1926 in New Zealand

← 1925 1924 1923 1926 in New Zealand → 1927 1928 1929
Decades:	1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

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 visitors	3,333	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 Fergusson ^[1]

• 
  George V
• 
  Sir Charles Fergusson

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

• 
  Charles Statham
• 
  Gordon Coates
• 
  William Nosworthy
• 
  William Downie Stewart
• 
  Francis Bell

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – vacant until 26 June, then Harry Holland (Labour Party) ^[2]

• 
  Harry Holland

Judiciary

• Chief Justice – Sir Robert Stout, then Charles Skerrett from 1 February ^[3]

• 
  Robert Stout
• 
  Charles Skerrett

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – George Baildon
• Mayor of Wellington – Charles Norwood
• Mayor of Christchurch – John Archer
• Mayor of Dunedin – Harold Tapley

• 
  George Baildon
• 
  Charles Norwood
• 
  John Archer
• 
  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.
• 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 ^{[4] [5]}

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 title ^[6]

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: ^[7]
  • 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. ^[8]
• The 8th National Amateur Championships are held at Miramar (men) and Balmacewan (women) ^{[9] [10]}
  • Men – Arthur Duncan (Wellington) (his tenth title)
  • Women – Louisa Kerr (Timaru)

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Ahuriri (2nd win) ^[11]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Talaro ^[12]

Thoroughbred racing

• New Zealand Cup – Count Cavour ^[13]
• Avondale Gold Cup – Beacon Light ^[13]
• Auckland Cup – Tanadees ^[13]
• Wellington Cup – Enthusiasm ^[13]
• New Zealand Derby – Commendation ^[13]

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin. ^[14]

• 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 c.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 c.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 c.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

1. Statistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
2. "Elections NZ – Leaders of the Opposition". Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
3. "Personal". Stratford Evening Post. Vol. 58, no. 2. 1 February 1926. p. 4. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
4. Cockayne, Leonard (1926). "Monograph on New Zealand beech forests". N.Z. State Forest Serv. Bull (4).
5. "New Zealand plants – timeline – 1900 to 1949". University of Auckland, School of Biological Science. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
6. List of New Zealand Chess Champions Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
7. "New Zealand: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 1999.
8. "PGA European – Holden New Zealand Open". The Sports Network. 2005. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
9. McLintock, A. H., ed. (1966). "Men's Golf – National Champions". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
10. "Golf". Otago Witness. No. 3789. 26 October 1926. p. 51. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
11. "List of NZ Trotting cup winners". Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
12. Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz Archived 17 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
13. Lambert, Max; Palenski, Ron (1982). The New Zealand Almanac. Moa Almanac Press. pp. 448–454. ISBN   0-908570-55-4.
14. McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Bowls, men's outdoor—tournament winners". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 6 June 2018.

External links

Media related to 1926 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons