The following lists events that happened during 2011 in New Zealand.

Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 4,399,400. * Increase since 31 December 2010: 25,600 (0.58%). * Males per 100 Females: 95.7.

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 ...

–

Sir 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 ...

, succeeded by Sir Jerry Mateparae File:Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand.jpg, Elizabeth II File:Anand Satyanand 2014.jpg, Sir Anand Satyanand File:Sir Jerry Mateparae February 2015.jpg, Sir Jerry Mateparae

Government

2011 was the third and last full year of the 49th Parliament, which was dissolved on 20 October. A general election was held on 26 November to elect the 50th Parliament, which saw the

Fifth National Government Neville Chamberlain formed the Chamberlain war ministry in 1939 after declaring war on Germany. Chamberlain led the country for the first eight months of the Second World War, until the Norway Debate in Parliament led Chamberlain to resign a ...

elected for a second term. *

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 *

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 *

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 *

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", " ...

– Bill English *

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 File:Lockwood Smith (cropped).jpg, Lockwood Smith File:John Key headshot.jpg, John Key File:Bill English 09-16 (1).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 ...

until 13 December, then

David Shearer David James Shearer (born 28 July 1957) is a New Zealand United Nations worker and politician. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament for the Labour Party from 2009 to 2016, serving as Leader of the Opposition from 2011 to 2013. Shear ...

from 13 December. (

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 ...

) * 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 ...

until 30 April, then

Don Brash Donald Thomas Brash (born 24 September 1940) is a former New Zealand politician who was Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party from October 2003 to November 2006, and the Leader of ACT New Zealand from April to No ...

30 April to 26 November (

John Boscawen John Spencer Boscawen (born c.1957) is a former New Zealand politician. He is a member of the ACT New Zealand Party and served as a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2008 to 2011. Boscawen briefly served as deputy leader ...

parliamentary leader), then TBD. *

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...

–

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 ...

and Russel Norman * Māori Party – Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples File:Labour Leader Phil Goff in Hamilton.JPG, Phil Goff File:David Shearer.jpg, David Shearer File:Rodney Hide at parliament.JPG, Rodney Hide File:Don.Brash.jpg, Don Brash File:John Boscawen1.jpg, John Boscawen 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 ...

– Len Brown * Mayor of Tauranga –

Stuart Crosby Stuart Alan Crosby ONZM (born 1956) is a New Zealand politician who served as mayor of the city of Tauranga, New Zealand from 2004 to 2016. Early life Crosby's family moved from Gisborne to Papamoa in 1966, where they started the Papamoa Bea ...

* Mayor of Hamilton –

Julie Hardaker Julie Hardaker was the Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand, from October 2010 to October 2016. Born in New Zealand, she was self-employed in Australia in the 1980s. After graduating from the University of Waikato, she joined the Hamilton law firm McC ...

* Mayor of Wellington – Celia Wade-Brown *

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

– Bob Parker *

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 ...

–

Dave Cull David Charles Cull (1 April 1950 – 27 April 2021) was the mayor of the city of Dunedin in New Zealand. He became the 57th Mayor of Dunedin in October 2010 and was re-elected in both the 2013 mayoralty race and 2016 mayoral election. Before ...

File:Len brown.jpg, Len Brown File:Stuart Crosby.jpg, Stuart Crosby File:Julie Hardaker (cropped).jpg, Julie Hardaker File:Celia Wade-Brown, 2013.jpg, Celia Wade-Brown File:Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker.jpg, Bob Parker File:Dave Cull-Blueskin News.jpg, Dave Cull

Events

January

February

* 16 February –

Australian Prime Minister The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the federal government of Australia and is also accountable to federal parliament under the principl ...

Julia Gillard Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is an Australian former politician who served as the 27th prime minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013, holding office as leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). She is the first and only ...

becomes the first foreign head of government to address the New Zealand Parliament while in session. * 22 February – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, causing major damage to the city and killing 185 people. * 23 February – Prime Minister John Key declares a national

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

following the Christchurch earthquake, the first national state of emergency in 60 years.

March

* 5 March – A by-election is held in the

Botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

electorate and won by

Jami-Lee Ross Jami-Lee Matenga Ross (born 1985) is a New Zealand former politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Botany electorate in Auckland from the March 2011 Botany by-election, when he became the youngest MP at the time, until 2020. He ...

of the National Party. * 8 March – Five-yearly New Zealand census was scheduled but cancelled due to the effects of the Christchurch earthquake. * 18 March – A memorial service for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake is held at Hagley Park, attended by

Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educat ...

on behalf of the Queen of New Zealand. * 24 March –

New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy The New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy is a debate in the politics of New Zealand. It concerns the ownership of the country's foreshore and seabed, with many Māori groups claiming that Māori have a rightful claim to title. These c ...

