1841 in New Zealand

← 1840 1839 1838 1841 in New Zealand → 1842 1843 1844
Decades:	1820s 1830s 1840s 1850s 1860s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

The following lists events that happened during 1841 in New Zealand.

Population

The estimated population of New Zealand at the end of 1841 is 78,400 Māori and 5000 non-Māori. ^[1]

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Queen Victoria
• Governor of New South Wales – Sir George Gipps (overall responsibility for New Zealand until 3 May)
• Governor – Captain William Hobson (Lieutenant- Governor until 3 May then Governor)

Government and law

• Chief Justice – William Martin is appointed the first Chief Justice of New Zealand on 5 February, but does not arrive in New Zealand until August.

Events

• 31 March: The William Bryan arrives at Taranaki from Plymouth, bearing 148 settlers to found New Plymouth. ^[2]
• March: Captain Rhodes builds the first wharf in Wellington, in front of his store on the Wellington waterfront. ^{[3] [4] [5]}
• 3 May: In anticipation of the Great Charter coming into force, William Hobson is sworn in as Governor of New Zealand.
• 1 July: The Colony of New Zealand comes into existence, a separate Crown colony from New South Wales.
• 10 July: The New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette begins publication. The newspaper lasts less than a year. ^[6]
• 27 September: Foundation of a school for Catholic boys, the first school in Auckland. ^{[7] [8] [9]}
• 29 October: the settler ship Brilliant arrives at Cornwallis, New Zealand from the British Isles— however, the passengers find bare land at the promised location of the settlement. ^{[10] [11]}
• 8 November: The Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist begins publishing. It continues with some gaps until 1845. ^[12]

Undated

• The Capital of New Zealand is moved from Okiato (Old Russell) to Auckland.
• The first recorded mining in New Zealand, as outcrops of manganese are mined on the coast of Kawau Island. ^[13]
• George Selwyn is created the first Anglican Bishop of New Zealand.

Sport

Horse racing

• January: A hurdle race is run in January at Te Aro Pā, Wellington. ^[14]

Unknown date

• The Auckland Town Plate is contested at Epsom Downs. ^[14] A committee of army officers and townspeople forms to control racing in Auckland (Epsom). ^[14] (see also 1849).

Yachting

• January: The first sailing regatta in the country is held as part of Anniversary celebrations in Wellington. ^[14]

Births

• 20 January (in England): William Steward, politician ^[15]
• 28 February: John Duthie, politician and Mayor of Wellington
• 9 March (in Switzerland): Henry Suter, zoologist

Unknown date

• James McGowan, politician

Deaths

• 23 November: William Cornwallis Symonds, prominent early colonist

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

1. Statistics New Zealand has collated estimates from a number of sources (interpolating where necessary) at "Long-term data series". Archived from the original on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008., in particular "A1.1 Total population.xls". Archived from the original (Excel) on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
2. "Plymouths around the world". Plymouth City Council. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2008.
3. New Zealand Electronic Text Centre: The Exchange
4. New Zealand Electronic Text Centre: Early Wellington
5. Patterson, Brad. "Rhodes, William Barnard". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 20 January 2016.
6. "Chapter 2: Early Statistical Sources – 19th Century" (PDF). Statistical publications 1840–2000. Statistics New Zealand. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2007.
7. A. G Butchers, Young New Zealand, Coulls Somerville Wilkie Ltd, Dunedin, 1929, pp. 124 – 126.
8. "Auckland's First Catholic School – And its Latest", Zealandia, Thursday, 26 January 1939, p. 5
9. E.R. Simmons, In Cruce Salus, A History of the Diocese of Auckland 1848 – 1980, Catholic Publication Centre, Auckland 1982, pp. 53 and 54.
10. Redman, Julie (2007). "Auckland's first settlement at Cornwallis 1835-1860". New Zealand Legacy. 19 (2): 15–18.
11. "Manukau's Journey". Kura. Auckland Libraries. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
12. "Chapter 2: Early Statistical Sources – 19th Century" (PDF). Statistical Publications 1840–2000. Statistics New Zealand. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2007.
13. Dunmore, Patricia, ed. (1977). The Dunmore Book of New Zealand Records. p. 21. ISBN   0-908564-08-2.
14. Todd, S. (1976) Sporting Records of New Zealand. Auckland: Moa Publications. ISBN   0-908570-00-7
15. Biographies of former speakers – NZ Parliament