1915 in New Zealand

List of events

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1915
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Decades:

1890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Head of State – George V
Governor – Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool^[1]

George V
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

Frederic Lang
William Massey
James Allen
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.^[2]

Joseph Ward

Judiciary

Chief Justice – Sir Robert Stout

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

James Parr
James Gunson
John Luke
Henry Holland
John Shacklock
James Clark

Events

1 January – First flight of the Walsh Brothers' Curtiss-type flying boat.^[3]^[4] The flight takes place at Bastion Point and it is the first such aircraft built and flown in the Southern Hemisphere.^[5]
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.^[6]
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.^[3]^[5]
November – The New Zealand Flying School moves to Kohimarama.^[3]
20 December – The last New Zealand troops are evacuated from Gallipoli.

Undated

The Waikato Argus, established in 1896, merges into the Waikato Times.^[7]

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.^[8]

Golf

The New Zealand Open championship and National Amateur Championships are not held due to the war.^[9]

Horse racing

Harness racing

New Zealand Trotting Cup – Country Belle^[10]
Auckland Trotting Cup – Cathedral Chimes^[11]

Thoroughbred racing

New Zealand Cup – Tangihou^[12]
Auckland Cup – Balboa^[12]
Wellington Cup – Pavlova^[12]
New Zealand Derby – Desert Gold^[12]

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Auckland.^[13]

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:^[14]
- 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 c.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 c.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 c.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 c.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 c.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

^ Statistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
^ "Elections NZ – Leaders of the Opposition". Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Rendel, David (1975) Civil Aviation in New Zealand: An Illustrated History. Wellington. A.H. & A.W.Reed. ISBN 0-589-00905-2
^ "Te Ara: Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966 – Leo and Vivian Walsh". Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
^ ^a ^b Auckland Airport: New Zealand Aviators – The Walsh Brothers Flying School
^ nzhistory.net.nz Archived 10 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Waikato Times". National Library of New Zealand.
^ List of New Zealand Chess Champions Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^ "PGA European – Holden New Zealand Open". The Sports Network. 2005. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
^ "List of NZ Trotting cup winners". Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
^ Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz Archived 17 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Lambert, Max; Palenski, Ron, eds. (1982). The Air New Zealand Almanac. Moa Almanac Press. pp. 448–454. ISBN 0-908570-55-4.
^ 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.
^ "New Zealand: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 1999.

External links

Media related to 1915 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons

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