: The

Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill The Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 is an Act of the New Zealand Parliament created to replace the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004. It was brought in by the fifth National government and creates a property class for the marine a ...

, an act to replace the

Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 The Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 is a former Act of the Parliament of New Zealand. It overruled the 2003 decision of the Court of Appeal in ''Ngati Apa v Attorney-General.'' Its passage arose out of, and further fueled, the New Zealand for ...

, passes its third reading in Parliament. * 29 March – The

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA; Māori: ''Te Mana Haumanu ki Waitaha'') was the public service department of New Zealand charged with coordinating the rebuild of Christchurch and the surrounding areas following the 22 Februar ...

is established.

April

* 28 April – A state of emergency is declared in the Hawke's Bay due to flooding. * 30 April – The national state of emergency put into place after the 22 February Christchurch earthquake is lifted.

May

May 2011 Albany, NZ tornado- structural damage

* 3 May – A tornado hits the suburb of Albany in northern Auckland, killing one and causing property damage. * 19 May –

Bill English delivers the "Zero Budget", an atypical election year

government budget A government budget is a document prepared by the government and/or other political entity presenting its anticipated tax revenues (Inheritance tax, income tax, corporation tax, import taxes) and proposed spending/expenditure (Healthcare, Educa ...

which plans $1.2b worth of spending cuts over the next four years.

June

* 13 June – A magnitude 6.3 earthquake aftershock strikes Christchurch, causing additional earthquake damage to the city. * 16–26 June – Ash from the

Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Puyehue (; ) and Cordón Caulle are two coalesced volcanic edifices that form a major mountain massif in Puyehue National Park in the Andes of Ranco Province, in the South of Chile. In volcanology this group is known as the Puyehue-Cordón Cau ...

volcano in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

causes widespread disruption to flights across New Zealand. * 21 June – An

emperor penguin The emperor penguin (''Aptenodytes forsteri'') is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching in length and weighing from . Feathers of th ...

, later nicknamed "Happy Feet" after the

2006 film The following is an overview of events in 2006, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths. Evaluation of the year Legendary film critic Philip French of ''The Guardian'' de ...

, is found washed up on the

Kāpiti Coast Kapiti or Kāpiti may refer to: *Kapiti Island, an island a short distance off the New Zealand coast north of Wellington *Kapiti Coast District, the local government district which includes much of the Kapiti Coast *Kapiti Coast Airport, an airport ...

, the first emperor penguin to be found in New Zealand for 44 years. * 24 June — Christchurch's system for residential zoning is announced to assess damage and rebuildability following the earthquakes, which includes the red zone, orange zone, green zone and white zone. * 25 June – A by-election is held in the Te Tai Tokerau electorate and won by Hone Harawira of the

Mana Party The Mana Movement, formerly known as the Mana Party, is a former political party in New Zealand. The party was led by Hone Harawira who formed it in April 2011 following his resignation from the Māori Party. Harawira won the by-election in Te T ...

July

Tim Geithner and John Key at Blair House 2011

Barack Obama John Key in the Oval Office 2011

* 21–22 July –

New Zealand Prime Minister The prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia o Aotearoa) is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, took office on 26 October 2017. The prime minister (informa ...

John Key visits

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

to meet with

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

. During their meeting at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

, Prime Minister John Key and U.S. President Obama send their condolences to the

people A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

following the tragic terrorist attacks in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, and are a reminder that the entire world must work together to prevent future attacks since

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

August

* 15 August – The largest cold snap in fifty years causes widespread snow on both the North and South Islands, causing disruption to power supplies and the closures of roads and Wellington International Airport. * 31 August –

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Sir Jerry Mateparae is sworn in as New Zealand's 20th

, replacing

September

* 9 September – The

Rugby World Cup The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb E ...

begins, the first time the event has been held in New Zealand since 1987.

