The following lists events that happened during 2009 in New Zealand.

Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 4,332,100 * Increase since 31 December 2008: 51,900 (1.21%) * Males per 100 Females: 95.8

Incumbents

Regal and vice-regal

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

–

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

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 ...

–

Anand Satyanand Sir Anand Satyanand, (born 22 July 1944) is a former lawyer, judge and ombudsman who served as the 19th Governor-General of New Zealand from 2006 to 2011. Satyanand was chair of the Commonwealth Foundation for two 2-year terms, ending in De ...

File:Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand.jpg, Elizabeth II File:Anand Satyanand.JPG, Anand Satyanand

Government

2009 was the first full year of the election of the 49th New Zealand Parliament. *

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 ...

–

Lockwood Smith Sir Alexander Lockwood Smith (born 13 November 1948) is a New Zealand politician and diplomat who was High Commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2017, and Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2008 to 2013. S ...

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

–

John Key Sir John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is a New Zealand retired politician who served as the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016 and as Leader of the New Zealand National Party from 2006 to 2016. After resigning from bo ...

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

–

Bill English Sir Simon William English (born 30 December 1961) is a New Zealand former National Party politician who served as the 39th prime minister of New Zealand from 2016 to 2017 and as the 17th deputy prime minister of New Zealand and minister of f ...

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

–

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

–

Murray McCully Murray Stuart McCully (born 19 February 1953) is a former New Zealand politician. He is a member of the National Party, and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2017. Early life Born in Whangārei, McCully was educated at Ar ...

File:Lockwood Smith (cropped).jpg, Lockwood Smith File:John Key by UNDP.jpg, John Key File:Bill English KNZM (cropped).jpg, Bill English File:Murray McCully Estonia 2010 (cropped).jpg, Murray McCully

Other party leaders

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 ...

–

Phil Goff Philip Bruce Goff (born 22 June 1953) is a New Zealand politician. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament from 1981 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 2016. He served as leader of the Labour Party and leader of the Opposition between 11 No ...

(

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

since 11 November 2008) * Act –

Rodney Hide Rodney Philip Hide (born 16 December 1956) is a former New Zealand politician of the ACT New Zealand party. Hide was a Member of Parliament for ACT from 1996 until 2011, was ACT's leader between 2004 and 2011, and represented the constituency f ...

, since 13 June 2004 * Greens –

Metiria Turei Metiria Leanne Agnes Stanton Turei (born 1970) is a New Zealand academic and a former New Zealand politician. She was a Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2017 and the female co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 2009 to 2017 ...

(since 30 May 2009) and

Russel Norman Russel William Norman (born 2 June 1967) is a New Zealand politician and environmentalist. He was a Member of Parliament and co-leader of the Green Party. Norman resigned as an MP in October 2015 to work as Executive Director of Greenpeace Aote ...

(since 3 June 2006) *

Māori Party 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 ...

–

Tariana Turia Dame Tariana Turia (born 8 April 1944) is a New Zealand politician. She was first elected to Parliament in 1996. Turia gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy in 2004, and eventually broke with the Labour P ...

and

Pita Sharples Sir Pita Russell Sharples (born Peter Russell Sharples, 20 July 1941) is a New Zealand Māori academic and politician, who was a co-leader of the Māori Party from 2004 to 2013, and a minister outside Cabinet in the National Party-led governme ...

, both since 7 July 2004 File:Phil Goff opens the Maritime Union of New Zealand Conference 2009 (4051339584).jpg, Phil Goff File:Rodney Hide at parliament.JPG, Rodney Hide File:Russel Norman2.jpg, Russel Norman File:Metiria Turei crop.png, Metiria Turei File:Pita sharples.jpg, Pita Sharples File:Tariana Turia NZgovt (cropped).jpg, Tariana Turia

Judiciary

* Chief Justice —

Sian Elias Dame Sian Seerpoohi Elias (born 13 March 1949) is a New Zealand former Government official, who served as the 12th Chief Justice of New Zealand, and was therefore the most senior member of the country's judiciary. She was the presiding judge o ...

