 January: New Zealand Company settlers arrive aboard the '' Aurora'' at

Te Whanganui a Tara Te Whanganui-a-Tara is the Māori name for Wellington Harbour. The term is also used to refer to the city of Wellington which lies on the shores of the harbour. ''Te Whanganui-a-Tara'' translates as "the great harbour of Tara", named for Tara, a ...

which becomes

Port Nicholson A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more Wharf, wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can a ...

, site of Wellington. * 29 January: William Hobson arrives in the Bay of Islands and reads out the proclamation of sovereignty. * 6 February: Hone Heke is the first to sign the Treaty of Waitangi at Bay of Islands. * 21 May: Hobson proclaims British sovereignty over New Zealand. The North Island by treaty and the South Island by discovery. * May: First capital established at Okiato, which was renamed Russell. * St Peter's School, the first Catholic school in New Zealand, opened in

Kororareka Russell, known as Kororāreka in the early 19th century, was the first permanent European settlement and seaport in New Zealand. It is situated in the Bay of Islands, in the far north of the North Island. History and culture Māori settle ...

. * 18 August: French colony established in

Akaroa Akaroa is a small town on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name. The name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for "Long Harbour", which would be spelled in standard ...

. * Hobson becomes first governor and sets up executive and legislative councils. *

Rawiri Taiwhanga Rawiri Taiwhanga (fl. 1818–1874) was a notable New Zealand tribal leader, farmer, Anglican missionary and teacher; of Māori descent, he identified with the Ngāpuhi iwi. He was the father of Sydney Taiwhanga. Before his baptism he was know ...

in Bay of Islands is running the first

dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

farm in New Zealand, near Kaikohe. ;

1841 Events January–March * January 20 – Charles Elliot of the United Kingdom, and Qishan of the Qing dynasty, agree to the Convention of Chuenpi. * January 26 – Britain occupies Hong Kong. Later in the year, the first census of the i ...

* European settlements established at

New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. ...

and Wanganui. * February: Capital shifted from Russell ( Okiato) to Auckland. * 3 May: New Zealand proclaimed a colony independent of New South Wales. * 27 September 1841: Foundation of a Catholic school for boys, Auckland's first school of any sort. ;

1842 Events January–March * January ** Michael Alexander takes office, as the first appointee to the Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem. ** American medical student William E. Clarke of Berkshire Medical College becomes the first pe ...

* Main body of settlers arrive at Nelson. * 10 September: Governor Hobson dies in Auckland. ;

1843 Events January–March * January ** Serial publication of Charles Dickens's novel ''Martin Chuzzlewit'' begins in London; in the July chapters, he lands his hero in the United States. ** Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" ...

* Twenty-two European settlers and four Māori killed in the Wairau Affray at

Tuamarina Tuamarina (often spelled Tua Marina) is a small town in Marlborough, New Zealand. State Highway 1 runs through the area. The Tuamarina River joins the Wairau River just south of the settlement. Picton is about 18 km to the north, and Ble ...

, near the Wairau River, in

Marlborough Marlborough may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Marlborough, Wiltshire, England ** Marlborough College, public school * Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England * The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England Austral ...

, marking the start of the New Zealand Wars. * Robert FitzRoy succeeds Hobson as governor. ;

1844 In the Philippines, it was the only leap year with 365 days, as December 31 was skipped when 1845 began after December 30. Events January–March * January 15 – The University of Notre Dame, based in the city of the same name, receives ...

* Hone Heke begins the Flagstaff War. * New Zealand Company suspends its colonising operations due to financial difficulties. ;

1845 Events January–March * January 10 – Elizabeth Barrett receives a love letter from the younger poet Robert Browning; on May 20, they meet for the first time in London. She begins writing her ''Sonnets from the Portuguese''. * January 23 ...

* George Grey becomes governor. ;

1846 Events January–March * January 5 – The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom. * January 13 – The Milan–Venice railway' ...

* Flagstaff War with the capture of Ruapekapeka. * First Constitution Act passed. * Charles Heaphy, William Fox, and

Thomas Brunner Thomas Brunner (April 1821 – 22 April 1874) was an English-born surveyor and explorer remembered for his exploration of the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Brunner was born in April 1821 in Oxford. When he was fifteen, he began t ...

begin exploring the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

. * First steam vessel, HMS ''Driver'', arrives in New Zealand waters. ;

1848 1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the polit ...

* Settlement of Dunedin founded by Scottish

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

Association. * New Ulster Province and New Munster Province set up under 1846 Act. * Coal discovered at

Brunner Brunner may refer to: Places * Brunner, New Zealand * Lake Brunner, New Zealand * Brunner Mine, New Zealand * Brunner, Houston, United States * Brunner (crater), lunar crater Other uses * Brunner (surname) * Brunner the Bounty Hunter, a character ...

on the West Coast. * Earthquake centred in Marlborough damages most Wellington buildings.

1850s

;

1850 Events January–June * April ** Pope Pius IX returns from exile to Rome. ** Stephen Foster's parlor ballad "Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway" is published in the United States. * April 4 – Los Angeles is incorporated as a cit ...

* Canterbury settlement founded. ;

1852 Events January–March * January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic. * January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come tog ...

* Second New Zealand Constitution Act passed creating General Assembly and six provinces with representative government. ;

1853 Events January–March * January 6 – Florida Governor Thomas Brown signs legislation that provides public support for the new East Florida Seminary, leading to the establishment of the University of Florida. * January 8 – Taiping Reb ...

* Idea of a

Māori King Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

canvassed by

Tāmihana Te Rauparaha Tāmihana (born Katu) Te Rauparaha (1820s – October 1876) was a notable New Zealand Māori leader, Christian evangelist, assessor, writer and farmer. He was born in Pukearuhe, Taranaki, New Zealand, the son of the great Ngāti Toa leader ...

and

Hēnare Mātene Te Whiwhi Hēnare Mātene Te Whiwhi (?–1881) was a notable New Zealand tribal leader, missionary and assessor. Of Māori descent, he identified with the Ngati Raukawa and Ngati Toa iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori societ ...

. * About 100 Māori – mostly chiefs – enrolled to vote in the forthcoming election. * 4 July–1 October:

1853 New Zealand general election The 1853 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 1st term. It was the first national election ever held in New Zealand, although Parliament did not yet have full authority to gover ...

;

1854 Events January–March * January 4 – The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the ''Samarang''. * January 6 – The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is perhaps born. * January 9 – The Teut ...

* First session of the General Assembly opens in Auckland. ;

1855 Events January–March * January 1 – Ottawa, Ontario, is incorporated as a city. * January 5 – Ramón Castilla begins his third term as President of Peru. * January 23 ** The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens ...

* Governor

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 ...

, appointed in 1854, arrives. * A severe magnitude 8.1 earthquake strikes Wairarapa. Noted for having the largest movement of a strike-slip earthquake in history, at 17 meters. * Adhesive postage stamps on sale. * 28 October–28 December:

1855 New Zealand general election The 1855 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 2nd term. It was the second national election ever held in New Zealand, and the first one which elected a Parliament that had full ...

. ;

1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – American paddle steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatlantic voyag ...

* Henry Sewell forms first ministry under

responsible government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive bran ...

and becomes first

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 ...

. *

Edward Stafford Edward Stafford may refer to: People * Edward Stafford, 2nd Earl of Wiltshire (1470–1498) *Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham (1478–1521), executed for treason *Edward Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford (1535–1603) *Sir Edward Stafford (diplo ...

forms first stable ministry. ;

1857 Events January–March * January 1 – The biggest Estonian newspaper, ''Postimees'', is established by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. * January 7 – The partly French-owned London General Omnibus Company begins operating. * Janua ...

*Foundation of Auckland's first Catholic boys' secondary school, St Peter's School. ;

1858 Events January–March * January – **Benito Juárez (1806–1872) becomes Liberal President of Mexico. At the same time, conservatives install Félix María Zuloaga (1813–1898) as president. **William I of Prussia becomes regent f ...

* New Provinces Act passed. * Te Wherowhero installed as first

, taking name Pōtatau I. ;

1859 Events January–March * January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico. * January 24 ( O. S.) – Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexandru Ioan Cuza (Romania since 1866, final u ...

* First session of Hawke's Bay and Marlborough provincial councils. * Gold discovered in

Buller River The Buller River ( mi, Kawatiri) is a river in the South Island of New Zealand. One of the country's longest rivers, it flows for from Lake Rotoiti through the Buller Gorge and into the Tasman Sea near the town of Westport. Within the Bulle ...

. * New Zealand Insurance Company established.

1860s

;

1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...

* Waitara dispute develops into First Taranaki War. * The Māori King

Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Pōtatau Te Wherowhero (died 25 June 1860) was a Māori warrior, leader of the Waikato iwi (confederation of tribes), the first Māori King and founder of the Te Wherowhero royal dynasty. He was first known just as ''Te Wherowhero'' and took the ...

dies and is succeeded by his son Tāwhiao. * 12 December – 28 March:

1860–1861 New Zealand general election The 1860–1861 New Zealand general election was held between 12 December 1860 and 28 March 1861 to elect 53 MPs to the third session of the New Zealand Parliament The New Zealand Parliament ( mi, Pāremata Aotearoa) is the unicameral legi ...

