1859 in New Zealand explained

The following lists events that happened during 1859 in New Zealand.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State — Queen Victoria
• Governor — Colonel Thomas Gore Browne

Government and law

The 2nd Parliament continues.

• Speaker of the House — Sir Charles Clifford
• Premier — Edward Stafford.
• Minister of Finance — William Richmond is briefly replaced by Henry Sewell between 25 February and 26 April.
• Chief Justice — Hon George Arney

Events

• 10 January: Pencarrow Head Lighthouse becomes the first permanent lighthouse in New Zealand. Its first keeper is Mary Jane Bennett, the only woman to hold the position.^[1]
• 13 April: The New Zealand Advertiser starts publishing in Wellington. In 1867 it is incorporated into the New Zealand Times, but it is restored for six months in 1868.^[2]
• 3 October: The Auckland Independent begins publishing. It barely survives into the following year.^[3]

Undated

The first wharf is built at Onehunga.^[4]

Births

• 1 January (in England): John Dumbell, rugby union player.
• 18 November (in Scotland): James Nairn, painter

Unknown date

• Thomas Field, politician.
• Charles E. Major, politician.

Deaths

• 7 April – John Gray, soldier, politician (born 1801)
• 20 April – James Kelly, Australian explorer who was involved in a feud on Otago Peninsula (born 1791)
• 30 April – Henry Despard, soldier (born 1784)
• 20 July – Alexander Shepherd, public servant and second Colonial Treasurer (born 1797)

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Mary Bennett. 24 April 2011.
2. Web site: Chapter 2: Early Statistical Sources – 19th Century. Statistical publications 1840–2000. 13. PDF. Statistics New Zealand. https://web.archive.org/web/20071125112530/http://www.stats.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/9E78F21A-EF20-4C82-934B-1587FC7489CC/0/StatPubschapter2.pdf. 25 November 2007.
3. Web site: Chapter 2: Early Statistical Sources – 19th Century. PDF. 11. Statistical Publications 1840–2000. Statistics New Zealand. https://web.archive.org/web/20071125112530/http://www.stats.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/9E78F21A-EF20-4C82-934B-1587FC7489CC/0/StatPubschapter2.pdf. 25 November 2007.
4. Web site: Onehunga Dateline . 11 June 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080720152955/http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/r-c/chrono2.html . 20 July 2008 . dead .