1915 in New Zealand

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – George V
• Governor – Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool File:George V - BANQ.png|George V File:2ndEarlOfLiverpool.jpg|Lord Liverpool

Government

The 19th New Zealand Parliament commenced, initially with the Reform Party in power, but in August a wartime coalition government was formed, with Liberal party leader Joseph Ward becoming finance minister.

• Speaker of the House – Frederic Lang (Reform Party)
• Prime Minister – William Massey (Reform Party)
• Minister of Finance – James Allen until 12 August, then Joseph Ward File:Frederic Lang.jpg|Frederic Lang File:William Ferguson Massey 1919.jpg|William Massey File:James Allen portrait.jpg|James Allen File:Joseph George Ward.jpg|Joseph Ward

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Joseph Ward (Liberal Party). Ward retained the title even though he became part of the coalition government. File:Joseph Ward c. 1906.jpg|Joseph Ward

Judiciary

• Chief Justice – Sir Robert Stout File:Robert Stout, ca 1919.jpg|Robert Stout

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – James Parr then James Gunson
• Mayor of Wellington – John Luke
• Mayor of Christchurch – Henry Holland
• Mayor of Dunedin – John Shacklock then James Clark File:James Parr.jpg|James Parr File:James Gunson 1920 (cropped).jpg|James Gunson File:John Luke.jpg|John Luke File:Henry Holland, ca 1929.jpg|Henry Holland File:John Bradley Shacklock (cropped).jpg|John Shacklock File:James John Clark.jpg|James Clark

Events

• 1 January – First flight of the Walsh Brothers' Curtiss-type flying boat. The flight takes place at Bastion Point and it is the first such aircraft built and flown in the Southern Hemisphere.
• 14 February – The first contingent of 500 Māori soldiers sails for Egypt aboard SS Warrimoo. Earlier policy had been against 'native peoples' fighting in a European war.
• 25 April – New Zealand troops participate in the landings at Gallipoli.
• 23 October – Sinking of SS Marquette with 32 New Zealand deaths; mainly nurses and medical staff
• October – The New Zealand Flying School is started by the Walsh Brothers at Ōrākei. Its primary purpose is to train pilots for the Royal Flying Corps.
• November – The New Zealand Flying School moves to Kohimarama.
• 20 December – The last New Zealand troops are evacuated from Gallipoli.

;Undated

• The Waikato Argus, established in 1896, merges into the Waikato Times.

Arts and literature

See 1915 in art, 1915 in literature, :Category:1915 books

Music

See: 1915 in music

Film

See: :Category:1915 film awards, 1915 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :Category:1915 films

Sport

Chess

• The 28th New Zealand Chess Championship is held in Christchurch, and is won by Fedor Kelling of Wellington, his second title.

Golf

• The New Zealand Open championship and National Amateur Championships are not held due to the war.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Country Belle
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Cathedral Chimes

Thoroughbred racing

• New Zealand Cup – Tangihou
• Auckland Cup – Balboa
• Wellington Cup – Pavlova
• New Zealand Derby – Desert Gold

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Auckland.

• Men's singles champion – M. Walker (Ponsonby Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – G.A. Blackwood, A. Smellie (skip) (Green Island Bowling Club)
• Men's fours champions – N.H. Nash, S. Dixon, F.J. Tasker, J.A. Nash (skip) (Palmerston North Bowling Club)

Rugby union

• The Ranfurly Shield (held by Wellington) is not contested as interprovincial matches are cancelled due to the war.