. ;

1861 Statistically, this year is considered the end of the whale oil industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the petroleum oil industry. Events January–March * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico City. ** The first steam-p ...

* George Grey becomes governor for the second time. * May,

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 ...

discovers gold in

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 ...

near Lawrence. Central Otago Gold Rush begins. * First session of Southland provincial council. *

Bank of New Zealand Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) is one of New Zealand's Big Four (banking), big four banks and has been operating in the country since the first office was opened in Auckland in October 1861 followed shortly after by the first branch in Dunedin in D ...

incorporated at Auckland. ;

1862 Events January–March * January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria. * January 6 – French intervention in Mexico: French, Spanish and British forces arrive in Veracruz, Mexico. * January ...

* The country's first electric telegraph line opens, between Christchurch and Lyttelton. * First gold shipment from Dunedin to London. ;

1863 Events January–March * January 1 – Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation during the third year of the American Civil War, making the abolition of slavery in the Confederate states an official war goal. It proclaims t ...

* War resumes in Taranaki and begins in Waikato when General Cameron crosses the Mangatawhiri stream. * New Zealand Settlements Act passed to effect land-confiscation. * First steam railway in New Zealand, the Ferrymead Railway opened. * 7 February: sinks in Manukau Harbour, killing 189 people. * 23 February: 7.5 earthquake causes moderate damage across central New Zealand. ;

1864 Events January–March * January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song " ...

* War in the Waikato ends with battle of Orakau. * Gold discovered in Marlborough and Westland. * Arthur, George, and

Edward Dobson Edward Dobson (1816/17? – 19 September 1908) was Provincial Engineer for Canterbury Province, New Zealand from 1854 to 1868. Early life Edward Dobson was born in London, probably in 1816 or 1817. His parents were John Dobson, a merchant, and E ...

are the first Pākehā to cross what becomes known as Arthur's Pass. ;

1865 Events January–March * January 4 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at Broad Street (Manhattan), 10-12 Broad near Wall Street, in New York City. * January 13 – American Civil War : Sec ...

* Capital and seat of government transferred from Auckland to Wellington *

New Zealand Exhibition The New Zealand Exhibition held in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1865 was a world's fair visited by 31250 people. It was the first world's fair held in New Zealand. It opened on 12 January and ran until 6 May 1865. Organisation Following the Bazaar ...

held in Dunedin * Native Land Court established. * Government launches the first of what would become 3,000,000 acres of land-confiscations from Māori in Waikato, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, and Hawke's Bay. * Māori resistance continues. * Auckland streets lit by gas for first time. ;

1866 Events January–March * January 1 ** Fisk University, a historically black university, is established in Nashville, Tennessee. ** The last issue of the abolitionist magazine '' The Liberator'' is published. * January 6 – Ottoman tr ...

* First (unreliable) Cook Strait submarine telegraph cable laid. * Christchurch to Hokitika road opens. * Cobb and Co. coaches run from Canterbury to the West Coast. * The Presbytery of Otago separates into three presbyteries and becomes the

Synod of Otago and Southland The Synod of Otago and Southland is a synod of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ). Originally independent, the Synod merged with the northern Presbyterian church in 1901 to form the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. ...

. * January–February: Trevor Chute leads raids against Maro in Taranaki * 12 February–6 April:

1866 New Zealand general election The 1866 New Zealand general election was held between 12 February and 6 April to elect 70 MPs to the fourth term of the New Zealand Parliament. In 1867 four Māori electorates were created, initially as a temporary measure for five years. The ...

. ;

1867 Events January–March * January 1 – The Covington–Cincinnati Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, in the United States, becoming the longest single-span bridge in the world. It was renamed a ...

* Thames goldfield opens; soon the town has more people than Auckland. * Four Māori electorates established in Parliament. All Māori men over 21 obtained

suffrage Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in representative democracy, public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally i ...

(allowed to stand for parliament and vote). * Lyttelton railway tunnel completed. * Armed constabulary established. ;

1868 Events January–March * January 2 – British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries. * January 3 – The 15-year-old Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji of Jap ...

* Māori resistance continues through campaigns of Te Kooti Arikirangi and Titokowaru. * New Zealand's first sheep breed, the

Corriedale The Corriedale is a New Zealand breed of sheep. It was bred from about 1882 in the South Island by James Little, who cross-bred Merino and Lincoln Longwool sheep. The breed was officially recognised in 1911. It has been exported to Australi ...

, is developed. ;

1869 Events January–March * January 3 – Abdur Rahman Khan is defeated at Tinah Khan, and exiled from Afghanistan. * January 5 – Scotland's oldest professional football team, Kilmarnock F.C., is founded. * January 20 – E ...

* Thomas Burns founds New Zealand's first university, the University of Otago, in Dunedin. * Visit of Prince Alfred – the first Royal Tour.

1870s

;

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the Broo ...

* The last imperial forces leave New Zealand. * Julius Vogel's public works and immigration policy begins, along with national railway construction programme; over 1,000 miles constructed by 1879. * University of New Zealand created by the New Zealand University Act, establishing a federal university based on the University of London, which lasts until 1961. * First rugby match. * Auckland to San Francisco mail service begins. ;

1871 Events January–March * January 3 – Franco-Prussian War – Battle of Bapaume: Prussians win a strategic victory. * January 18 – Proclamation of the German Empire: The member states of the North German Confederation and the sout ...

* Deer freed in Otago. * 14 January–23 February:

1871 New Zealand general election The 1871 New Zealand general election was held between 14 January and 23 February to elect 78 MPs across 72 electorates to the fifth session of the New Zealand Parliament. 41,527 electors were registered. Background 1871 was the first general e ...

. ;

1872 Events January–March * January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years. * February 2 – The government of the United Kingdom buys a number of forts on ...

* Te Kooti retreats to the King Country and Māori armed resistance ceases. * Telegraph communication links Auckland, Wellington and southern provinces. ;

1873 Events January–March * January 1 ** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar. ** The California Penal Code goes into effect. * January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat ...

New Zealand Shipping Company The New Zealand Shipping Company (NZSC) was a shipping company whose ships ran passenger and cargo services between Great Britain and New Zealand between 1873 and 1973. A group of Christchurch businessmen founded the company in 1873, similar ...

established. ;

1874 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx. * January 2 – Ignacio María González becomes head of state of the Dominican Republic for the first time. * January 3 – Third Carlist War &ndas ...

* First New Zealand steam engine built at Invercargill. ;

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

* 20 December – 29 January:

1875–1876 New Zealand general election The 1875–1876 New Zealand general election was held between 20 December 1875 and 29 January 1876 to elect a total of 88 MPs in 73 electorates to the 6th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 4 and 15 January 1876. A ...

. ;

1876 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin. ** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol. * February 2 – The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs i ...

* Abolition of the provinces and establishment of local government by counties and boroughs. * New Zealand-Australia telegraph cable established. ;

1877 Events January–March * January 1 – Queen Victoria is proclaimed ''Empress of India'' by the ''Royal Titles Act 1876'', introduced by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . * January 8 – Great Sio ...

* Education Act passed, establishing national system of primary education, "free, secular, and compulsory". ;

1878 Events January–March * January 5 – Russo-Turkish War – Battle of Shipka Pass IV: Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire. * January 9 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy. * January 17 – Battle o ...

* Completion of Main South Line railway linking Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill. ;

1879 Events January–March * January 1 – The Specie Resumption Act takes effect. The United States Note is valued the same as gold, for the first time since the American Civil War. * January 11 – The Anglo-Zulu War begins. * Janu ...

* Triennial Parliaments Act passed. Manhood suffrage is extended to non-Māori when the vote is given to every male aged 21 and over. * Kaitangata mine explosion, 34 people die. * Annual property tax introduced. * ''Kangaroo'' lays the first reliable telegraph cable across Cook Strait. * 28 August–15 September:

1879 New Zealand general election The 1879 New Zealand general election was held between 28 August and 15 September 1879 to elect a total of 88 MPs to the 7th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 8 September. A total of 82,271 (66.5%) European voter ...

all men enfranchised.

1880s

;

1881 Events January–March * January 1– 24 – Siege of Geok Tepe: Russian troops under General Mikhail Skobelev defeat the Turkomans. * January 13 – War of the Pacific – Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos: The C ...

* Parihaka community forcibly broken up by troops. Te Whiti,

Tohu Kākahi Tohu Kākahi (c. 1828 – 4 February 1907) was a Māori leader, a warrior leader in the anti government Hau Hau Movement 1864-66 and later a prophet at Parihaka, who along with Te Whiti o Rongomai organised passive resistance against the occupati ...

and followers arrested and imprisoned. * Wreck of SS ''Tararua'', 131 people die. * Auckland and Christchurch telephone exchanges open. * 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 ...

under Tāwhiao makes peace with the Auckland settler government. * 9 December:

1881 New Zealand general election The 1881 New Zealand general election was held on 8 and 9 December in the Māori and European electorates, respectively, to elect 95 MPs to the 8th session of the New Zealand Parliament. 1881 was the first time a general election was held under ...