File:Sian Elias.jpg, Dame Sian Elias

Main centre leaders

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

–

John Banks John Banks or Bankes may refer to: Politics and law *Sir John Banks, 1st Baronet (1627–1699), English merchant and Member of Parliament * John Banks (American politician) (1793–1864), U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania *John Gray Banks (188 ...

, since October 2007 *

Mayor of Tauranga The Mayor of Tauranga is the head of the municipal government of Tauranga, New Zealand, and presides over the Tauranga City Council. There is currently no Mayor of Tauranga. On 9 February 2021, a Crown Commission appointed by the Minister of L ...

– Stuart Crosby, since October 2004 * Mayor of Hamilton – Bob Simcock, since May 2007 *

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

–

Kerry Prendergast Dame Kerry Leigh Prendergast (née Ferrier, born 28 March 1953) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 33rd Mayor of Wellington between 2001 and 2010, succeeding Mark Blumsky. She was the second woman to hold the position, after Fran W ...

, since October 2001 *

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

– Bob Parker, since October 2007 *

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

–

Peter Chin Peter Wing Ho Chin, CNZM () (born 1941) is a lawyer and was the 56th Mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand. He served two terms as Mayor from 2004 to 2010. Early life and career Peter Chin is a descendant of the earliest Chinese immigrants to New Z ...

, since October 2004 File:John Banks.jpg, John Banks File:Stuart Crosby.jpg, Stuart Crosby File:Kerry Prendergast, 2011.jpg, Kerry Prendergast File:Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker.jpg, Bob Parker File:Peter Chin 2010 Otago Rally.jpg, Peter Chin

Events

January

February

* 27 February: Prime Minister

proposes a nine-day working fortnight, to counter the

Late-2000s recession The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At t ...

March

* 6 March: Retrial of

David Bain On 20 June 1994, Robin and Margaret Bain and three of their four childrenArawa, Laniet and Stephenwere shot to death in Dunedin, New Zealand. The only suspects were David Cullen Bain, the eldest son and only survivor, and Robin Bain, the father ...

begins in the Christchurch High Court * 20 March:

Roads of National Significance Roads of National Significance (RoNS) was a name given by the 5th National Party Government, to a programme to speed up road construction in New Zealand between 2009 and 2017. RoNS were first announced on 20 March 2009 by Transport Minister, ...

announced * 25 March: Former Prime Minister

Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...

is appointed Head of the

United Nations Development Program The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...

; her resignation necessitates the

2009 Mount Albert by-election The 2009 Mount Albert by-election was held in the New Zealand electorate of on 13 June 2009. There were fifteen candidates in the election. David Shearer of the Labour Party won the election with 63% of the vote. The seat was vacated by forme ...

* 26 March: the

Royal Commission on Auckland Governance The Royal Commission on Auckland Governance was established by the New Zealand Government to investigate the local government arrangements of Auckland. The Labour Government of the time announced a Royal Commission into the governance of Auck ...

recommends eight

Auckland Region Auckland () is one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand, which takes its name from the eponymous urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland Metropolitan Area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. Containing ...

local government bodies merge to form a "supercity".

April

*25 April: First indication of potential for Flu infection with return of students from Mexico, see 2009 flu pandemic in New Zealand

May

* 7 May: Gunman Jan Molenaar shoots three police officers executing a routine cannabis search warrant, as well as a neighbour who tried to assist them. He killed Senior Constable Leonard Snee and seriously injured the others, and after a two-day siege, he was found dead.

June

* 3 June: A police investigation leads to MP Richard Worth resigning ministerial portfolios including

Minister of Internal Affairs Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...

"for personal reasons", with Prime Minister John Key saying, "If he hadn't resigned I would have sacked him". *5 June:

is found not guilty of the murder of five family members. *12 June: Five members of the family of Janet Moses were found guilty of manslaughter after performing a fatal

exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be ...

