1894 in New Zealand explained

The following lists events that happened during 1894 in New Zealand.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Queen Victoria
• Governor – David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow

Government and law

The 12th New Zealand Parliament continues with the Liberal Party in power.

• Speaker of the House – Sir Maurice O'Rorke becomes Speaker for the second time, replacing William Steward
• Prime Minister – Richard Seddon
• Minister of Finance – Joseph Ward
• Chief Justice – Hon Sir James Prendergast

Parliamentary opposition

Leader of the Opposition – William Russell.^[1]

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – James Holland
• Mayor of Christchurch – Eden George followed by Thomas Gapes
• Mayor of Dunedin – Henry Fish
• Mayor of Wellington – Alfred Brandon

Events

• 30 October: Luxury steamer SS Wairarapa, carrying 230 passengers from Sydney bound for Auckland, is wrecked on Great Barrier Island with the loss of 135 lives.^[2]

Undated

• American balloonist Leila Adair tours New Zealand.^[3] She is possibly the first woman to fly in New Zealand.
• New Zealand enacts the world's first national minimum wage law, by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.

Arts and literature

Music

Sport

Leonard Cuff is appointed a Founding Member of the International Olympic Committee. He remains the member for both New Zealand and Australia until 1905.

Athletics

National Champions, Men

• 100 yards – Jack Hempton (Wellington)
• 250 yards – H. Reeves (Canterbury)
• 440 yards – W. Low (Otago)
• 880 yards – W. Low (Otago)
• 1 mile – C. Morpeth (Otago)
• 3 miles – C. Morpeth (Otago)
• 120 yards hurdles – Harold Batger (Wellington)
• 440 yards hurdles – Harold Batger (Wellington)
• Long jump – Wallingford Mendelson (South Canterbury)
• High jump – H. Bailey (Wellington)
• Pole vault –H. Kingsley (Wanganui)
• Shot put – O. McCormack (Wellington)
• Hammer throw – O. McCormack (Wellington)

Chess

National Champion: J. Edwards, of Wellington.^[4]

Golf

• The 2nd National Amateur Championships were held in Christchurch^[5]
  • Men: H. Macneil (Otago)
  • Women : Mrs C. Wilder

Horse racing

Harness racing

• Auckland Trotting Cup (over 3 miles) is won by Tom Hicks^[6]

Thoroughbred racing

• New Zealand Cup – Impulse
• New Zealand Derby – Blue Fire
• Auckland Cup – Lottie
• Wellington Cup – Vogengang

Season leaders (1893/94)

• Top New Zealand stakes earner – Blue Fire
• Leading flat jockey – J. Connop

Lawn Bowls

The pairs championship is held for the first time.National Champions^[7]

• Singles – T. Sneddon (Kaituna)
• Pairs – T. Sneddon and H. Reid (skip) (Kaituna)
• Fours – J. Davidson, A. Owen, J. Wedderspoon and J. Evans (skip) (Caledonian)

Polo

• Savile Cup winners – Rangitikei

Rowing

National Champions (Men)

• Single sculls – M. Keefe (Auckland)
• Double sculls – Union, Christchurch
• Coxless pairs – Union, Christchurch
• Coxed fours – Lyttelton

Rugby union

Provincial club rugby champions include:

See also: Rugby union in New Zealand.

Shooting

Ballinger Belt – Captain E. Smith (Dunedin City Guards)

Soccer

Provincial Champions:^[8]

• Auckland: Alliance United
• Wellington: Wellington Rovers
• Otago: Roslyn Dunedin

Swimming

National Champions (Men)

• 100 yards freestyle – T. Needham (New South Wales, Australia)
• 220 yards freestyle – W. Gormley (New South Wales, Australia)
• 440 yards freestyle – W. Gormley (New South Wales, Australia)
• 880 yards freestyle – W. Gormley (New South Wales, Australia)

Tennis

National championships

• Men's singles – M. Fenwicke
• Women's singles – M. Spiers
• Men's doubles – J. Marshall and P. Marshall
• Women's doubles – P. Chapman and M. Nicholson

Births

• 2 February – Rongowhakaata Pere Halbert, Māori leader, historian, interpreter, genealogist
• 24 February – Victor Spencer, soldier executed in World War I, pardoned in 2000
• 1 June – Paraire Karaka Paikea, politician
• 14 July: – Paddy Kearins, politician.
• 21 July – Toko Rātana, Rātana church leader and politician
• 13 August: – Fintan Patrick Walsh, trade unionist.
• 10 November: – Andrew Davidson, educationalist

Deaths

• 5 June: Vincent Pyke, politician
• 16 September: Robert Hart, politician.

See also

• History of New Zealand
• List of years in New Zealand
• Military history of New Zealand
• Timeline of New Zealand history
• Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica
• Timeline of the New Zealand environment

References

General

• Romanos, J. (2001) New Zealand Sporting Records and Lists. Auckland: Hodder Moa Beckett.

Specific

Notes and References

1. Web site: Elections NZ – Leaders of the Opposition. 6 April 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081017200326/http://www1.elections.org.nz/democracy/leaders-opposition.html. 17 October 2008. dead.
2. Web site: SS Wairarapa . 13 November 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20021029191412/http://www.sacollectables.com/cmha/volume3/pages/wairarapa.htm . 29 October 2002 . dead .
3. http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/RecreationSeaAndSky/AerialRecreation/1/en Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand: Ballooning
4. http://www.poisonpawn.co.nz/nzcftitles.htm List of New Zealand Chess Champions
5. Web site: Men's Golf – National Champions. An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. McLintock. A. H.. Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 1966. 13 February 2009.
6. http://www.hrnz.co.nz/data/major_races/major_race2.htm Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz
7. As the New Zealand Bowling Association at this time consists entirely of South Island clubs, the first truly "national" championships are not deemed to have begun until 1914.
8. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nzchamp.html New Zealand – List of Champions