. ;

1882 Events January–March * January 2 ** The Standard Oil Trust is secretly created in the United States to control multiple corporations set up by John D. Rockefeller and his associates. ** Irish-born author Oscar Wilde arrives in ...

* First shipment of frozen meat leaves Port Chalmers for England on the ''Dunedin''. * "State" visit of King Tawhiao to Auckland – civic reception, banquet & fireworks display. ;

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Ja ...

* Te Kooti pardoned, Te Whiti and other prisoners released. * Direct steamer link established between New Zealand and Britain. ;

1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...

* King Tawhiao visits England with petition to the Queen, appealing to the Treaty of Waitangi, and is refused access. * First overseas tour by a New Zealand rugby team, to New South Wales. * Construction of King Country section of North Island main trunk railway begins. * 22 June:

1884 New Zealand general election The 1884 New Zealand general election was held on 22 July to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 9th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 21 July. A total number of 137,686 (60.6%) voters turned out to vote. In 11 seats ...

. * 1 August International Industrial Exhibition opened in Wellington. * 9 September total Eclipse of the Sun observed at Wellington. * November Russian Invasion Scare. ;

1885 Events January–March * January 3– 4 – Sino-French War – Battle of Núi Bop: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing Chinese force, in northern Vietnam. * January 4 – ...

* Mary C. Leavitt, World Missionary for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, toured New Zealand setting up local branches; appointed Anne Ward of Wellington as the first national president to continue recruiting and organizing departments to advocate for women's political and socio-economic rights. ;

1886 Events January–March * January 1 – Upper Burma is formally annexed to British Burma, following its conquest in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of November 1885. * January 5– 9 – Robert Louis Stevenson's novella ''Strange ...

* 23–24 February – First national convention of Women's Christian Temperance Union New Zealand held in Wellington, launching the organizational strategies for a campaign for women's right to vote in national elections. * 29 March − 10 April – Visit of German warships to Auckland – SMS Gneisenau & SMS Olga. * 11–21 May – Visit of Japanese warship Tsubka to Wellington. * 23 May – 2 June surprise visit of Russian naval Vestnik to Wellington. * 10 June

Mount Tarawera Mount Tarawera is a volcano on the North Island of New Zealand within the older but volcanically productive Ōkataina Caldera. Located 24 kilometres southeast of Rotorua, it consists of a series of rhyolitic lava domes that were fissured d ...

erupts and the

Pink and White Terraces The Pink and White Terraces ( and ), were natural wonders of New Zealand. They were reportedly the largest silica sinter deposits on earth. Until recently, they were lost and thought destroyed in the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera, while new hy ...

are destroyed, 153 people die. * Oil is discovered in Taranaki. ;

1887 Events January–March * January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher. * January 20 ** The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Har ...

* New Zealand's first national park, Tongariro National Park, is presented to the nation by Te Heuheu Tukino IV. * First inland parcel post service. * 26 September:

1887 New Zealand general election The 1887 New Zealand general election was held on 26 September to elect 95 MPs to the tenth session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 7 September. 175,410 votes (67.1% turnout) were cast. In 5 seats there was only one ...

. ;

1888 In Germany, 1888 is known as the Year of the Three Emperors. Currently, it is the year that, when written in Roman numerals, has the most digits (13). The next year that also has 13 digits is the year 2388. The record will be surpassed as late ...

* 12 August: Reefton becomes first town in the Southern Hemisphere to have a public supply of electricity after the commissioning of the Reefton Power Station. ;

1889 Events January–March * January 1 ** The total solar eclipse of January 1, 1889 is seen over parts of California and Nevada. ** Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka experiences a vision, leading to the start of the Ghost Dance movement in the ...

* Abolition of non-residential or property qualification to vote. * First New Zealand-built locomotive completed at Addington Workshops.

1890s

;

1890 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony, in the Horn of Africa. ** In Michigan, the wooden steamer ''Mackinaw'' burns in a fire on the Black River. * January 2 ** The steamship ...

* A

maritime strike An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pres ...

in Australia spreads to New Zealand, involving 8000 unionists. * "Sweating" Commission reports on employment conditions. * 5 December:

1890 New Zealand general election The 1890 New Zealand general election was one of New Zealand's most significant. It marked the beginning of party politics in New Zealand with the formation of the Liberal Government, which was to enact major welfare, labour and electoral reforms ...

, the first election on a one-man-one-vote basis ;

1891 Events January–March * January 1 ** Paying of old age pensions begins in Germany. ** A strike of 500 Hungarian steel workers occurs; 3,000 men are out of work as a consequence. **Germany takes formal possession of its new Africa ...

* John McKenzie introduces the first of a series of measures to promote closer land settlement. * John Ballance becomes Premier of

Liberal Government Liberal government may refer to: Australia In Australian politics, a Liberal government may refer to the following governments administered by the Liberal Party of Australia: * Menzies Government (1949–66), several Australian ministries under S ...

. ;

1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...

* First Kotahitanga Māori Parliament meets. ;

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

* 27 April: John Ballance dies * John Ballance succeeded as premier by Richard Seddon. * 19 September: All women given the right to vote, New Zealand becomes the first country to grant universal suffrage and plural voting abolished. * Liquor licensing poll introduced. * Elizabeth Yates, Onehunga, becomes the first woman mayor in British Empire. * Banknotes become legal tender. * 28 November:

1893 New Zealand general election The 1893 New Zealand general election was held on 28 November and 20 December in the European and Māori electorates, respectively, to elect 74 MPs to the 12th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The election was won by the Liberal Party, and ...

. ;

1894 Events January–March * January 4 – A military alliance is established between the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire. * January 7 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film in the United S ...

* Compulsory arbitration of industrial disputes and reform of employment laws. * Advances to Settlers Act. * Clark, Fyfe and Graham become the first people to climb Mt Cook. * Wreck of SS ''Wairarapa''. ;

1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wil ...

* National Council of Women is founded. * The

Brunner Mine disaster The Brunner Mine disaster happened at 9:30 am on Thursday 26 March 1896 ( NZMT; UTC+11:30), when an explosion deep in the Brunner Mine, in the West Coast region of New Zealand, killed all 65 miners below ground. The Brunner Mine disaster is ...

kills 67. * Census measures national population as 743,214. * 13 October: First public screening of a

motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

in New Zealand * 4 December:

1896 New Zealand general election The 1896 New Zealand general election was held on Wednesday, 4 December in the general electorates, and on Thursday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 13th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total numbe ...

. ;

1897 Events January–March * January 2 – The International Alpha Omicron Pi sorority is founded, in New York City. * January 4 – A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosere, son-in-law of the ruler. This leads to a puniti ...

* First of series of colonial and later imperial conferences held in London. *

Āpirana Ngata Sir Āpirana Turupa Ngata (3 July 1874 – 14 July 1950) was a prominent New Zealand statesman. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have served in Parliament in the mid-20th century, and is also known for his work ...

and others form the Te Aute College Students' Association

; 1898 in New Zealand, 1898 * Old Age Pensions Act. * First cars imported to New Zealand. ;

1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...

* New Zealand army contingent is sent to the South African war. * First celebration of Labour Day. * 6 December:

1899 New Zealand general election The 1899 New Zealand general election was held on 6 and 19 December in the European and Māori electorates, respectively, to elect 74 MPs to the 14th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The election was again won by the Liberal Party, and Rich ...

1900s

;

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

* Māori Councils Act passed. * Public Health Act passed setting up Department of Public Health in 1901. ;

1901 Events January * January 1 – The Crown colony, British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and Western Australia Federation of Australia, federate as the Australia, ...

Cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * ...

and other Pacific Islands annexed. * Penny postage first used. * Union of the

with the Northern Presbyterian Church to form the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. * Royal Tour – Visit of the Duke & Duchess of York and Cornwall. ;

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 ...

* Pacific telegraph cable begins operating between New Zealand, Australia and Fiji. * Wreck of trans-tasman steamer SS ''Elingamite''. * 25 November:

1902 New Zealand general election The 1902 New Zealand general election was held on Tuesday, 25 November, in the general electorates, and on Monday, 22 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 15th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number ...

. ;

1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 19 – The first west–east transatlantic radio broadcast is made from the United States to England (the first east–west broadcast having been ...

* 31 March: Richard Pearse achieves semi-controlled flight near Timaru. * 15 August: The New Zealand All Blacks play their first Rugby Test Match against Australia's

Wallabies A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and so ...

at the

Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...

in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. New Zealand win, 22–3. ;

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...

;

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...

* New Zealand rugby team tours England and becomes known as the All Blacks. * Old Age Pension increases to £26 per year; however, eligibility tightened. * 6 December:

1905 New Zealand general election The 1905 New Zealand general election was held on Wednesday, 6 December in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 20 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 16th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total num ...

. ;

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

* 10 June: Richard Seddon dies and is succeeded by Joseph Ward as premier. ;

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. ...