. *24 June: A NZ$36.1 million first division jackpot in the

New Zealand Lotteries Commission The New Zealand Lotteries Commission, trading as Lotto New Zealand since 2013, is a Crown entity that operates nationwide lotteries in New Zealand. It was established in 1987 and operates under the Gambling Act 2003. Its oldest and most popula ...

's Big Wednesday game is won by a

Masterton Masterton ( mi, Whakaoriori), a large town in the Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand, operates as the seat of the Masterton District (a territorial authority or local-government district). It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a r ...

-based lottery syndicate of four: the largest single lottery prize won in New Zealand.

July

* 4 July: The Ministry of Health confirms the first three deaths in New Zealand from the 2009 flu pandemic. * 15 July: The magnitude 7.8 2009 Fiordland earthquake strikes at 9:22 pm, 90 km north-west of

Tuatapere Tuatapere is a small rural town in Southland, New Zealand. It is the self declared "Sausage Capital of New Zealand". Tuatapere is located eight kilometres from the southern coast. The Waiau River flows through the town before reaching Te Waewa ...

August

* 4 August: Former MP Phillip Field found guilty on bribery, corruption and obstruction of justice charges. * 8–9 August: New Zealand's first

Telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other purportedly worthy cause. Most telethons f ...

for 16 years raises $2 million for the KidsCan Stand Tall Trust.

October

*30 October – Electricity supply to Northland and northern Auckland is cut for three hours, affecting 280,000 customers, after a forklift carrying a shipping container hits the only major transmission line supplying the region.

November

* 30 November: ''Atea-1'', the first New Zealand rocket into space, is launched from Great Mercury Island.

Holidays and observances

* 6 February -

Waitangi Day Waitangi Day ( mi, Te Rā o Waitangi), the national day of New Zealand, marks the anniversary of the initial signing – on 6 February 1840 – of the Treaty of Waitangi, which is regarded as the founding document of the nation. The first Wait ...

(Friday) * 10 April/13 April Good Friday/Easter Monday * 25 April -

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 ...

(Saturday) * 1 June -

Queen's Birthday The King's Official Birthday (alternatively the Queen's Official Birthday when the monarch is female) is the selected day in the United Kingdom and most Commonwealth realms on which the birthday of the monarch is officially celebrated in those ...

Monday * 24 June -

Matariki ), signalling the Māori new year., litcolor=, observedby=New Zealanders, nickname=, official_name=, alt=, image=M45 Pleiades Pbkwee (cropped to core 9 stars).jpg, relatedto=, date2022=24 June, date2023=14 July In Māori culture, Matariki is the ...

(Wednesday) * 26 October -

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

Monday

Arts and literature

Awards

Music

*May -

New Zealand Music The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including ...

Month **Vodafone Album of the year: Ladyhawke - ''Ladyhawke'' **Vodafone Single of the year: Ladyhawke - ''My Delerium'' **Best group:

Midnight Youth Midnight Youth were a New Zealand rock band formed in 2006. Their debut album, ''The Brave Don't Run'', was released in 2009 in New Zealand and Australia. The band subsequently toured and played festivals across Australasia, the United States ...

**Best male solo artist:

Savage Savage may refer to: Places Antarctica * Savage Glacier, Ellsworth Land * Savage Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Savage Ridge, Victoria Land United States * Savage, Maryland, an unincorporated community * Savage, Minnesota, a city * Savage, Mi ...

**Best female solo artist: Ladyhawke **Breakthrough artist of the year: Ladyhawke **Best Music Video: Chris Graham – Brother (

Smashproof Smashproof is a New Zealand hip hop group, consisting of Sid Diamond, Tyree, and Deach. The name "Smashproof" is a play on the word "Bulletproof". They are best known for the song "Brother", in which they show their version of what is going on i ...

) **Best Rock Album: Midnight Youth – "The Brave Don't Run" **Best Urban/Hip Hop Album:

Ladi 6 Karoline Fuarose Park-Tamati (born 7 November 1982), known professionally as Ladi6, is a New Zealand recording artist of Samoan descent. She spent six months living in Berlin and touring Europe in both 2010 and 2011. Her debut album ''Time Is N ...

