The following lists events that happened during 1926 in New Zealand.
Population The 1926 New Zealand census is held on 20 April.
Male Female Total Usually resident population 716,310(51%) 687,330(49%) 1,403,640 Overseas visitors3,333 1,167 4,500 Total 719,643 688,497 1,408,140
Incumbents
Regal and viceregal Head of State – George V Governor-General – Sir Charles FergussonStatistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
Government The 22nd New Zealand Parliament continues with the Reform Party governing.
Speaker of the House – Charles Statham Prime Minister – Gordon Coates Minister of Finance – William Nosworthy until 24 May, then William Downie Stewart Minister of External Affairs – Francis Bell until 18 January, then from 24 May William Nosworthy
Parliamentary opposition Leader of the Opposition – vacant until 26 June, then Harry Holland (Labour Party)
Judiciary Chief Justice – Sir Robert Stout, then Charles Skerrett from 1 February
Main centre leaders Mayor of Auckland – George Baildon Mayor of Wellington – Charles Norwood Mayor of Christchurch – John Archer Mayor of Dunedin – Harold Tapley
Events 15 April – The Eden by-election is won by Rex Mason (Labour). As a result, Labour became the dominant party in opposition, with 12 seats compared to the Liberals' 11. 31 August – The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is established. 15 November – The Balfour Declaration asserts the right of New Zealand and other dominions to exist as independent countries 3 December – Nine miners die in an explosion in the Dobson coal mine near Brunner Undated Writer and adventurer Zane Grey first visits New Zealand, helping to popularise big-game fishing Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is established Pavlova reportedly created by a Wellington hotel chef in honour of the visit of Anna Pavlova Ash eruption of Red Crater, Mount Tongariro Leonard Cockayne publishes the first part of Monograph on New Zealand beech forests, which argues that the forests could be managed with a rotation of 80–120 years, but warns about overgrazing by deer
Arts and literature
See 1926 in art, 1926 in literature, :Category:1926 books
Music
See: 1926 in music
Radio
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand
Film
See: 1926 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :Category:1926 films
Sport
Chess The 35th National Chess Championship is held in Dunedin, and is won by S. Crakanthorp of Sydney, his second titleList of New Zealand Chess Champions
Cricket New Zealand, along with India and the West Indies, is admitted to the Imperial Cricket Conference, increasing the number of test playing nations to six
Football The Chatham Cup is won by Sunnyside (Christchurch) Provincial league champions: Auckland – Tramways Canterbury – Sunnyside Hawke's Bay – Whakatu Nelson – Athletic Otago – HSOB South Canterbury – Colmoco Southland – Ohai Taranaki – Auroa Waikato – Huntly Thistle Wanganui – Woollen Mills Wellington – Hospital
Golf The 16th New Zealand Open championship is won by Andrew Shaw after a playoff with Ernie Moss. The 8th National Amateur Championships are held at Miramar (men) and Balmacewan (women) Men – Arthur Duncan (Wellington) (his tenth title) Women – Louisa Kerr (Timaru)
Horse racing
Harness racing New Zealand Trotting Cup – Ahuriri (2nd win) Auckland Trotting Cup – TalaroAuckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz
Thoroughbred racing New Zealand Cup – Count Cavour Avondale Gold Cup – Beacon Light Auckland Cup – Tanadees Wellington Cup – Enthusiasm New Zealand Derby – Commendation
Lawn bowls The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin. Men's singles champion – W. Foster (Caledonian Bowling Club) Men's pair champions – W. R. Todd, E. Tamlyn (skip) (St Kilda Bowling Club) Men's fours champions – J. D. Best, H. G. Siedeberg, F. McCullough, E. Harraway (skip) (Dunedin Bowling Club)
Rugby league The New Zealand national rugby league team tours Britain, losing all three tests against Great Britain and one test against Wales The NZRFU takes legal action to prevent the NZRL from using the name "All Blacks" for the national rugby league team
Rugby union 1926 New Zealand rugby union tour of New South Wales 1926–27 New Zealand Māori rugby union tour Ranfurly Shield – held by Hawkes Bay for the full season
Births
January 3 January Marie Clay, literacy researcher David Spence, mathematician 6 January – Pat Vincent, rugby union player, coach and administrator 10 January – Jim Eyles, archaeologist 11 January – Mary Rouse, cricketer 19 January – Peter Cape, musician 20 January – Tui Uru, broadcaster, singer 29 January – Dennis McEldowney, writer, publisher
February 3 February – Guy Ngan, artist 7 February – Graham Latimer, Māori leader 13 February – Lloyd Berrell, actor 14 February – Sheila Natusch, naturalist, writer, illustrator 20 February – Ted Meuli, cricketer 26 February – Edwin Norton, weightlifter
March 5 March – Joan Mattingley, clinical chemist 13 March – June Litman, journalist 19 March – Noel Bowden, rugby union player 22 March – Helen Young, radio manager, arts advocate 24 March Betty Clegg, watercolour artist Rowena Jackson, ballet dancer 27 March – Harry Tapping, cricketer
April 2 April – Maurie Gordon, sport shooter 6 April – Don Bacon, microbiologist 11 April – Vivienne Boyd, community leader 12 April – Hoani Waititi, Māori community leader 14 April – Barbara Anderson, writer 18 April – Peter Henderson, rugby union and rugby league player, sprinter 22 April – Arthur Eustace, track and field athlete, coach and administrator