* July: Resolution passed to constitute New Zealand as a Dominion. * Fire destroys Parliament buildings. * Tohunga Suppression Act passed * 26 September:

Dominion of New Zealand The Dominion of New Zealand was the historical successor to the Colony of New Zealand. It was a constitutional monarchy with a high level of self-government within the British Empire. New Zealand became a separate British Crown colony in 184 ...

declared. ;

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

* Auckland to Wellington main trunk railway line opens. * First New Zealanders compete at the

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

as part of

Australasian Australasian is the adjectival form of Australasia, a geographical region including Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continen ...

team. * Harry Kerr is the first New Zealander to win an Olympic medal (a bronze in the Men's 3500 metre walk). *

Blackball Blackball, black-ball, black ball, blackballed, or blackballing may refer to: * Blackballing, a rejection in a traditional form of secret ballot Film * ''Blackball'' (film), a 2003 film starring Paul Kaye * '' Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Stor ...

coal miner strike lasts 11 weeks. * Ernest Rutherford is awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. * New Zealand's population reaches one million. * 17 November, 24 November and 1 December:

1908 New Zealand general election The 1908 New Zealand general election was held on Tuesday, 17 and 24 November and 1 December in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 2 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 17th session of the New Zealand Parl ...

. ;

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Januar ...

* "Red" Federation of Labour formed. * SS ''Penguin'' wrecked in Cook Strait, 75 people die. * Compulsory military training introduced. * Stamp–vending machine invented and manufactured in New Zealand.

1910s

;

1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...

* Halley's Comet sighted in New Zealand. ;

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

* 7 December, 14 December:

1911 New Zealand general election The 1911 New Zealand general election was held on Thursday, 7 and 14 December in the general electorates, and on Tuesday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 18th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total ...

. ;

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ...

* William Massey wins vote in the House and becomes prime minister; Reform Government formed. *

Waihi miners' strike The Waihi miners' strike was a major strike action in 1912 by gold miners in the New Zealand town of Waihi. It is widely regarded as the most significant industrial action in the history of New Zealand's labour movement. It resulted in one strike ...

. *

Malcolm Champion Malcolm Eadie Champion (10 November 1882 – 26 July 1939) was New Zealand's first Olympic gold medallist, and the first swimmer to represent New Zealand at an Olympic Games. He won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 1912 Sum ...

becomes first New Zealander to win an Olympic gold medal. ;

1913 Events January * January 5 – First Balkan War: Battle of Lemnos (1913), Battle of Lemnos – Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it will not ven ...

* Waterfront strikes in Auckland and Wellington. ;

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 ...

* World War I begins and German Samoa is occupied. *

New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

is despatched to Egypt. * Huntly coal mine disaster, 43 people die. * 15 August: Troops depart for Samoa. * 29 August: New Zealand troops land unopposed in Apia. * October: 8427 troops leave New Zealand for Europe. * 10 December:

1914 New Zealand general election The 1914 New Zealand general election was held on 10 December to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 19th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Maori vote was held on 11 December. A total number of 616,043 voters were registered, of which 84.7% ...

. ;

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 ...

* New Zealand forces take part in

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

campaign. * Reform and Liberal parties form National War Cabinet. * Britain announces its intention to purchase all New Zealand meat exports during war. * 25 April: First landings at

Gaba Tepe Kabatepe, or Gaba Tepe, is a headland overlooking the northern Aegean Sea in what is now the Gallipoli Peninsula National Historical Park ( tr), on the Gallipoli peninsula in northwestern Turkey. During the First World War, the headland was the ...

and Cape Helles on the

Peninsula. * 27 April: Counterattack launched by Turkish forces under the command of

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, or Mustafa Kemal Pasha until 1921, and Ghazi Mustafa Kemal from 1921 Surname Law (Turkey), until 1934 ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish Mareşal (Turkey), field marshal, Turkish National Movement, re ...

. * 20 December: Final withdraw of all troops from Anzac Cove. ;

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * ...

* New Zealand troops transfer from Western Front. *

Conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

introduced. * Labour Party formed. *

Lake Coleridge Lake Coleridge ( mi, Whakamatau) is located in inland Canterbury, in New Zealand's South Island. Located to the northwest of Methven, it has a surface area of . The lake is situated in an over-deepened valley formed by a glacier over 20,000 year ...

electricity supply scheme opened. * 10 June: Passing of the Military Services Bill introduces conscription. * July: Battle of Romani defaults Turkish force advancing towards the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

. ;

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

Battle of Passchendaele The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...

, 3,700 New Zealanders killed. * Six o'clock public house closing introduced. * Lord Liverpool becomes first governor-general. ;

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

* New Zealand Division in the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

. * End of World War I. * Influenza pandemic in which an estimated 8,500 die. * Creation of power boards for electricity distribution. * Prohibition petition with 242,001 signatures presented to Parliament. ;

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...

* Women eligible for election to Parliament. * Massey signs Treaty of Versailles. * First official airmail flight from Auckland to Dargaville. * 17 December:

1919 New Zealand general election The 1919 New Zealand general election was held on Tuesday, 16 December in the Māori electorates and on Wednesday, 17 December in the general electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 20th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total numbe ...

1920s

;

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

Anzac Day , image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg , caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary. , observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...

established. * New Zealand gets League of Nations mandate to govern Western Samoa. * First aeroplane flight across Cook Strait. * New Zealand sends first team to Olympic Games (previously they have competed as part of Australasian team). * Darcy Hadfield wins first Olympic medal for New Zealand. ;

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy The New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy also known as the New Zealand Station was formed in 1921 and remained in existence until 1941. It was the precursor to the Royal New Zealand Navy. Originally, the Royal Navy was solely responsible for ...

established. ;

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

New Zealand Meat Producers Board The New Zealand Meat Board is a statutory body which provides quota management on behalf of the Crown for meat exports to the United States, European Union and United Kingdom. To protect their own livestock industry these countries give limited ac ...

constituted under Act of Parliament and placed in control of meat exports. * 7 December:

1922 New Zealand general election The 1922 New Zealand general election was held on Monday, 6 December in the Māori electorates, and on Tuesday, 7 December in the general electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 21st session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of ...

. ;

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

* New Zealand Dairy Board constituted under Act of Parliament and placed in control of Dairy exports *

Otira tunnel The Otira Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Midland Line in the South Island of New Zealand, between Otira and Arthur's Pass. It runs under the Southern Alps from Arthur's Pass to Otira – a length of over . The gradient is mainly 1 in 33, and ...

opens; Midland Line between Christchurch and Greymouth completed * Ross Dependency proclaimed. ;

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

All Black The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...

'Invincibles' tour of Britain and France. ;

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

* 4 November:

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 ( ...

won by the Reform party under Gordon Coates. ;

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of V ...

* National public broadcasting begins under auspices of Radio Broadcasting Co. Ltd. ;

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

;

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

* New Zealand Summer Time introduced. * Charles Kingsford Smith completes first flight across Tasman Sea. * 14 December:

won by new United Party. * Ted Morgan wins first Olympic gold medal for New Zealand. ;

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

* Economic depression worsens. * Severe earthquake in the Murchison – Karamea district results in 17 deaths. * First health stamps issued.

1930s

;

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

* Unemployment Board set up to provide relief work. ;

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

* 3 February: A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Hawke's Bay kills 256 people. * Substantial percentage reductions in public service wages and salaries, to help rebuild Hawke's Bay. * Airmail postage stamps introduced. * 2 December:

won by newly formed Coalition Government under George Forbes. ;

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

* Compulsory arbitration of industrial disputes abolished. * Unemployed riots in Auckland, Dunedin and Christchurch. * Reductions in old-age and other pensions. * Distinctive New Zealand coins first issued, see New Zealand pound. ;

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

* 9 September:

Elizabeth McCombs Elizabeth Reid McCombs (née Henderson, 19 November 1873 – 7 June 1935) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party who in 1933 became the first woman elected to the New Zealand Parliament. New Zealand women gained the right to vote in ...

becomes first woman MP. ;

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

* Reserve Bank and Mortgage Corporation established. * First trans-Tasman airmail. ;

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

* Air services begin across Cook Strait. * 24 November: New Zealand Post Office jams 1ZB radio broadcast by Colin Scrimgeour (Uncle Scrim). * 27 November: General election:

First Labour Government The first MacDonald ministry of the United Kingdom lasted from January to November 1924. The Labour Party, under Ramsay MacDonald, had failed to win the general election of December 1923, with 191 seats, although the combined Opposition tall ...

elected under Michael Joseph Savage. ;

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

Reserve Bank A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages the currency and monetary policy of a country or monetary union, and oversees their commercial banking system. In contrast to a commercial bank, a central ba ...

taken over by state. * State housing programme launched. * Guaranteed prices for dairy products introduced. * National Party formed from former Coalition MPs. * Inter-island trunk air services introduced. *

Jack Lovelock John Edward Lovelock (5 January 1910 – 28 December 1949) was a New Zealand athlete who became the world 1500m and mile record holder and 1936 Olympic champion in the 1500 metres. Early life Lovelock was born in the town of Crushingto ...

wins Olympic gold and sets world record for

1500m The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...