– "Time Is Not Much" **Best Aotearoa Roots Album: Fat Freddy's Drop – "Dr Boondigga and the Big BW" **Best dance/electronica album: Ladyhawke - ''Ladyhawke'' **Best gospel/Christian album: Mumsdollar - ''Ruins'' **Best classical album: David Bremner – "Gung Ho" **The Vodafone People's Choice Award, voted by New Zealand music fans:

**Highest Selling NZ Single:

feat. Gin - ''Brother'' **Highest Selling NZ Album: The Feelers - ''The Best: 1998 - 2008" **Radio Airplay Record of the Year: Tiki Taane- "Always on my mind"

Performing arts

* Benny Award presented by the

Variety Artists Club of New Zealand The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc (VAC) is a non-for-profit organisation and show business club. It was founded in 1966 and became an incorporated society in 1972. The VAC was formed to promote goodwill within the New Zealand enterta ...

to Eddie Low MNZM.

Television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

Film 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 ...

*''Earth Whisperers/Papatuanuku''

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

Sport

Horse racing

Harness racing

Auckland Trotting Cup The Auckland Pacing Cup which is sometimes referred to as the Auckland Trotting Cup or merely the Auckland Cup is a race held at Alexandra Park in Auckland, New Zealand for Standardbred horses. It is one of the two major harness races, along with ...

: Auckland Reactor

Thoroughbred racing

* Katie Lee becomes the first racehorse to win both the

New Zealand 2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas is a Group One set-weight Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 1600 metres at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch New Zealand cup week The New Zealand 2000 Guineas is he ...

and the

New Zealand 1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas is a Group One set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of 1600 metres (1 mile) at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch New Zealand Cup week It is on the final Satu ...

Soccer

The 2009 Chatham Cup is won by Wellington Olympic, who beat

Three Kings United Three Kings United Football Club is a youth football club based in Three Kings, Auckland, New Zealand. They previously competed in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1, with their last appearance coming in 2019. In 2020, Three Kings United m ...

2–1 in the final.

Shooting

*Ballinger Belt – ** David Rich (Australia) **

Mike Collings Mike Collings (born 29 September 1954) is a sport shooter from New Zealand. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester he was 21st in the full bore rifle open singles and seventh in the full bore rifle open pairs. At the 2010 Commonwealth G ...

(Te Puke), second, top New Zealander

Births

* 27 August –

Sacred Falls Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleric. ...

, Thoroughbred racehorse * 4 September – Habibi, Thoroughbred racehorse * 18 November –

It's A Dundeel Dundeel, or It’s a Dundeel as he is known in Australia, is a champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse. He is the fifth and most recent winner of the Australian Triple Crown. Background Dundeel is a bay colt trained by Murray Baker and And ...

, Thoroughbred racehorse * 20 November –

Prince of Penzance Prince of Penzance is a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred race horse who won the 2015 Melbourne Cup. He was trained by Darren Weir. In the race, he was ridden by Michelle Payne, who became the first female jockey to win the race. Background Prince ...

, Thoroughbred racehorse

Deaths

January

* 4 January –

Sonny Fai Sonny is a common nickname and occasional given name. Often it can be a derivative of the English word "Son", a name derived from the Ancient Germanic element *sunn meaning "sun", a nickname derived from the Italian name Salvatore (especially in N ...

, rugby league player (born 1988) * 8 January – Wally Williams, water polo player (born 1921) * 17 January – Mike Parkinson, rugby union player (born 1948) * 20 January –

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

, arachnologist (born 1925) * 26 January –

Gerry Merito Gerald Kereti Merito (b Whakatane, August 16, 1938, married twice, d Waihoa, January 26, 2009), was a New Zealand singer and guitarist, and one of the original members of the Howard Morrison Sir Howard Leslie Morrison (18 August 1935 – 24 S ...

, entertainer (born 1938) * 26 January – Don Ladner, rugby league player (born 1948)

February

* 4 February – Antonie Dixon, convicted murderer (born 1968) * 27 February –

Kilmeny Niland Kilmeny Niland (1950 – 27 February 2009) was a New Zealand–born Australian artist and illustrator. While best known for her children's book illustrations, she worked in a wide range of genres, including animation, wildlife art, miniatures, ...