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 ...

playing

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

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

, Auckland in the opening game, which was marred with overcrowding problems on the Auckand Waterfront fan zone and transport failures resulting in some spectators missing the game. * 28 September – A

New Zealand Special Air Service The 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, abbreviated as 1 NZSAS Regt, was formed on 7 July 1955 and is the Special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It traces its origins to ...

soldier dies fighting in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, the second in two months. * 30 September – Credit agencies Fitch and

Standard & Poor's S&P Global Ratings (previously Standard & Poor's and informally known as S&P) is an American credit rating agency (CRA) and a division of S&P Global that publishes financial research and analysis on stocks, bonds, and commodities. S&P is con ...

both downgrade New Zealand's long-term credit rating from AA+ to AA.

October

* 5 October – The container ship MV ''Rena'' runs aground on the

Astrolabe Reef Astrolabe Reef is near Motiti Island, 20 kilometres NE of Tauranga, off the Bay of Plenty coast in New Zealand. The reef, which breaks the water surface at low tide, is a renowned scuba diving spot that drops off to in different parts. The re ...

off the coast of Tauranga, causing a large oil spill into the Bay of Plenty. * 11–13 October – The Tauranga oil spill becomes the nation's worst maritime environmental disaster, as tonnes of fuel oil from the MV ''Rena'' washes ashore near Tauranga and containers begin to fall off the damaged ship. * 23 October – The

concludes, with the

New Zealand All Blacks 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, ...

winning the tournament and the Webb Ellis Cup after defeating

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

8–7 in the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

at Eden Park, Auckland. * 25–30 October –

Natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

supply to the Upper North Island is severely cut back after a major leak is found in the Maui high pressure gas line in northern

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

, affecting 255,000 consumers including many several major industrial users, thermal power stations, dairy factories, hospitals and businesses. * 29 October – Christchurch's temporary container mall Re:START opens.

November

* 10 November –

Pike River Mine disaster The Pike River Mine disaster was a coal mining accident that began on 19 November 2010 in the Pike River Mine, northeast of Greymouth, in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island following a methane explosion at approximately 3:44 pm ...

: The

Department of Labour The Ministry of Labour ('' UK''), or Labor ('' US''), also known as the Department of Labour, or Labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, training, a ...

files 25 criminal charges in relation to the disaster. * 26 November – 2011 general election and 2011 voting system referendum: ** The National Party, led by incumbent Prime Minister John Key, wins a plurality of 60 seats in the general election, and indicates he will work with ACT, United Future and the Māori Party to form a minority government. ** On advance vote counts, the existing

Mixed Member Proportional Mixed-member proportional representation (MMP or MMPR) is a mixed electoral system in which votes cast are considered in local elections and also to determine overall party vote tallies, which are used to allocate additional members to produce ...

(MMP) voting system gains the majority of the vote, and will be kept to elect the Parliament.

December

* 10 December – Official results for the 26 November general election and voting system referendum are released: **The National Party is confirmed to hold a plurality of the votes and seats. With confidence and supply agreements with ACT New Zealand and United Future confirmed, National announces it will form a minority government with a one-seat majority, returning the

to a second term in office. **Full results of the referendum on the voting system confirm that the Mixed Member Proportional voting system, with 57.8% of the vote, will be kept but will be reviewed. The

First Past the Post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...

voting system gains the most votes for the preferred alternative voting system. * 11 December – The National Party signs a confidence and supply agreement with the Maori Party, extending its majority to govern to seven seats (64 seats to 57). * 13 December – A fault disconnects

Huntly Power Station The Huntly Power Station is the largest thermal power station in New Zealand and is located in the town of Huntly in the Waikato. It is operated by Genesis Energy Limited, a publicly listed company (currently 51% owned by the NZ Government). Th ...

from the national grid at 12:38pm, resulting in 200,000 customers across the North Island losing power as Transpower employs

load shedding Demand response is a change in the power consumption of an electric utility customer to better match the demand for power with the supply. Until the 21st century decrease in the cost of pumped storage and batteries electric energy could not be ...

to prevent a cascade failure of the North Island electricity network. Electricity is gradually restored to customers as reserve generation comes online to replace Huntly. * 14 December – A

is declared in the Nelson and

Tasman Tasman most often refers to Abel Tasman (1603–1659), Dutch explorer. Tasman may also refer to: Animals and plants * Tasman booby * Tasman flax-lily * Tasman parakeet (disambiguation) * Tasman starling * Tasman whale People * Tasman (name), ...

regions after nearly of rain falls in the 2011 Golden Bay and Nelson floods in 24 hours. * 20–21 December – The

50th New Zealand Parliament The 50th New Zealand Parliament was elected at the 2011 general election. It had 121 members (120 seats plus one overhang seat), and was in place from December 2011 until September 2014, followed by the 2014 general election. The first sitting ...

is opened, with members elected at the 26 November general election being sworn in and the Governor-General delivering the

Speech from the Throne A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining th ...