. * Jean Batten's record flight from England. * Working week reduced from 44 to 40 hours. ;

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Fe ...

* April: Federation of Labour unifies trade union movement. * RNZAF set up as separate branch of armed forces. * March: Free Milk in schools introduced. ;

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

* Social Security Act establishes revised pensions structure and the basis of a national health service. * Import and exchange controls are introduced. * 15 October:

, Labour re-elected. ;

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

* Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force formed. * Bulk purchases of farm products by Great Britain. * 3 September: War declared on Germany * 12 September: Enlistment in the 2nd

begins. * 4 October: Government announces the formation of a Māori Battalion for 2NZEF * 23 November:

Bernard Freyberg Lieutenant-General Bernard Cyril Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg, (21 March 1889 – 4 July 1963) was a British-born New Zealand soldier and Victoria Cross recipient, who served as the 7th Governor-General of New Zealand from 1946 to 1952. Freyb ...

is appointed commander of 2NZEF * 13 December: takes part in The Battle of the River Plate.

1940 to 1946

;

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

* 5 January: First Echelon of the

2NZEF The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

leaves New Zealand for the Middle East. * 12 February: The main body of the First Echelon of the 2NZEF, arrives at Maadi Camp in Egypt. * 27 March: Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage dies * 1 April: Peter Fraser becomes prime minister. * 1 April: Formation of No. 75 (NZ) Squadron of the RAF * 11 June: New Zealand declares war on Italy. * 19 June: '' RMS Niagara'' hits a mine off Bream Head, Northland * 2 August: Home Guard established. * 20 August: German raider ''Orion'' sinks the steamer ''Turakina'' off Cape Egmont. * October:

Stanley Graham Eric Stanley George Graham (12 November 1900 – 21 October 1941) was a New Zealander who killed seven people. Early life Graham was born and raised in Kokatahi, New Zealand and, as a child, worked at the Longford Hotel, built in 1902, ten ...

kills 7 in shooting spree near Hokitika * 25 November: Steamer ''Holmwood'' sunk by German raiders off the Chatham Islands. * 27 November: ''Rangitane'' sunk by German raiders 480 km from East Cape * 8 December: New Zealand steamer ''Komata'' sunk by German raiders off

Nauru Nauru ( or ; na, Naoero), officially the Republic of Nauru ( na, Repubrikin Naoero) and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate in Oceania, in the Central Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Ki ...

Sidney Holland Sir Sidney George Holland (18 October 1893 – 5 August 1961) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 25th prime minister of New Zealand from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957. He was instrumental in the creation and consolidation o ...

becomes Leader of Opposition. * Conscription for military service. * German mines laid across Hauraki Gulf. ;

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

* 20 May – 1 June: New Zealand forces suffer heavy losses in the Battle of Crete. * 8 December: New Zealand declares war on Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor. * Māori War Effort Organisation set up. * Pharmaceutical and general practitioner medical benefits introduced. ;

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

* Economic stabilisation. * Fears of a Japanese Invasion prompts precautions such as air raid drills. Membership of the Home Guard became compulsory for men aged between 35 and 50. The threat is eased after the

Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the batt ...

. * New Zealand troops in

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and Second Battles of El Alamein. * Food rationing introduced. * Mobilisation of women for essential work. * 12 June: First 5 ships of American troops from the 37th US Army Division land in Auckland. * 14 June: First American Marines from the 1st Corps Division land in Wellington. ;

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...

* New Zealand troops take part in invasion of Italy. * February: Mutiny by Japanese

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

at Featherston prisoner of war camp results in 48 Japanese dead, 61 wounded, plus one dead and 11 injured guards. * 3 April:

Battle of Manners Street The Battle of Manners Street refers to a riot involving American servicemen and New Zealand servicemen and civilians outside the Allied Services Club in Manners Street, Te Aro, Wellington in 1943. The club was a social centre, open to all militar ...

between American and New Zealand servicemen * 20 June: Several Marines drown during landing exercises at Paekakariki * 28 August: Eleanor Roosevelt arrives in New Zealand for visit. * 3 September: Eleanor Roosevelt flies out from Auckland. * 25 September:

, Labour re-elected. *October: Butter rationing begins. ;

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

* Australia-New Zealand Agreement provides for co-operation in the South Pacific. * NZ Troops suffer heavy losses during The Italian Campaign *March: Meat rationing begins, ;

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

* New Zealand signs United Nations charter. * Māori Social and Economic Advancement Act passed. * National Airways Corporation founded. *15 December: Main North Line railway completed between Christchurch and Picton. ;

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

* Family benefit of £1 per week becomes universal. *

nationalised. * 24 November:

1946 New Zealand general election The 1946 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 28th term. It saw the governing Labour Party re-elected, but by a substantially narrower margin than in the three previous electio ...

. * 20 August: Railway disaster in Manawatu Gorge

Full independence (1947 to 1983)

1947 to 1949

;

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

* Statute of Westminster adopted with the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947, passed by the New Zealand Parliament. *

New Zealand Constitution Amendment (Request and Consent) Act 1947 The New Zealand Constitution Amendment (Request and Consent) Act 1947 (New Zealand public act no. 38) and New Zealand Constitution (Amendment) Act 1947 ( 11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 4) were two enactments passed by the Parliament of New Zealand and Parli ...

passed, granting Parliament of New Zealand the ability to amend the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852. * First public performance by National Orchestra. * Mabel Howard becomes first woman cabinet minister. * Fire in Ballantyne's department store, Christchurch, 41 people die. ;

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948 The British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948 (Public Act no. 15 of 1948) was an Act of the New Zealand Parliament passed into law in 1948 establishing New Zealand citizenship for New Zealanders, separate from their previous status ...

passed. * Protest campaign against exclusion of Māori players from rugby tour of South Africa. * Polio epidemic closes schools. * Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngauruhoe erupt. * September: Meat rationing ends. ;

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

* 1 January: New Zealanders become "British Subjects and New Zealand Citizens" * Referendum agrees to compulsory military training. * New Zealand gets first four navy frigates. * 30 November: General election: National Government elected.

1950s

;

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

* Naval and ground forces sent to Korean War. * New Zealand Legislative Council abolished. * Wool boom. *June: Butter rationing ends. ;

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

* Prolonged waterfront dispute, state of emergency proclaimed. * ANZUS treaty signed between United States, Australia and New Zealand. * Māori Women's Welfare League established. * 27 December:

1951 New Zealand general election The 1951 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 30th term. The First National Government was re-elected, with the National Party increasing its parliamentary majority over the op ...

;

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

* Population reaches over two million. * 9 September: Rimutaka Tunnel collapses * 23 July:

Yvette Williams Dame Yvette Winifred Corlett (née Williams; 25 April 1929 – 13 April 2019) was a New Zealand track-and-field athlete who was the first woman from her country to win an Olympic gold medal and to hold the world record in the women's long jum ...

wins gold medal in Olympics *10 July: ''

Broken Barrier ''Broken Barrier'' is a 1952 New Zealand film. It was directed and produced by John O'Shea (director) and Roger Mirams, and written by O'Shea. It starred Kay Ngarimu and Terence Bayler, and also featured Myra Hapi Smith, Bill Merito and George ...

'' film released ;

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...

* First tour by a reigning monarch. * Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first to climb Mount Everest. * Railway disaster at Tangiwai, 151 people die. ;

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

* New Zealand signs South East Asia Collective Defence Treaty. * Gains seat on United Nations Security Council. * 20 September: in midst of moral panic, the

Mazengarb Report The Mazengarb Report of 1954, formally titled the ''Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents'', resulted from a ministerial inquiry (the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents). T ...

is presented. * 13 November:

1954 New Zealand general election The 1954 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 31st term. It saw the governing National Party remain in office, but with a slightly reduced majority. It also saw the debut of th ...

. * Social Credit gets 10 percent of vote in general election, but no seats in Parliament. ;

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

* Pulp and paper mill opens at Kawerau. * 3 November: Rimutaka rail tunnel opened. ;

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

* New Zealand troops sent to

Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...

. * Roxburgh and Whakamaru power stations in operation. ;

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...

* 17 February: Last hanging, of

Walter James Bolton Walter James Bolton (13 August 1888 – 18 February 1957) was a New Zealand farmer who was found guilty of poisoning his wife. He is known as the last person to be executed in New Zealand before the abolition of capital punishment. Bolton was bo ...

. * Scott Base established in Ross Dependency. * Court of Appeal constituted. * Dairy products gain 10 years of unrestricted access to Britain. * 30 November:

, National loses election, Walter Nash leads Second Labour Government. ;

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

* PAYE tax introduced. * Arnold Nordmeyer's " Black Budget". * First geothermal electricity generated at Wairakei. * First heart-lung machine used at Greenlane Hospital, Auckland. * The first Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built in the Southern Hemisphere is opened at

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 ...

;

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

* Antarctic Treaty signed with other countries involved in scientific exploration in Antarctica. * Auckland Harbour Bridge opened.