, artist and illustrator (born 1950)

March

* 2 March –

Robert Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...

, professional wrestler and talent agent (born 1943) * 9 March – Graham Mexted, rugby union player (born 1927) * 10 March – Dell Bandeen, netball player (born 1922) * 12 March –

Mary Batchelor Mary Dorothy Batchelor (née Foley, 7 January 1927 – 12 March 2009) was a New Zealand trade unionist, feminist and Labour Party politician. Biography Early life and career Batchelor was born in Christchurch in 1927, the elder of two daughter ...

, politician (born 1927) * 13 March – Geoff Moon, veterinary surgeon, ornithologist and photographer (born 1915) * 21 March – Beach Towel, standardbred racehorse (foaled 1987) * 24 March – Denis Miller, air force bomber and airline pilot (born 1918)

April

* 1 April – Kevin Briscoe, rugby union player (born 1936) * 11 April – James Brodie, geologist, oceanographer and amateur historian and philatelist (born 1920) * 17 April – Richard Sutton, chess player and legal academic (born 1938) * 26 April – Sir

Pupuke Robati Sir Pupuke Robati, KBE (9 April 1925 – 26 April 2009) was a Cook Island politician. He served as Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 29 July 1987 to 1 February 1989. Robati was from the island of Rakahanga. He completed his primary an ...

, Cook Islands politician (born 1925) * 27 April – John Bollard, lawyer, environment court judge (born 1940)

May

* 1 May – Sunline, thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 1995) * 3 May – Percy Marunui Murphy, soldier and politician, first Māori mayor (born 1924) * 12 May – Dame

Heather Begg Dame Isoleen Heather Begg (1 December 1932 – 12 May 2009) was a New Zealand-born operatic mezzo-soprano who spent most of her career in the United Kingdom and Australia. She was renowned in roles such as the title role in Bizet's '' Carmen'' ...

, opera singer (born 1932) * 23 May ** Jack McNab, rugby union player, coach and administrator (born 1924) ** Sir

Tangaroa Tangaroa Sir Tangaroa Tangaroa (6 May 1921 – 23 May 2009) was a Cook Islands politician. Born as the only child to Akaruke and Puna, he helped raise his wife's children. He started his professional life as a government radio operator (1939–1954). In ...

, Cook Islands politician (born 1921) * 30 May –

Ferris de Joux Ferris de Joux (1935–2009) was a designer, engineer and constructor of sports cars. He was born on 24 August 1935. de Joux was said to have been one of New Zealand's most talented automotive designers. He appeared regularly in motoring magazines ...

, automotive design, engineer and constructor (born 1935)

June

* 7 June – Keith Steele, cricketer and lawyer (born 1951) * 8 June – Taini Morrison, kapa haka leader (born 1958) * 12 June –

Ivan Lichter Ivan Lichter (14 March 1918 – 12 June 2009) was a thoracic surgeon and a pioneer in the field of palliative care in New Zealand. He was appointed to the Order of New Zealand, the country's highest honour and limited to 20 living people, in the ...

, thoracic surgeon and palliative care pioneer (born 1918) * 19 June –

Ron Crocombe Ronald Gordon Crocombe (8 October 1929 – 19 June 2009) was a Professor of Pacific Studies at the University of the South Pacific. His reputation was such that he was described as the "father of Pacific Studies". Biography Ron Crocombe was born i ...

, Pacific studies academic (born 1929) * 28 June – Tom Paulay, earthquake engineer (born 1923) * 30 June –

Joan Wiffen Joan Wiffen (née Pederson, 4 February 1922 – 30 June 2009) was a self-taught New Zealand paleontologist known for discovering the first dinosaur fossils in New Zealand. Early life Wiffen was born in 1922 and was brought up in Havelock No ...