Soccer

• Provincial league champions:
  • Auckland – Brotherhood
  • Canterbury – Christchurch Club
  • Hawke's Bay – Waipukurau
  • Otago – HSOB
  • Southland – No competition
  • Wanganui – No competition
  • Wellington – Wellington Thistle

Births

January–March

• 3 January – Robert Hurst, nuclear chemist
• 7 January – Mary Martin, netball player
• 22 January
  • Tom Burtt, cricketer and field hockey player
  • Mona Leydon, swimmer
• 13 February – Raniera Ellison, fishing company manager
• 15 February – Jimmy James, dancer, dance teacher and cabaret proprietor
• 22 February
  • James Pirret, lawn bowler
  • John Scandrett, cricketer
• 2 March – Bill Crawford-Crompton, air force pilot and commander
• 5 March – Hardy Browning, potter, local politician
• 11 March – Amelia Batistich, writer
• 22 March – Fen Cresswell, cricketer
• 23 March – Cecil Devine, Standardbred racehorse driver
• 28 March – Ray Emery, cricketer

April–June

• 3 April – Philip Blakeley, electrical engineer and engineering administrator
• 14 April – Leonard Trent, air force pilot, Victoria Cross recipient
• 22 April – Geoff Moon, naturalist, photographer and veterinarian
• 30 April – Helen Mason, potter
• 5 May – Snow Bowman, rugby union player
• 19 May – Wal Chisholm, athletics coach
• 25 May – James Austin, meteorology academic
• 26 May – Terence Vaughan, pianist, conductor, composer and performing arts administrator
• 27 May – Alan McKenzie, disabled artist, entertainer
• 2 June – Jim Newhook, veterinary science academic
• 3 June – Jack Lewin, public servant and unionist
• 4 June – Walter Hadlee, cricketer and cricket administrator
• 10 June – Inia Te Wiata, opera singer, actor, carver and artist
• 27 June – Graham Botting, cricketer
• 30 June – Gordon Rowe, cricketer and cricket umpire

July–September

• 10 July – Jack Parker, boxer
• 29 July – Tristan Hegglun, rower, rugby union player, politician
• 31 July – Theo Schoon, artist, photographer and carver
• 3 August – Harold Tyrie, athlete and athletics coach
• 8 August – John Kennedy-Good, politician and dentist
• 11 August – Jack Skinner, association football player
• 18 August – Fred Lucas, air force and commercial pilot, tourism operator
• 21 August – Lena Manuel, community leader
• 1 September – Allan Dick, politician
• 4 September – Ethel Divers, netball player
• 5 September – Peter Tait, politician
• 15 September – Jimmy Ell, cricketer
• 19 September – Ron Moore, soldier
• 23 September – Has Catley, rugby union player

October–December

• 1 October – Jim Davidson, historian
• 9 October – John Rodgers, Roman Catholic bishop
• 22 October – Pat Twohill, actor and radio announcer
• 26 October – Sydney Goodsir Smith, poet, artist, dramatist and novelist
• 31 October – Muriel Boswell, netball player
• 1 November – Harry Lapwood, soldier and politician
• 2 November – Douglas Lilburn, composer
• 5 November – Toby Hill, watersider and trade unionist
• 9 November – Florence Humphries, trade unionist and consumer advocate
• 10 November – Duncan MacIntyre, soldier and politician
• 11 November – Ben Gascoigne, astronomer
• 14 November – David Thomson, soldier and politician
• 30 November – Peter Hanan, swimmer
• 6 December – Alan Sayers, athlete, journalist and writer
• 10 December – Nicky Barr, rugby union player and World War II fighter ace
• 15 December – Joy Lamason, cricketer
• 17 December – Philip Adams, diplomat
• 22 December – Dorothy Neal White, librarian

Deaths

January–March

• 15 January – William Shepherd Allen, politician (born 1831)
• 26 January – Frank Lethbridge, politician (born 1852)
• 25 February – Ann Alabaster, schoolteacher (born 1842)
• 26 February – Edward Richardson, engineer, politician (born 1830)
• 1 March – Francis Arkwright, politician (born 1846)
• 13 March – George Parker, politician (born 1839)
• 15 March – John Grimes, Roman Catholic bishop (born 1842)
• 23 March – John Bollard, politician (born 1839)
• 31 March – Allan Marshall, river captain and engineer (born 1851)