. * 23 December – A magnitude 5.8 and a magnitude 6.0 earthquake strike Christchurch at 1:58pm and 3:18pm respectively, causing damage, liquefaction, minor injuries, and majorly disrupting shopping and travel in the lead-up to the Christmas holiday period. A state of emergency is declared in Canterbury but later stood down.

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 ...

* 18 March – Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day (observed in some parts of Canterbury) * 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 ...

* 6 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 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 ...

Undated

* CamperMate mobile application is launched.

Arts and literature

Awards

New books

Films

The Devil's Rock ''The Devil's Rock'' is a 2011 New Zealand horror film produced by Leanne Saunders, directed by Paul Campion, written by Campion, Paul Finch, and Brett Ihaka, and starring Craig Hall, Matthew Sunderland, Gina Varela, and Karlos Drinkwater. ...

(Horror film) * Love Birds * My Wedding and Other Secrets * The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn (Family / Adventure film) * Operation 8: Deep in the Forest (Documentary) *

The Most Fun You Can Have Dying ''The Most Fun You Can Have Dying'' is a 2012 New Zealand romantic drama film directed by Kirstin Marcon and starring Matt Whelan, Roxane Mesquida and Pana Hema Taylor. The film is based on the novel ''Seraphim Blues'' written by Steven Gannaw ...

* Dreamer by Design

Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

Performing arts

Benny Award The Benny Award is bestowed on a New Zealand variety entertainer. It is presented annually by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, a non-for-profit organisation and showbusiness club, founded in 1966 and awarded to a variety performer who ha ...

presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Shane Hales.

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 ...

* C4 to be renamed FOUR

Sport

Events

*3 October – The

New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...

are defeated 10–24 in the 2011

NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

grand final against the

Manly Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...

in Sydney. *23 October – The

All Blacks 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 ...

win the

2011 Rugby World Cup The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Af ...

, defeating France 8–7 in the final at Eden Park, Auckland.

Horse racing

Harness racing

* New Zealand Trotting Cup – Henry Greaves

Thoroughbred racing

Shooting

*Ballinger Belt – Richard Rowlands (Malvern)

Births

* 1 May – Manukura, white North Island brown kiwi

Deaths

January

* 19 January –

Bryce Postles Bryce Postles (22 February 1931 – 19 January 2011) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played nineteen first-class matches for Auckland between 1952 and 1957. See also * List of Auckland representative cricketers This is a list of all cr ...

, cricketer (born 1931) * 21 January – Wally Hughes, association football player and coach (born 1934)

February

* 12 February ** Kevin Barry Sr., boxing coach (born 1936) **

Frank Whitten Frank Edgar Richard Whitten (15 November 1942 – 12 February 2011) was a New Zealand television actor. He was more recently known for playing Ted "Grandpa" West in the New Zealand television show '' Outrageous Fortune''.Megahey, LeslieEsteeme ...

, actor (born 1942) * 15 February – Dame

Judith Binney Dame Judith Mary Caroline Binney (née Musgrove, 1 July 1940 – 15 February 2011) was a New Zealand historian, writer and Emerita Professor of History at the University of Auckland. Her work focussed on religion in New Zealand, especially ...

, historian and author (born 1940) * 20 February –

Bob McDowall Robert (Bob) Montgomery McDowall (15 September 1939 – 20 February 2011) was one of New Zealand's most prominent freshwater ichthyologists. Biography McDowall was born on 15 September 1939, the son of dairy scientist Frederick Henry McDowall ...

, freshwater ichthyologist (born 1939) * 22 February **

Jo Giles Joanne May Giles (29 November 1950 – 22 February 2011) was a New Zealand television presenter and former representative sportswoman. She represented the country in pistol shooting at the 1997 Oceanian Championships in Adelaide, and the 2000 Wor ...

, television personality and sportswoman (born 1950) **

Amanda Hooper Amanda Jane Hooper (née Christie, 1980 – 22 February 2011) was a female professional field hockey player from New Zealand. She died in one of the office buildings that collapsed in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake at age 30. Amanda ...