, amateur paleontologist (born 1922)

July

* 3 July –

Frank Devine Frank Devine (17 December 1931 – 3 July 2009) was a New Zealand–born Australian newspaper editor and journalist. Devine was born in the South Island city of Blenheim and started his career there aged 17 as a cadet on the ''Marlborough Expr ...

, newspaper editor and journalist (born 1931) * 7 July – Ian Grey, rugby league player (born 1931) * 11 July – **

Seddon Bennington Seddon Leonard Bennington (8 October 1947 – c. 11 July 2009) was a New Zealand museum executive (management), executive. Bennington was the chief executive of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum of New Zealand, from ...

, museum administrator (born 1947) ** Cyril Paskell, rugby league player (born 1927) * 14 July –

Bill Young Charles William Young (December 16, 1930 – October 18, 2013) was an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1971 until his death in 2013. A Republican from Florida, Young served as chairman of the H ...

, politician and diplomat (born 1913) * 18 July – Graham Stanton, New Testament scholar (born 1940) * 19 July –

Ces Mountford Cecil Ralph Mountford (16 June 1919 – 19 July 2009), also known by the nickname of "The Blackball Bullet", was a New Zealand rugby league footballer and Coach (sport), coach. Mountford was one of ten siblings, he and four of his brothers pl ...

, rugby league player and coach (born 1919) * 20 July ** Tom Hellaby, cricketer (born 1958) ** Hew McLeod, historian (born 1932) * 25 July – Lorrie Pickering, politician (born 1919) * 30 July – ** Julian Dashper, artist (born 1960) ** Diggeress Te Kanawa, tohunga raranga (born 1920)

August

* 7 August **

Jack Laird Jack Laird (born Jack Laird Schultheis; May 8, 1923 – December 3, 1991) was an American screenwriter, producer, director, and actor. He received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his works in ''Ben Casey'', ''Night Gallery'', and ''K ...

, potter (born 1920) **

Eru Potaka-Dewes Eru Potaka-Dewes (1939 in Ruatoria – 7 August 2009 in Rotorua) was a New Zealand actor, Māori religious leader and activist. Life and career Eru Potaka-Dewes attended Waiomatatini Native Primary School, Gisborne Boys' High School, an ...

, actor, Māori religious leader and activist (born 1939) * 16 August – Alistair Campbell, poet, playwright and novelist (born 1925) * 18 August – Rufus Rogers, politician (born 1913) * 21 August –

Reg King Reg King (5 February 1945, Paddington, West London – 8 October 2010, Belvedere, Kent) was an English singer and songwriter, most famous for being the solo and lead singer with The Boys and The Action. He died of cancer, aged 65, in October 2 ...

, association football player (born 1927) * 24 August – Kashin, elephant (born 1968) * 26 August –

Sir Jack Harris, 2nd Baronet Sir Jack Wolfred Ashford Harris, 2nd Baronet (23 July 1906 – 26 August 2009) was a New Zealand businessman, and the second baronet of the Harris Baronetcy of Bethnal Green, County of London which was created for his father Sir Percy Harris (1 ...

, businessman (born 1906) * 29 August – Bob Parker, rower (born 1934) * 30 August – Percy Tetzlaff, rugby union player (born 1920)

September

* 8 September –

Ahmed Said Musa Patel Ahmed Said Musa Patel (16 January 1937 to 8 September 2009) was the first Imam (Muslim cleric) in New Zealand and served as the principal spiritual and religious advisor to the Islamic community from 1960 to 1986. Resources *Bishop, Martin C. ' ...

, Muslim religious leader (born 1937) * 9 September – Dame

Patricia Bergquist Dame Patricia Rose Bergquist (née Smyth, 10 March 1933 – 9 September 2009) was a New Zealand zoologist who specialised in anatomy and taxonomy. At the time of her death, she was professor emerita of zoology and honorary professor of anatomy ...

, zoology and anatomy academic (born 1933) * 11 September – John Pattison, pilot, Battle of Britain veteran (born 1917) * 12 September – Helen Wily, mathematician (born 1921) * 20 September –

Ken Hough Kenneth William Hough (24 October 1928 – 20 September 2009) was a cricketer and association football player who represented both New Zealand and Australia in football. He also represented New Zealand in Test cricket. Hough was born in Aubur ...

