1903 in New Zealand

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Edward VII
• Governor – The Earl of Ranfurly GCMG

Government

The 15th New Zealand Parliament continued. In government was the Liberal Party.

• Speaker of the House – Arthur Guinness (Liberal)
• Prime Minister – Richard Seddon
• Minister of Finance – Richard Seddon
• Chief Justice – Sir Robert Stout

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Vacant until 11 September, then William Massey, (Independent).

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Alfred Kidd then Edwin Mitchelson
• Mayor of Wellington – John Aitken
• Mayor of Christchurch – Henry Wigram
• Mayor of Dunedin – James Park then Thomas Scott

Events

January

February

March

April

June

July

August

September

26 September – New Zealand is the first country in the world to pass a Wireless Telegraphy Act.

October

November

December

Arts and literature

See 1903 in art, 1903 in literature

Music

See: 1903 in music

Film

• A Message from Mars

Sport

Boxing

The Bantamweight division is included in the national championships for the first time.

National amateur champions

• Heavyweight – H. Taylor (Greymouth)
• Middleweight – J. Griffin (Invercargill)
• Lightweight – A. Farquharson (Dunedin)
• Featherweight – A. Parker (Christchurch)
• Bantamweight – J. Pearce (Christchurch)

Chess

National Champion: J.C. Grierson of Auckland.

Golf

The 11th National Amateur Championships were held in Napier

• Men: Kurepo Tareha (Napier)
• Women: A. E Pearce

Horse racing

Harness racing

• Auckland Trotting Cup: Plain G

Rugby union

• 1903 New Zealand rugby union tour of Australia

Soccer

Provincial league champions:

• Auckland: YMCA Auckland
• Otago: Northern
• Wellington: Wellington St. John's

Births

• 30 January: Colin Scrimgeour, minister and broadcaster.
• 6 February: Jack Dunning, cricketer
• 21 February: P. H. Matthews, politician
• 11 March: George Dickinson, cricketer
• 11 March: Ronald Syme, historian
• 21 March: Frank Sargeson, writer
• 28 March: Merton Hodge, west-end playwright
• 23 April: John Stewart, politician.
• 10 June: Count Geoffrey Potocki de Montalk, poet.
• 6 July: Edward Musgrave Blaiklock, academic.
• 4 August: Charles Bateson, historian and writer
• 2 November: Anna Lois White, painter
• 15 November: Stewie Dempster, cricketer

Deaths

• 7 March: John Studholme, politician and farmer (born 1829).
• 23 April: William Travers, politician (born 1819).
• 11 June: Thomas Mason, horticulturist and politician.
• 7 July: Agnes Harrold, hotel manager, foster parent, nurse and midwife
• 30 August: Joe Warbrick, rugby player (born 1862).

References

References

1. Statistics New Zealand: ''New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990''. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
2. "Elections NZ – Leaders of the Opposition".
3. [http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/Page____10912.aspx Ministry of EconomicDevelopment: Celebrating 100 Years of Wireless]
4. [http://www.poisonpawn.co.nz/nzcftitles.htm List of New Zealand Chess Champions] {{webarchive. link. (14 October 2008)
5. (1966). "Men's Golf – National Champions". Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
6. [http://www.hrnz.co.nz/data/major_races/major_race2.htm Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz] {{webarchive. link. (17 June 2009)
7. (1999). "New Zealand: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
8. {{DNZB. Davidson. Allan K.. 4S16. Scrimgeour, Colin Graham. 29 June 2011
9. Barlow, Maida. "Agnes Harrold".