, field hockey representative (born 1980)

March

* 2 March –

Anthony Brooke Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke (10 December 1912 – 2 March 2011) was appointed the Rajah Muda of Sarawak (heir apparent; Malay: ''Yang Amat Mulia Tuan Rajah Muda Sarawak'') on 25 August 1937, by his uncle, Rajah Vyner of Sarawak, the third and ...

, formerly Rajah Muda of Sarawak (born 1912) * 6 March – John Morton, zoologist (born 1923) * 13 March ** Yvonne du Fresne, writer (born 1929) **

Ritchie Pickett Ritchie Pickett (16 February 1955 – 13 March 2011) was a New Zealand country music singer-songwriter who was born in Morrinsville, in the Waikato region. Pickett has been described as one of New Zealand's "kings of country/rock". He began play ...

, country singer (born 1955) * 23 March – Zena Daysh, human ecologist (born 1914) * 30 March –

Denis McLean Denis Bazeley Gordon McLean (18 August 1930 – 30 March 2011) was a New Zealand diplomat, academic, author and civil servant. Biography McLean was born in Napier. He was the eldest son of Gordon McLean, a newspaper editor, and Ruahine Sm ...

, diplomat, academic, author and civil servant (born 1930)

April

* 7 April – Pat Creedy, rugby union and rugby league player (born 1927) * 9 April –

Geoff Smale Geoffrey Andrew Smale (5 November 1924 – 9 April 2011) was a New Zealand yachtsman and a North Shore-based businessman. Sailing He represented New Zealand in yachting at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, coming 8th in the Flying Dutchm ...

, sailor (born 1924) * 10 April –

Don Merton Donald Vincent Merton (22 February 193910 April 2011) was a New Zealand conservationist best known for saving the black robin from extinction. He also discovered the lek breeding system of the kākāpō. When Merton began his work as a conser ...

, conservationist (born 1939) * 17 April –

Ken Cumberland Kenneth Brailey Cumberland (1 October 1913 – 17 April 2011) was a New Zealand geography academic and local-body politician. Academic career After a bachelor's in geography at Nottingham University College and a MSc at University College, Lon ...

, geographer (born 1913) * 20 April – Kerry Smith, actress and broadcaster (born 1953) * 21 April –

Stanley Callagher Stanley Herbert Michael Callagher (18 April 1927 – 21 April 2011) was a New Zealand rowing (sport), rowing coxswain who won a silver medal at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Early life and family Born on 18 April 1927, Callagh ...

, rowing coxswain (born 1927) * 22 April –

Tim Eliott Timothy James Gordon Eliott (25 March 1935 – 22 April 2011) was a New Zealand actor. Biography Eliott was born in Eltham, South Taranaki, New Zealand on 25 March 1935. His mother died when he was one and he was brought up by aunts and grandpar ...

, actor (born 1935) * 23 April –

Ready Teddy "Ready Teddy" is a song written by John Marascalco and Robert Blackwell, and first made popular by Little Richard in 1956. Little Richard sang and played piano on the recording, backed by a band consisting of Lee Allen (tenor saxophone), Alvin " ...

, eventing horse (born 1987) * 24 April – Colin Snedden, cricketer (born 1918) * 28 April –

Mike Imber Michael John Imber (November 1940 – 28 April 2011) was a New Zealand ornithologist known for his research work and expertise on petrels. Imber completed a Master's thesis in 1965 at Massey University, on population density and reproduction in ...

, ornithologist (born 1940)

May

* 3 May –

Paul Ackerley Paul Douglas Ackerley (16 May 1949 – 3 May 2011) was a field hockey player, maths teacher and public servant from New Zealand. He played field hockey at right half. He was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1976 Su ...

, hockey player and coach (born 1949) * 9 May – Maurice Carter, property developer, politician, philanthropist (born 1917) * 16 May – Ian Payne, cricketer (born 1921) * 21 May –

Martin Winch Martin Ronald Winch (28 February 1949 – 21 May 2011) was a New Zealand guitarist, composer and musician. Life and career Born in Nottingham, England, Martin was 14 when his family immigrated to New Zealand in 1963. They settled on the North ...

, guitarist (born 1949)

June

* 1 June – Trevor Howard-Hill, bibliographer (born 1933) * 3 June **

Nathaniel Millar Nathaniel Malcolm Millar (10 May 1915 – 3 June 2011) was a New Zealand fencer who won a silver medal at the 1950 British Empire Games. Born in the Dunedin suburb of Roslyn on 10 May 1915, Millar was the son of Daisy Stewart Millar (née Car ...