, dual international cricketer and association footballer (born 1928) * 24 September – Sir

Howard Morrison Sir Howard Leslie Morrison (18 August 1935 – 24 September 2009) was a New Zealand entertainer. From 1964 until his death in 2009, he was one of New Zealand's leading television and concert performers. Early life Of Māori (Te Arawa), Irish ...

, entertainer (born 1935) * 26 September –

Paul Medhurst Paul Medhurst (born 11 December 1981) is a former professional Australian rules football player who played for the Collingwood Football Club and the Fremantle Football Club. In his 2008 season, he was selected in the All-Australian team and h ...

, track cyclist (born 1953) * 27 September – Murray Smith, politician (born 1941)

October

* 3 October –

Leigh Davis Leigh Robert Davis (20 June 1955 – 3 October 2009) was a New Zealand writer who created long poems and large-scale, mixed-media projects in which he worked with painters, designers and composers. He was known for the highly experimental natu ...

, writer (born 1955) * 4 October – Roger Green, archaeologist (born 1932) * 9 October – Noel Bowden, rugby union player (born 1926) * 13 October – Betty Clegg, watercolour artist (born 1926) * 14 October –

Martyn Sanderson Martyn Sanderson (24 February 1938 – 14 October 2009) was a New Zealand actor, director, producer, writer and poet. Sanderson was described as one of the founding fathers of modern theatre in New Zealand. In New Zealand he had appearances ...

, actor, filmmaker and poet (born 1938) * 17 October – Dame Doreen Blumhardt, potter, ceramicist and arts educator (born 1914) * 31 October – Tim Bickerstaff, broadcaster, newspaper columnist and author (born 1942)

November

* 4 November – Sir Don Beaven, diabetes researcher (born 1924) * 5 November –

Adam Firestorm Adam Travis Dykes (November 25, 1976 – November 5, 2009) was a New Zealand-Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Adam Firestorm, who competed in North American independent promotions in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada d ...

, professional wrestler (born 1976) * 15 November –

Tia Barrett Te Rongotoa "Tia" Barrett previously known as John Richard Te Rongotoa Barrett (24 July 1947 – 15 November 2009) was a New Zealand diplomat of indigenous Ngati Maniapoto and Waikato extraction from the Tainui iwi. He was director of the Māori ...

, diplomat (born 1947) * 19 November – Pat Mackie, miner and trade unionist (born 1914) * 29 November – Bill Hunt, alpine skier (born 1929) * 30 November – Elva Simpson, netball player (born 1936)

December

* 3 December –

Brian Mason Brian David Mason (born October 12, 1953) is a Canadian politician who was leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party from 2004 to 2014 and served the Minister of Transportation in Rachel Notley's NDP government. He also served as the Governme ...

, geochemist and mineralogist (born 1917) * 6 December –

Eldred Stebbing Eldred Claude Stebbing (3 October 1921 – 6 December 2009) was a New Zealand record label owner and co-founder of the Zodiac Records label. He also founded Stebbing Studios in Auckland. Biography Stebbing was born in 1921. After leaving schoo ...

, record label founder and owner (born 1921) * 8 December –

Bub Bridger Noeline Edith "Bub" Bridger (15 July 1924 – 8 December 2009) was a New Zealand poet and short story writer and actor, who often performed her own work and drew inspiration from her Māori, Irish and English ancestry. Early life Bridger was ...

, poet and short-story writer (born 1924) * 20 December – John Veitch, cricketer (born 1937) * 29 December –

Paul Sapsford Herbert Paul Sapsford (8 September 1949 – 29 December 2009) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A prop, Sapsford represented Otago at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, on the 1976 tour of ...

, rugby union player (born 1949) * 30 December – Jacqueline Sturm, poet and short-story writer (born 1927)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 in New Zealand

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Years of the 21st century in New Zealand 2000s in New Zealand

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