1960s

;

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

* Regular television programmes begin in Auckland. * Government Service Equal Pay Act passed. * 26 November:

National Government A national government is the government of a nation. National government or National Government may also refer to: * Central government in a unitary state, or a country that does not give significant power to regional divisions * Federal governme ...

elected. * Treasury leases New Zealand's first computer from IBM. ;

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

* New Zealand joins the International Monetary Fund. * Capital punishment abolished for ordinary crimes such as Murder but Remains for Treason, Espionage and "crimes committed during War

; 1962 in New Zealand, 1962 * New Zealand troops sent to Malaysia during

confrontation Confrontation is an element of conflict wherein parties confront one another, directly engaging one another in the course of a dispute between them. A confrontation can be at any scale, between any number of people, between entire nations or cult ...

with Indonesia. * Western Samoa becomes independent. * Sir Guy Powles becomes first

Ombudsman An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...

. * New Zealand Māori Council established. * 11 August: Cook Strait rail ferry service begins. * Taranaki gas well opens. ;

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

* 3 July:

New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 (NZ441) was a scheduled flight of the New Zealand National Airways Corporation from Whenuapai, Auckland to Tauranga. On 3 July 1963 at approximately 9:09 am NZST, the flight, a Douglas DC-3 S ...

crashes in the Kaimai Ranges; 23 killed. *30 November:

1963 New Zealand general election The 1963 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of New Zealand Parliament's 34th term. The results were almost identical to those of the previous election, and the governing National Party remained in office. ...

. ;

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

* Marsden Point oil refinery opens at Whangarei. * Auckland's population reaches half a million. *

Lyttelton Road Tunnel The Lyttelton road tunnel runs through the Port Hills to connect the New Zealand city of Christchurch and its seaport, Lyttelton, New Zealand, Lyttelton. It opened in 1964 and carries just over 10,000 vehicles per day as part of New Zealan ...

opens; at nearly 2,000m long, it was the country's longest road tunnel until 2017. ;

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

NAFTA The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA ; es, Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, TLCAN; french: Accord de libre-échange nord-américain, ALÉNA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that crea ...

agreement negotiated with Australia. *Benmore Dam commissioned. * Inter-Island HVDC commissioned, connecting the North and South Island power grids. * Support for United States in Vietnam; New Zealand combat force sent, protest movement begins. * Cook Islands becomes self-governing. *1 April: TEAL renamed Air New Zealand. *Air New Zealand introduces the Douglas DC-8 jet aircraft on international routes. ;

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

International airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer ...

officially opens at Auckland. * New Zealand labour force reaches one million. *

National Library of New Zealand The National Library of New Zealand ( mi, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) is New Zealand's legal deposit library charged with the obligation to "enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations" (''Nat ...

created. *

Te Atairangi Kaahu Dame Te Atairangikaahu (23 July 1931 – 15 August 2006) was the Māori King Movement, Māori queen for 40 years, the longest reign of any Māori people, Māori monarch. Her full name and title was Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu. Her tit ...

becomes first Māori Queen. * 26 November:

1966 New Zealand general election The 1966 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 35th term. It saw the governing National Party win a third consecutive term in office. It was also the first time since the 1943 ...

, National wins a third term. ;

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

* Referendum extends hotel closing hours to 10pm. * 10 July: Decimal currency introduced;

New Zealand dollar The New Zealand dollar ( mi, tāra o Aotearoa; sign: $, NZ$; code: NZD) is the official currency and legal tender of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Ross Dependency, Tokelau, and a British territory, the Pitcairn Islands. Within New ...

replaces the pound at a rate of £1 to $2 (one shilling to 10 cents; one penny to cent) * Lord

Arthur Porritt Colonel Arthur Espie Porritt, Baron Porritt, (10 August 1900 – 1 January 1994) was a New Zealand physician, military surgeon, statesman and athlete. He won a bronze medal at the 1924 Summer Olympics in the 100 m sprint. He served as the ...

becomes first New Zealand-born

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 ...

. * Denny Hulme becomes New Zealand's first (and currently only) Formula 1 World Champion. ;

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

* 10 April: Inter-island ferry sinks in severe storm in Wellington Harbour; 51 people killed. * 24 May: Three die in Inangahua earthquake. *National Airways Corporation introduces Boeing 737 jet services on domestic routes. ;

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

* Vote extended to 20-year-olds. * First output from Glenbrook

Steel Mill A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-finish ...

. *Television networked nationwide. *Breath and blood tests introduced for suspected drunk drivers. * 29 November:

, National wins fourth election in a row.

1970s

;

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

* US Vice President Spiro Agnew Visits New Zealand to prop up the NZ Governments support for the Vietnam War and is met by an anti-war protest in Auckland which turns violent. *Natural gas network commissioned, supplying gas from

Kapuni Kapuni is an onshore natural gas-condensate field located in the Taranaki Basin, a ~100,000 km2 partially-inverted rift basin on the Taranaki Peninsula in the North Island, New Zealand. Discovered in 1959 and brought into production in 1970, ...

to Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Whanganui, Palmerston North and Wellington. ;

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

* New Zealand secures continued access of butter and cheese to the United Kingdom. * Nga Tamatoa protest at Waitangi celebrations. * Tiwai Point aluminium

smelter Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including Silver mining#Ore processing, silver, iron-making, iron, copper extracti ...

begins operating. * Manapouri Power Station completed. * Warkworth satellite station begins operation. ;

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

Values Party The Values Party was a New Zealand political party. It is considered the world's first national-level environmentalist party, pre-dating the use of "Green" as a political label. It was established in May 1972 at Victoria University of Wellingto ...

is formed. * Equal Pay Act passed. * 25 November:

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

Government elected; Norman Kirk becomes 29th Prime Minister. * December: New Zealand ends its role in the Vietnam War when Troops are withdrawn under the new Labour Government and

Compulsory Military Training Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

is Abolished. ;

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

* Naval frigate dispatched in protest against French nuclear testing in the Pacific. * New Zealand's population reaches three million. * Oil price hike means worst terms of trade in 30 years. * Colour TV introduced. ;

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

* 1 April: Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) established. *31 August: Prime Minister Norman Kirk dies;

Bill Rowling Sir Wallace Edward Rowling (; 15 November 1927 – 31 October 1995), commonly known as Bill Rowling, was a New Zealand politician who was the 30th prime minister of New Zealand from 1974 to 1975. He held office as the parliamentary leader of t ...

succeeds Kirk as 30th Prime Minister. * Commonwealth Games held in Christchurch. ;

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

* 4 January: Lynne Cox became the first woman to swim across Cook Strait. * 14 September: Māori land march protesting at land loss leaves

Te Hāpua Te Hāpua is a community on the shores of the Parengarenga Harbour in Northland, New Zealand. The road to Te Hāpua leaves State Highway 1 at Waitiki Landing. Te Hāpua is the most northerly settlement in the North Island of New Zealand. The 2 ...

* 13 October: Māori land march reaches Parliament building in Wellington, Whina Cooper presents a ''Memorial of Rights'' to the Prime Minister

and Māori Affairs Minister

Matiu Rata Matiu Waitai Rata (26 March 1934 – 25 July 1997) was a Māori politician who was a member of the New Zealand Parliament for the Labour Party from 1963 to 1980, and a cabinet minister from 1972 to 1975. In 1979 he resigned from the Labour Par ...

. * The

Waitangi Tribunal The Waitangi Tribunal (Māori: ''Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi'') is a New Zealand permanent commission of inquiry established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975. It is charged with investigating and making recommendations on cla ...

is established. * Second TV channel starts broadcasting. * 29 November:

1975 New Zealand general election The 1975 New Zealand general election was held on 29 November to elect MPs to the 38th session of the New Zealand Parliament. It was the first general election in New Zealand where 18- to 20-year-olds and all permanent residents of New Zealand w ...

Robert Muldoon Sir Robert David Muldoon (; 25 September 19215 August 1992) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand, from 1975 to 1984, while leader of the National Party. Serving as a corporal and sergeant in th ...

becomes 31st Prime Minister after National Party victory. *

1975 in New Zealand television This is a list of New Zealand television-related events in 1975. Events *1 April – Television One commences broadcasting from the new Avalon studio complex. *12 May – '' Close to Home'', New Zealand's second soap opera begins on Televisi ...

;

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

* New Zealand's national day 6 February renamed from New Zealand Day to Waitangi Day * Matrimonial Property Act passed. * Pacific Islands "overstayers" deported. * EEC import quotas for New Zealand butter set until 1980. * Introduction of metric system of weights and measures. * Subscriber toll dialling introduced. *Lyttelton–Wellington steamer ferry service ends. ;

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

* National Superannuation scheme begins. * New Zealand signs the

Gleneagles Agreement In the Gleneagles Agreement, in 1977, Commonwealth presidents and prime ministers agreed, as part of their support for the international campaign against apartheid, to discourage contact and competition between their sportsmen and sporting organi ...