May 6 May – Colin Webster-Watson, sculptor, poet 9 May – Robin Cooke, jurist 15 May – Lyall Barry, swimmer, schoolteacher, local historian 19 May – Nancy Adams, botanist, botanical artist, museum curator 23 May – John Hollywood, cricketer 27 May – Gordon Leggat, cricket player and administrator
June 7 June – John Kennedy, Roman Catholic journalist 11 June – Louise Sutherland, cyclist 17 June – Don Rowlands, rower, rowing administrator, businessman 18 June – Joe Walding, politician, diplomat 19 June Rod Coleman, motorcycle racer Barrie Hutchinson, water polo player, rugby union player and administrator, politician 23 June – Jim Barnden, boxer 24 June – Graham Liggins, medical scientist 25 June – June Schoch, athlete 29 June – James K. Baxter, poet
July 4 July – Arnold Heine, Antarctic scientist, tramper, conservationist 5 July – Trevor Davey, politician 14 July – Patricia Woodroffe, fencer 18 July – Bernard Diederich, writer, journalist, historian 22 July – Ron Russell, politician 23 July – Tom O'Donnell, medical practitioner and academic 31 July – Don Donnithorne, architect
August 10 August – Edwin Carr, composer 17 August – Solomon Faine, microbiologist
September 10 September – Jack Somerville, lawn bowls player 11 September – Joe Schneider, rower 17 September – Bert Lunn, rugby union player 22 September – Denzil Meuli, writer, newspaper editor, Roman Catholic priest 29 September – Vivienne Cassie Cooper, planktologist, botanist
October 4 October – Phar Lap, Thoroughbred racehorse 10 October – Noeleen Scott, lawn bowls player 13 October George Gair, politician, diplomat Bill James, rower 16 October – Peter Arnold, cricket player and administrator 26 October – John Myles, athlete 28 October Doug Anderson, rugby league player Merv Norrish, diplomat, public servant 30 October – Nan Kinross, nurse and nursing academic 31 October – Stanley Dallas, recording engineer, radio technician
November 3 November – Edward Gaines, Roman Catholic bishop 7 November – Graeme Allwright, singer-songwriter 14 November – Fritz Eisenhofer, architect 20 November – Tom Newnham, political activist
December 1 December – Barry Dallas, politician 5 December – Derek Turnbull, athlete 7 December – Jack Kelly, rugby union player, schoolteacher 12 December Maida Bryant, politician, community leader Laurie Davidson, yacht designer 13 December – Dave Batten, athlete 14 December – Alan Rowe, actor 15 December – Ron Bailey, politician 18 December – Jock Aird, association footballer 20 December – John Holland, athlete 21 December – Alan Hellaby, businessman 23 December – Peter Iles, cricketer 24 December – Jimmy Edwards, rugby league player 25 December – Colin Chambers, swimmer 30 December – Richard Farrell, pianist 31 December – Pauline Yearbury, artist
Exact date unknown George Johnson, artist Maurice K. Smith, architect, architectural academic
Deaths
January–March 19 January – Helen Stace, school matron (born 1850) 8 February – John Graham, politician (born 1843) 14 February – Ellen Hewett, writer (born 1843) 27 February – James Palmer Campbell, politician (born 1855) 1 March – John Barton Roy, politician (born 1854) 13 March – Mere Rikiriki, Māori prophet (born 1855) 15 March – Charles Blomfield, artist (born 1848) 22 March – Louisa Baker, journalist, novelist (born 1856)
April–June 14 April – Hans Madsen Ries, Lutheran pastor, politician (born 1860) 17 April – Andrew Graham, politician (born 1843) 26 April – Bobby Leach, thrillseeker (born 1858) 1 May William Geddis, journalist, politician (born 1860) Isabella May, temperance worker, suffragist, dress reformer (born 1850) 24 May – William Morley, Methodist minister, historian (born 1842) 28 May – Frederick Liggins, cricketer (born 1873) 5 June – Elizabeth Gard'ner, home science teacher and administrator, writer (born 1858) 8 June – David Goldie, politician, mayor of Auckland (1898–1901) (born 1842) 13 June – Gottfried Lindauer, painter (born 1839) 15 June – William Belcher, trade union leader (born 1860) 24 June – G. P. Nerli, painter (born 1860)
July–September 18 July – Archibald Cargill, cricketer (born 1853) 1 August – Sophia Anstice, dressmaker, draper, businesswoman (born 1849) 13 August – Te Mete Raukawa, Ngāti Ranginui leader, assessor (born 1836) 18 August – Grace Neill, nurse, social reformer (born 1846) 3 September – John McCombie, gold prospector, mine manager (born 1849) 8 September – Hugh Lusk, politician (born 1837)
October–December 1 October – Suzanne Aubert (Sister Mary Joseph), missionary nun (born 1835) 9 October – Sir Arthur Myers, politician, mayor of Auckland (1905–09) (born 1868) 18 October – Sir James Carroll, politician (born 1857) 26 October – Frederick Pirani, politician (born 1858) 7 November – Henry Baker, cricketer (born 1904) 7 December – Charles Purnell, journalist, newspaper editor, writer (born 1843) 12 December – Jane Preshaw, nurse, midwife, hospital matron (born 1839) 22 December – Mina Arndt, painter (born 1885) 23 December – Joseph Frear, builder (born 1846) 28 December – Robert William Felkin, medical missionary, explorer, ceremonial magician (born 1853)
See also List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history History of New Zealand Military history of New Zealand Timeline of the New Zealand environment Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica
References
External links