1896 in New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following lists events that happened during 1896 in New Zealand.
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Incumbents
Regal and viceregal
Government and law
The Liberal Party is re-elected and begins the 13th New Zealand Parliament.
- Speaker of the House â Sir Maurice O'Rorke
- Prime Minister â Richard Seddon
- Minister of Finance â Joseph Ward resigns on 16 June and is replaced by Richard Seddon
- Chief Justice â Hon Sir James Prendergast
- The Female Law Practitioners Act was passed in 1896, and Ethel Benjamin who had graduated in law from the University of Otago in 1896 was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand in 1897.
Parliamentary opposition
Main centre leaders
- Mayor of Auckland â James Holland followed by Abraham Boardman
- Mayor of Christchurch â Walter Cooper followed by Harry Joseph Beswick
- Mayor of Dunedin â Nathaniel Wales followed by Hugh Gourley
- Mayor of Wellington â George Fisher
Events
- 26 March: Brunner Mine disaster; 65 miners killed in explosion[2]
- 13 April: National Council of Women of New Zealand is founded, with Kate Sheppard as its first president.[3]
- 30 September: The government increases the New Zealand head tax to £100 per head from £10, and tightens the other restriction to only one Chinese immigrant for every 200 tons of cargo from 100 tons.
- 13 October: First public screening of a motion picture in New Zealand, in Auckland.[4]
- 4 December: 1896 New Zealand general election.
- Undated
- Census measures national population as 743,214.
Arts and literature
Music
Media
- The Waikato Argus starts publication. The newspaper runs until 1915.[5]
- The Gisborne Times is founded.[6] It became a daily in 1901, and continued to publish until being bought out by The Poverty Bay Herald in 1938.[7]
- July: The Waikato Times and Waikato Advocate merge, and the former moves to daily publication.[8]
Sport
Athletics
National Champions, Men[9]
- 100 yards â E. Robinson (Canterbury)
- 250 yards â W. Kingston (Otago)
- 440 yards â W. Low (Otago)
- 880 yards â W. Low (Otago)
- 1 mile â W. Bennett (Otago)
- 3 miles â W. Bennett (Otago)
- 120 yards hurdles â W. Martin (Auckland)
- 440 yards hurdles â J. Thomas Roberts (Auckland)
- Long jump â Leonard Cuff (Canterbury)
- High jump â P. Brown (Canterbury)
- Pole vault â tie R. Hunter (Hawkes Bay) and H. Kingsley (Wanganui)
- Shot put â W. Rhodes (Wellington)
- Hammer throw â P. Brown (Canterbury)
Chess
National Champion: W. Meldrum of Rangitikei.[10]
Cricket
Golf
- Men's national amateur champion â M.S. Todd (Otago)[11]
- Women's national amateur champion â L. Wilford (Hutt)
Horse racing
Harness racing
- Auckland Trotting Cup (over 3 miles) is won by Fibre[12]
Thoroughbred racing
- New Zealand Cup â Lady Zetland
- New Zealand Derby â Uniform
- Auckland Cup â Nestor
- Wellington Cup â Brooklet
Season leaders (1895/96)
- Top New Zealand stakes earner â Euroclydon
- Leading flat jockey â C. Jenkins
Lawn Bowls
National Champions[13] There are no national championships this year.
Polo
- Savile Cup winners â Manawatu
Rowing
National Champions (Men)
- Single sculls â C. Chapman (Wairewa)
- Double sculls â Wairewa, Little River
- Coxless pairs â Canterbury
- Coxed fours â Queen's Dr, Port Chalmers
Rugby union
Shooting
Ballinger Belt â Sergeant Wakelyn (Honorary Reserve Corps, Christchurch)
Soccer
Provincial league champions:[14]
- Auckland: Auckland United
- Otago: Roslyn Dunedin
- Wellington: Wellington Swifts
Swimming
Not held
Tennis
National Championships
- Men's singles â H. Parker
- Women's singles â Kathleen Nunneley
- Men's doubles â Richard Harman and D. Collins
- Women's doubles â Kathleen Nunneley and T. Trimmell
Births
- 15 June (in England): Archie Fisher, painter. (died 1959)[15]
- 7 July: Harold Beamish, World War I flying ace. (died 1986)[16]
Deaths
- 18 May: Daniel Pollen, politician (born 1813)
- 2 August: James FitzGerald, politician (born 1818).
- 28 August: James Hume, medical doctor (born 1823).