, fencer (born 1915) **

Jim Vivieaere James Earnest Vivieaere (1947 – 3 June 2011), a New Zealand artist of Cook Island Maori heritage, was born in Waipawa, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. He was a well-respected and significant multimedia and installation artist, freelance curator and ...

, artist and art curator (born 1947) * 6 June ** Ted Jones, neuroscientist (born 1939) ** Shrek, celebrity sheep (born 1994) * 12 June –

Geoffrey Fisken Geoffrey Bryson Fisken, (17 February 1916 – 12 June 2011) was a New Zealand fighter pilot who was the British Commonwealth's leading air ace in the Pacific theatre of World War II. He is credited with shooting down 11 Japanese aircraft. ...

, World War II flying ace (born 1916) * 16 June – Dorice Reid, Cook Island politician (born 1943) * 29 June –

Rosalie Carey Rosalie Louise Carey ( Seddon; 18 May 1921 – 29 June 2011) was a New Zealand actor, playwright, director and author who founded the Globe Theatre in Dunedin, the first purpose-built theatre for professional repertory in New Zealand, with the ...

, playwright, director, poet, actor, author (born 1921)

July

* 1 July – Harold Nelson, Olympic runner (born 1923) * 5 July –

Lesley Rowe Lesley Martha Gibson (née Rowe, 21 March 1929 – 5 July 2011) was a New Zealand sprinter who, as Lesley Rowe, won a silver medal representing her country at the 1950 British Empire Games. Early life and family Rowe was born in the Auckland su ...

, athlete (born 1929) * 13 July – Dame

Vivienne Boyd Dame Vivienne Myra Boyd (née Lowe, 11 April 1926 – 13 July 2011) was a New Zealand woman active in community and public affairs. Early life and family Born Vivienne Myra Lowe in Lower Hutt on 11 April 1926, Boyd was the daughter of Wini ...

, community leader (born 1926) * 16 July – Dame

Kāterina Mataira Dame Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira (13 November 1932 – 16 July 2011) was a New Zealand Māori language proponent, educator, intellectual, artist and writer. Her efforts to revive and revitalise the Māori language ( te reo Māori) led to the ...

, educator and Māori language proponent, co-founder of Kura Kaupapa Māori (born 1932) * 19 July – Roy Meehan, Olympic wrestler (born 1931) * 20 July ** Graham Cowan, cricket umpire (born 1940) **

Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan Tini "Whetu" Marama Tirikatene-Sullivan (9 January 1932 – 20 July 2011) was a New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1967 to 1996, representing the Labour Party, and was New Zealand’s first Māori woman cabinet minister. At the time of ...

, politician, longest-serving female member of the House of Representatives (1967–96) (born 1932) * 21 July – Don Jowett, athlete (born 1931) * 28 July – Joan de Hamel, children's author (born 1924)

August

* 5 August –

Grahame Jarratt Grahame Laughlan Jarratt (10 January 1929 – 5 August 2011) was a New Zealand rower. At the 1950 British Empire Games he won the silver medal as part of the men's eight alongside crew members Donald Adam, Kerry Ashby Kerry Ayling Ashby ( ...

, rower (born 1929) * 7 August – Nancy Wake, World War II special operative (born 1912) * 14 August – Sir

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 ...

, Anglican archbishop,

Primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...

(1980–85),

(1985–90) (born 1932) * 15 August **

Eric Dempster Eric William Dempster (25 January 1925 – 15 August 2011) was a New Zealand cricketer who played in five Test matches in 1953 and 1954, before becoming an international umpire. Cricket career A left-arm spinner and useful lower-order batsman, ...

, cricket player and umpire (born 1925) ** Genesis Potini, chess player (born 1963) * 17 August – Bill Robinson, seismic engineer (born 1938) * 20 August –

Russell Calvert Russell John Calvert (1 February 1909 – 20 August 2011) was a New Zealand local-body politician. He served as Mayor of Dunedin between 1965 and 1968. Biography Early life Calvert was born in Masterton in 1909. He was educated at Nelson Col ...

, politician, mayor of Dunedin (1965–68) (born 1909) * 21 August –

Christine Cole Catley Dame Christine McKelvie Cole Catley (née Bull; 19 December 1922 – 21 August 2011) was a New Zealand journalist, publisher and author. Career Christine McKelvie Bull was born in 1922 in Wellington, New Zealand. She grew up on a farm in Hunt ...