April–June

• 6 April – Felix McGuire, politician (born 1847)
• 18 April – Francis St Omer, baker, restaurateur, politician (born 1827)
• 25 April
  • George Chamier, novelist (born 1842)
  • Nat Williams, cricketer (born 1878)
• 27 April – William Rhodes-Moorhouse, pilot, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1887)
• 7 May – James Livingston, soldier, community leader (born 1840)
• 8 May – Charles Savory, rugby league player, boxer (born 1889)
• 9 May – Anthony Wilding, tennis player (born 1883)
• 17 May – Alexander McNeill, politician (born 1833)
• 21 May – William Henry Skinner, architect (born 1838)
• 2 June – Te Hapimana Tauke, Ngāti Ruanui leader, mission teacher, historian (born 1810)
• 6 June – Edward Cephas John Stevens, land agent, cricketer, politician (born 1837)
• 11 June – James Williams, runholder, orchardist (born 1837)

July–September

• 15 July – Wiremu Kerei Nikora, politician (born 1853)
• 30 July – William Burn, military pilot (born 1891)
• 8 August – William Malone, soldier (born 1859)
• 9 August – Norman Hastings, soldier (born 1879)
• 11 August – Alfred Shout, soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1882)
• 20 August – George Beetham, politician, alpinist (born 1840)
• 2 September – Richard Twopeny, journalist, newspaper editor (born 1857)
• 11 September – John McLachlan, politician (born 1840)
• 25 September – Hugh Butterworth, cricketer, schoolteacher (born 1885)

October–December

• 8 October – Thomas Cawthron, businessman, philanthropist (born 1833)
• 14 October – John Duthie, politician, mayor of Wellington (1889–90) (born 1841)
• 15 October – John A. Millar, politician (born 1855)
• 27 October – Leonard Harper, politician (born 1832)
• 29 October – Mrs Chippy, cat
• 3 November – Thomas Kempthorne, manufacturing chemist, philanthropist (born 1834)
• 12 November – James Ogilvie-Grant, 11th Earl of Seafield, nobleman (born 1876)
• 13 November – Alfred Dillon, politician (born 1841)
• 9 December – Wi Pere, politician (born 1837)
• 13 December – David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow, Governor of New Zealand (1892–97) (born 1833)
• 15 December – William Crawford, brewer, politician, photographer (born 1844)
• 18 December – Matilda Lo Keong, storekeeper, first known Chinese female immigrant to New Zealand (born 1855)
• 22 December – Sir Joshua Williams, politician, jurist (born 1837)
• 27 December – Charles Christie Graham, politician (born 1835)
• 29 December – Frank Buckland, politician (born 1847)

References

References

1. Statistics New Zealand: ''New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990''. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
2. "Elections NZ – Leaders of the Opposition".
3. Rendel, David (1975) ''Civil Aviation in New Zealand: An Illustrated History''. Wellington. A.H. & A.W.Reed. {{ISBN. 0-589-00905-2
4. "Te Ara: Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966 – Leo and Vivian Walsh".
5. [http://www.auckland-airport.co.nz/NewsHistory/aviators.php?walsh Auckland Airport: New Zealand Aviators – The Walsh Brothers Flying School]
6. link. (10 June 2011)
7. "Waikato Times". [[National Library of New Zealand]].
8. [http://www.poisonpawn.co.nz/nzcftitles.htm List of New Zealand Chess Champions] {{webarchive. link. (14 October 2008)
9. (2005). "PGA European – Holden New Zealand Open". The Sports Network.
10. "List of NZ Trotting cup winners".
11. [http://www.hrnz.co.nz/data/major_races/major_race2.htm Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz] {{webarchive. link. (17 June 2009)
12. (1982). "The Air New Zealand Almanac". Moa Almanac Press.
13. (1966). "An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand". Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
14. (1999). "New Zealand: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.