. * The 200 nautical mile (370 km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is established. * 5 January:

Bastion Point Takaparawhau / Bastion Point is a coastal piece of land in Ōrākei, Auckland, New Zealand, overlooking the Waitematā Harbour. The area is significant in New Zealand history as the site of protests in the late 1970s by Māori against forced la ...

occupied by protesters. *21 November: '' God Defend New Zealand'' officially adopted as a national anthem (alongside ''God Save the Queen)'' ;

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

* Registered unemployed reaches 25,000. * New Zealand Film Commission established. * 12 February: 17 arrested after protestors led by Eva Rickard set up camp on the

Raglan Raglan may refer to: People *FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855), British Army officer, commander of British troops during the Crimean War *Raglan (surname) *Raglan Squire (1912–2004), British architect Places Australia *Count ...

golf course. *1 April: National Airways Corporation merges with Air New Zealand. * 25 May: Army and Police remove protesters from

, 218 arrests are made. * 25 November:

, National re-elected. ;

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

* Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashes on Mount Erebus, Antarctica, 257 people die. *

Carless days Carless may refer to: * Betty Careless (c. 1704–1739), probably born Elizabeth Carless, notorious courtesan and bagnio owner in London * Ernie Carless (1912–1987), Welsh cricketer * Hugh Carless (1925–2011), British explorer and d ...

introduced to reduce petrol consumption. * 7 November: MP

resigns from the Labour Party to join

Mana Motuhake Mana Māori Motuhake was a Māori people, Māori political party in New Zealand from 1980 to 2005. The name is difficult to translate accurately, but essentially refers to Māori self-rule and self-determination — , in this context, can ...

Party. * Nambassa 3-day music and alternatives festival held in Waihi. Largest event of its kind in New Zealand.

1980s

;

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

* Social Credit wins East Coast Bays by-election. * Saturday trading partially legalised. * Eighty-day strike at Kinleith Mill. ;

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

* South African rugby team's tour brings widespread disruption. * 28 November:

1981 New Zealand general election Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

, National re-elected for third term. ;

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

* CER agreement signed with Australia. * First kōhanga reo established. *First

FM radio FM broadcasting is a method of radio broadcasting using frequency modulation (FM). Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to provide high fidelity sound over broadcast radio. FM broadcasting is cap ...

broadcast. * Year-long wage, price and rent freeze imposed lasts until 1984. * First

New Zealand Football New Zealand Football is the governing body for the sport of association football in New Zealand. It oversees the seven New Zealand Football federations, as well as the New Zealand national football team (nicknamed the "All Whites"), the nationa ...

team to compete at FIFA World Cup Finals ;

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

* Visit by nuclear-powered United States Navy frigate "Texas" sparks protests. * Official Information Act replaces

Official Secrecy Act An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their su ...

. *

New Zealand Party The New Zealand Party operated as a political party in New Zealand from 1983 to 1993. Established by millionaire property tycoon Bob Jones (businessman), Bob Jones, the party promoted economic liberalisation—it was the first political party to ...

founded.

Restructuring (1984 to date)

1984 to 1989

;

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

* Te Hikoi ki Waitangi march and disruption of Waitangi Day celebrations. * Auckland's population exceeds that of the South Island. * 14 July:

1984 New Zealand general election The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the composition of the 41st New Zealand Parliament. It marked the beginning of the Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand, Fourth Labour Government, with David Lange's New ...

won by Labour under David Lange. * Constitutional crisis follows general election; outgoing Prime Minister Robert Muldoon refuses to implement advice of Prime Minister elect David Lange. * Government devalues New Zealand dollar by 20 percent. * 26 July: David Lange becomes New Zealand's 32nd Prime Minister;

Fourth Labour government The Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand governed New Zealand from 26 July 1984 to 2 November 1990. It was the first Labour government to win a second consecutive term since the First Labour Government of 1935 to 1949. The policy agenda o ...

formed. * Finance Minister Roger Douglas begins deregulating the economy. * New Zealand ratifies the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. ;

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

* Anti-nuclear policy leads to refusal of a visit by the American warship, the USS ''Buchanan''. * 10 July:

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

vessel '' Rainbow Warrior'' bombed and sunk by French DGSE agents in Auckland harbour. * 4 March: New Zealand dollar floated. * First case of locally contracted

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

is reported. * Waitangi Tribunal given power to hear grievances arising since 1840. * 20 November: Archbishop

Paul Reeves Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

appointed Governor General. ;

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

* Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986 passed. * Royal Commission reports in favour of an MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) electoral system. * Jim Bolger becomes National Party leader. * Soviet cruise ship, the '' Mikhail Lermontov'', sinks in Marlborough Sounds. * Goods and Services Tax introduced. * First visit to New Zealand by the Pope. * The Constitution Act ends the right of the British Parliament to pass laws for New Zealand. * Royal Commission into Broadcasting and Related Communications reports ;

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

* Share prices plummet by 59 percent in four months. * Māori Language Act making Māori an official language passed. * Anti-nuclear legislation enacted. * First Lotto draw. * New Zealand's first heart transplant is performed. * New Zealand wins Rugby World Cup. * Significant earthquake in the Bay of Plenty. * 15 August:

, Labour re-elected. ;

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

* Number of unemployed exceeds 100,000. *

land returned to Māori ownership. * Combined Council of Trade Unions formed. Royal Commission on Social Policy issues April Report. * Gibbs Report on hospital services and Picot Report on education published. * State Sector Act passed. * Cyclone Bola strikes northern North Island. * Electrification of the central section of the North Island Main Trunk railway completed. * New Zealand Post closes 432 post offices. * Fisheries quota package announced for Māori iwi. ;

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

* Prime Minister David Lange suggests formal withdrawal from ANZUS. * Jim Anderton founds NewLabour Party. * Lange resigns and Geoffrey Palmer becomes 33rd Prime Minister. * First annual balance of payments surplus since 1973. * Reserve Bank Act sets bank's role as one of maintaining price stability. * First school board elections under Tomorrow's Schools reforms. * First elections under revised local government structure. * Sunday trading begins. * The final Remnants of capital punishment are abolished *26 November: Third TV channel begins. * Māori Fisheries Act passed.

1990s

;

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

* New Zealand celebrates its sesquicentennial. * Māori leaders inaugurate National Congress of Tribes. * Dame Catherine Tizard becomes first woman Governor-General. * Geoffrey Palmer resigns as prime minister;

Mike Moore Michael Moore is an American filmmaker and author. Michael Moore may also refer to: Academia * Michael G. Moore (fl. 1970s–2020s), professor of education * Michael S. Moore (academic) (fl. 1960s–2020s), American law professor * Michael Moore ...

succeeds him as the 34th Prime Minister. * 30 April: One- and two-cent coins are phased out. * Commonwealth Games held in Auckland. * Telecom sold for $4.25 billion. * Pay Television Network Sky TV began broadcasting. * Big earthquake in Hawke's Bay. * 27 October:

1990 New Zealand general election The 1990 New Zealand general election was held on 27 October to determine the composition of the 43rd New Zealand parliament. The governing Labour Party was defeated, ending its two terms in office. The National Party, led by Jim Bolger, won ...

: National Party has landslide victory. Jim Bolger becomes 35th Prime Minister. * 13–14 November: David Gray kills thirteen at Aramoana, before police shoot him dead. ;

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

* The Resource Management Act 1991 is enacted, rewriting planning law. *One- and two-dollar coins introduced to replace their respective banknotes. * The "

Mother of All Budgets The Mother of all Budgets was the nickname given to the 1991 New Zealand budget. It was the first budget delivered by the new National Party Minister of Finance Ruth Richardson and formed the catalyst of her economic reforms known in the media as ...

" is presented by Finance Minister Ruth Richardson. * The Alliance party is formed. *

Employment Contracts Act Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any other ...

passed. * Consumers Price Index has lowest quarterly increase for 25 years. * Welfare payments cut. * Number of unemployed exceeds 200,000 for the first time. * New Zealand troops join multi-national force in the Gulf War. * An avalanche on Aoraki / Mount Cook reduces its height by 10.5 metres. ;

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

* Government and Māori interests negotiate Sealord fisheries deal. * Public health system reforms. * State housing commercialised. * New Zealand gets seat on United Nations Security Council. * Student Loan system is started / Tertiary Fees raised ;

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

* Centennial of women's suffrage celebrated. *

New Zealand First New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...

launched by Winston Peters. * 6 November:

won by National, without obtaining a majority. * Referendum favours MMP electoral system. * Opposition MP Peter Tapsell becomes

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 ...

, thus giving the government a majority. ;

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

* Government commits 250 soldiers to front-line duty in

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...