, journalist, publisher and author (born 1922) * 24 August ** Horlicks, Throroughbred racemare (foaled 1983) **

Joyce McDougall Joyce McDougall (; 26 April 1920, Dunedin, New Zealand – 24 August 2011, London, UK) was a New Zealand-French psychoanalyst. McDougall wrote four major books in the field of psychoanalysis: ''Plea for a Measure of Abnormality'' (1978), ''In The ...

, psychoanalyst (born 1920) **

Graeme Moody Graeme Moody (August 1951 – 24 August 2011) was a New Zealand sports broadcaster. He worked for the Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport networks for 35 years covering a range of major events, including the Olympic Games, Rugby World Cups, Commonwealth ...

, sports broadcaster (born 1951) * 26 August ** Gordon Crook, visual artist (born 1921) **

Sylvia Siddell Sylvia Grace Siddell, Lady Siddell (1941 – 26 August 2011) was a New Zealand painter, etcher, and screen-printer, based in Auckland. Education Siddell attended the Avondale College (Art teacher: R.N.Field), Auckland Post Primary Teachers' ...

, painter, etcher, screenprinter (born 1941)

September

* 1 September ** Maunga Emery, rugby union and rugby league player (born 1933) **

Rex Orr Rex William Orr (19 June 1923 – 1 September 2011) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A fullback, Orr represented Otago and Auckland at a provincial level. He was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks The New Zeala ...

, rugby union player (born 1932) * 2 September – Allan Hubbard, businessman (born 1928) * 4 September –

Dana Wilson Dana Richard Wilson (born 1946) is an American composer, jazz pianist, and teacher. He grew up in Wilton, CT, and holds a B.A. from Bowdoin College, an M.A. from the University of Connecticut, and a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music. ...

, rugby league player (born 1983) * 7 September –

Christopher Small Christopher Neville Charles Small (17 March 1927 – 7 September 2011) was a New Zealand-born musician, educator, lecturer, and author of a number of influential books and articles in the fields of musicology, sociomusicology and ethnomusicology ...

, sociomusicologist (born 1927) * 10 September – Ken Ruby, wrestler (born 1921) * 20 September –

Johannes La Grouw Johannes La Grouw (24 August 1913 – 20 September 2011) was a Dutch-born New Zealand architect, engineer, businessman, artist and philanthropist. La Grouw developed a special patented house manufacturing system constructed of solid wood that e ...

, architect, engineer, businessman (born 1913) * 22 September –

Whatumoana Paki Whatumoana Paki (1 February 1926 – 22 September 2011) was a New Zealand Māori royal elder. Paki was the husband of the Māori Queen, Te Atairangikaahu, who reigned from 1966 to 2006. He and Te Atairangikaahu were the parents of the present Māo ...

, Māori elder, husband of Te Atairangikaahu and father of

Tūheitia Paki Tūheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII (born Tūheitia Paki; 21 April 1955), crowned as Kīngi Tūheitia, is the Māori King. He is the eldest son of the previous Māori monarch, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and was announced as her successo ...

(born 1927) * 28 September – Leon Smith, soldier (born 1978) * 29 September –

Len Castle Leonard Ramsay Castle (23 December 1924 – 29 September 2011) was a New Zealand Pottery, potter. Early life and family Born in Auckland on 23 December 1924, Castle was educated at Mount Albert Grammar School. He went on to study at Univer ...

, potter (born 1924) * 30 September – Alexander Grant, ballet dancer (born 1925)

October

* 3 October – Fraser Bergersen, plant biologist (born 1929) * 13 October –

Chris Doig Christopher Ross Doig (born 13 February 1981) is a Scottish former professional footballer who was most recently assistant manager of Grimsby Town As a player, he was a defender who played from 1996 until 2015. He started his career with Que ...

, opera singer and sports administrator (born 1948) * 23 October – Sir Frank Holmes, economist and government advisor (born 1924) * 24 October – Sir

Peter Siddell Sir Peter Graham Siddell (31 July 1935 – 24 October 2011) was a New Zealand artist. Biography Siddell was born in Auckland and educated at Mt Albert Grammar School and the Auckland College of Education. In 1960 he married artist Sylvia Si ...

, painter (born 1935) * 25 October – Vengeance of Rain, Thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 2000) * 28 October –

Roger Kerr Roger Lawrence Kerr (17 January 1945 – 28 October 2011), a public policy and business leader, was the executive director of the New Zealand Business Roundtable, a free-market think-tank based in Wellington, New Zealand. Early life Kerr gre ...