. * Government proposes $1 billion cap in plan for final settlement of Treaty of Waitangi claims. * New Zealand's first casino opens in Christchurch. *David Bain is convicted of murdering five members of his family. * First fast-ferry service begins operation across Cook Strait. ;1995 in New Zealand, 1995 * Team New Zealand wins America's Cup. * Occupation of Moutoa Gardens, Wanganui. * Waikato Raupatu Claims Settlement Act passed. * New political parties form: the New Zealand Conservative Party, Conservatives, Christian Heritage New Zealand, Christian Heritage and United New Zealand. * Renewal of French nuclear tests results in New Zealand protest flotilla and navy ship "Tui" sailing for Moruroa Atoll. * Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Auckland, Nelson Mandela visits. * New Zealand contingent returns from Bosnia. ;1996 in New Zealand, 1996 * Imported pests Mediterranean fruit flies and white-spotted tussock moths cause disruption to export trade and to Aucklanders. * Kahurangi National Park, the 13th National parks of New Zealand, National Park, is opened in north-west Nelson. * Waitangi Tribunal recommends generous settlement of Taranaki land claims. * First legal sports betting at TAB. * The commercial radio stations and networks owned by Radio New Zealand are sold to Clear Channel Communications, Clear Channel creating The Radio Network. * $170 million Ngāi Tahu settlement proposed, $40 million Whakatohea settlement announced. * 12 October: 1996 New Zealand general election, First MMP election brings National/New Zealand First coalition government. ;1997 in New Zealand, 1997 * America's Cup damaged in an attack by a Māori activist. * TV4 begins daily broadcasts. * Customs Service cracks down on imported Japanese used cars following claims of odometer fraud. * Auckland's Sky Tower (Auckland), Sky Tower is opened. * Compulsory superannuation is rejected by a margin of more than nine to one in New Zealand's first postal referendum. * Jim Bolger resigns as prime minister after losing the support of the National Party caucus and is replaced by New Zealand's first woman prime minister, Jenny Shipley. ;1998 in New Zealand, 1998 * Auckland city businesses hit by a 1998 Auckland power crisis, power cut lasting several weeks. The crisis of over a month results in an inquiry into Mercury Energy. * The women's rugby team, the Black Ferns, become the world champions. * The National – New Zealand First coalition Government is dissolved leaving the Jenny Shipley led National Party as a minority government. * Several cases of tuberculosis discovered in South Auckland in the worst outbreak for a decade. * The Hikoi of Hope marches to Parliament, calling for more support for the poor. * The government announces plans to lease 28 new fighter aircraft but says no to a new naval frigate. * Prime TV launched ;1999 in New Zealand, 1999 * APEC is held in Auckland * Alcohol purchase age for off-licenses reduced from 20 to 18 years of age * 27 November: 1999 New Zealand general election. Helen Clark's Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand, Fifth Labour Government is sworn in.

2000s

;2000 in New Zealand, 2000 * January: The name suppression of American billionaire Peter Lewis (businessman), Peter Lewis, who was arrested and convicted of drug possession charges, causes controversy. * Knighthoods are Abolished ;2001 in New Zealand, 2001 * Interest accrual is removed from student loans while studying. Students who accrued interest prior to 2001 are still required to pay. * Air New Zealand bailout, government purchases a 76.5% share in the company * New Zealand contributes Troops to Operation Enduring Freedom against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan ;2002 in New Zealand, 2002 * Kiwibank is formed * 30 June: The population of Canterbury reaches half a million. * 27 July: 2002 New Zealand general election, 2002 general election, Labour-led government returned for a second term. ;2003 in New Zealand, 2003 * Population of New Zealand exceeds 4 million. * Prostitution Reform Act 2003 passed in parliament * Appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council abolished; Supreme Court of New Zealand established, and begins work in early 2004. ;2004 in New Zealand, 2004 * New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy, Foreshore and Seabed Act passed. * Civil Union Act passed * Māori Party formed. *Māori Television Tahi, Maori TV begins broadcasting ;2005 in New Zealand, 2005 * 17 September: 2005 New Zealand general election, 2005 general election, Labour-led government returned for a third term. ;2006 in New Zealand, 2006 * Labour enacts its election promise to remove interest on Student loan, loans to students living in New Zealand. * Five cent coins of the New Zealand dollar, coins are dropped from circulation and existing 10-cent, 20-cent and 50-cent coins are replaced with smaller coins. * The government announces a New Zealand dollar, NZ$11.5 billion surplus, the largest in the country's history and second only to Denmark in the Western World. *

population reaches 1 million ;2007 in New Zealand, 2007 * David Bain's final Privy Council appeal results in the quashing of his convictions for the murder of his family. A re-trial is ordered by the Solicitor-General of New Zealand. * 2 May: Freeview (New Zealand), Freeview is launched, providing free-to-air digital television. * 1 July: KiwiSaver retirement savings scheme introduced. * 2 July Willie Apiata receives the first Victoria Cross for New Zealand, the first New Zealander awarded a VC since World War II. * 18 December:Electoral Finance Act enacted. ;2008 in New Zealand, 2008 * 11 January: mountaineer Edmund Hillary, Sir Edmund Hillary dies. * 8 November: 2008 New Zealand general election, General election: The National Party gains the largest share ending 9 years of Labour-led government. * 27 November: (28 November NZ Time.) XL Airways Germany A320 Flight 888T, an aeroplane owned by Air New Zealand crashes in the Mediterranean Sea off the south coast of France, killing all seven on board, 5 of whom are New Zealanders. * Helen Clark is named Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ranking third in the UN office * National reintroduces titular honours 8 years after Labour removed them from the New Zealand Honours System in 2000. ;2009 in New Zealand, 2009 * Knighthoods, Abolished by the previous government, are restored. * 6 March: David Bain retrial begins, resulting in not guilty verdicts on all five murder charges on 5 June. * 28 April: First confirmed New Zealand case in the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

2010s

;2010 in New Zealand, 2010 * 4 September: 2010 Canterbury earthquake, A magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes the Canterbury Region causing widespread damage to Christchurch and surrounding areas. * 19 November: Pike River Mine disaster, Pike River mine explosion traps and kills 29 miners. ;2011 in New Zealand, 2011 * 22 February: 2011 Christchurch earthquake, A magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Christchurch causing widespread damage and 184 deaths. * 8 March: 2011 New Zealand census scheduled for this date is cancelled due to the Christchurch earthquake. * 23 October: All Blacks win 2011 Rugby World Cup, Rugby World Cup against France, 8–7 in Eden Park, New Zealand. * 26 November: 2011 New Zealand general election, 2011 general election: Fifth National Government re-elected to second term with reduced majority. ;2012 in New Zealand, 2012 * 5 November: Royal Commission into the Pike River mine disaster reports. ;2013 in New Zealand, 2013 * 19 August: Same-sex marriage is legalised. * 12 October: 2013 New Zealand local elections, 2013 local government elections held. *1 December: Analog television, Analogue television is switched off. ;2014 in New Zealand, 2014 * 20 January: 2014 Eketahuna earthquake, Eketahuna earthquake causes moderate damage in the lower

. * 20 September: 2014 New Zealand general election, 2014 general election is held. The National Party wins a third term in office. * October: New Zealand wins a seat on the United Nations Security Council, starting from 2015. New Zealand last held a seat in 1993–1994. ;2015 in New Zealand, 2015 * February: New Zealand joins the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIS by sending troops to Iraq to train Iraqi Soldiers against the Islamic Terror Group. * 25 October: The New Zealand national rugby union team, All Blacks Win the Rugby World Cup, the only team to ever win the tournament twice in a row. ;2016 in New Zealand, 2016 * 14 November: 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, A magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes near the town of Kaikoura in the South Island. * 5 December: John Key announces he will stand down as prime minister and leader of the National Party on 12 December. * 12 December: Bill English becomes the 39th Prime Minister of New Zealand. ;2017 in New Zealand, 2017 * 26 June: Emirates Team New Zealand wins the 35th America's Cup. * 2 July: Waterview Tunnels open; at 2.4 km long each, they overtake the Lyttelton Road Tunnel to become the country's longest road tunnels. *23 September: 2017 New Zealand general election, 2017 general election is held. The National Party wins a plurality, while the Labour Party significantly increases its number of seats. * 26 October: Labour and New Zealand First form Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand, a coalition government. Labour leader Jacinda Ardern becomes the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand. ;2019 in New Zealand, 2019 * 15 March: Christchurch mosque shootings, 51 people are killed during an attack on two mosques. * December 2019: 2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption, Whakaari / White Island eruption. 47 people were on the island at the time. Twenty-two people died, either in the explosion or from injuries sustained, including two whose bodies were never found and were later declared dead. A further 25 people suffered injuries, with the majority needing intensive care for severe burns.

2020s

;2020 in New Zealand, 2020 * 28 February: COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, COVID-19 reaches New Zealand. *17 October: Originally scheduled for 19 September and delayed due to a second COVID-19 outbreak, the 2020 general election is held. *6 November: Official election results give Labour 65 seats, enough for a majority government, the first time a single party wins enough seats to govern alone since the mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) system was introduced in 1996. ;2021 in New Zealand, 2021 * 17 March: Emirates Team New Zealand successfully defends the 36th America's Cup held in Auckland, New Zealand against Luna Rossa. ;2022 in New Zealand, 2022 * 25 October: Women make up 50% of MPs in the New Zealand Parliament for the first time. * 12 November: The Black Ferns win the Women's Rugby World Cup for the sixth time.

References

External links

New Zealand
at Timelines of History
Today in New Zealand History calendar
at New Zealand History Online {{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of New Zealand History History of New Zealand, New Zealand timelines,