, businessman and political campaigner, executive director of the

New Zealand Business Roundtable The New Zealand Initiative is a pro-free-market public-policy think tank and business membership organisation in New Zealand. It was formed in 2012 by merger of the New Zealand Business Roundtable (NZBR) and the New Zealand Institute (think tank) ...

(born 1945) * 30 October –

Richard Walls Richard Francis Walls (9 October 1937 – 30 October 2011) was a New Zealand politician and businessman. Member of Parliament Walls was a Member of Parliament for Dunedin North from 1975 to 1978. A member of the National Party, he ...

, politician and businessman, former MP for

Dunedin North Dunedin North, also known as North Dunedin, is a major inner suburb ''Inner suburb'' is a term used for a variety of suburban communities that are generally located very close to the centre of a large city (the inner city and central bus ...

(1975–78), former

(1989–95) (born 1937)

November

* 6 November –

Allan Peachey Allan Peachey (18 October 1949 – 6 November 2011) was a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament for Tamaki. School principal Before his election to Parliament, Peachey was employed as the principal of Rangitoto College, the largest s ...

, politician, MP for

Tāmaki Tāmaki is a small suburb of East Auckland, 11 kilometres from the Auckland CBD, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located by the banks of the estuarial Tāmaki River, which is a southern arm of the Hauraki Gulf. The suburb is between ...

(2005–11) (born 1949) * 10 November –

Ted Bollard Edward George Bollard (21 January 1920 – 10 November 2011) was a New Zealand plant physiologist and science administrator. Biography Born in Athlone, Ireland in 1920, Bollard moved to New Zealand as a child with his family. He was dux at Mt ...

, plant physiologist, science administrator (born 1920) * 12 November – Gavin Bornholdt, Olympic sailor (

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 ...

) (born 1947) * 16 November ** Bob Bell, politician (born 1929) ** Lance Payne, cyclist (born 1933) * 17 November **

Peter Gwynne Peter Gwynne (1929 – 17 November 2011) was a New Zealand-born Australian television actor who was also known for voice-over work. Career Born in New Zealand, Gwynne was a well-recognised character actor, appearing in many of the significant ...

, actor (born 1929) ** Maurice Crow, weightlifter (born 1925) * 19 November **

David Bolstad David Kelvin Bolstad (12 May 1969 – 19 November 2011) was a New Zealand representative woodchopper. He was Stihl Timbersports Series champion five times between 2001 and 2008. His father Sonny Bolstad was also a New Zealand representative a ...

, woodchopper (born 1969) ** Russell Garcia, composer (born 1916)

December

* 4 December –

Alamein Kopu Manu Alamein Kopu (1943 – 4 December 2011) was a New Zealand politician. Biography Early life and career Kopu was raised in Ōpōtiki, Kopu was the seventh in a family of twenty children. Her family was not wealthy, and Kopu characteris ...

, politician, former MP (1996–99) (born 1943) * 7 December ** Shona Bell, palaeontologist (born 1924) **

Betty Flint Elizabeth Alice Flint (26 May 1909 – 7 December 2011) was a New Zealand botanist who specialised in freshwater algae. She co-authored the three-volume series ''Flora of New Zealand Desmids'' in the 1980s and 1990s. Early life and education B ...

, botanist (born 1909) * 11 December – Phillip Cottrell, journalist (born 1968) * 15 December ** Jason Richards, motor racing driver (born 1976) **

Carmen Rupe Carmen Rupe (10 October 1936 – 14 December 2011), was a New Zealand drag performer, brothel keeper, anti-discrimination activist, would-be politician and HIV/AIDS activist. Carmen Rupe was New Zealand's first drag queen to reach celebrity st ...

, transsexual entertainer (born 1936) * 16 December – Pae Ruha, Māori leader (born 1931) * 24 December – Tom Logan, water polo player, swimmer, dentist, naval officer (born 1927) * 28 December –

Volksraad The Volksraad was a people's assembly or legislature in Dutch or Afrikaans speaking government. Assembly South Africa *Volksraad (South African Republic) (1840–1902) *Volksraad (Natalia Republic), a similar assembly that existed in the Natalia Re ...

, Thoroughbred sire (foaled 1988) * 30 December – John Hewitt, local-body politician (born )

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:2011 in New Zealand Years of the 21st century in New Zealand 2010s in New Zealand