1901 in New Zealand

Population

A census was held in March 1901. The population was given as 772,719 - an increase of 9.86% over the previous census in 1896.

The figures for the 1901 census revealed that the North Island's population had exceeded the South Island's for the first time since the Central Otago Gold Rush of 1861 - the two islands (plus their associated minor offshore islands) had populations of 390,579 and 382,140 respectively. Only 40% of the country's population was based in urban centres, and only two of these centres, Auckland and Dunedin, had populations of over 25,000.

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

*Head of State - Queen Victoria, succeeded by Edward VII
*Governor - The Earl of Ranfurly GCMG [Statistics New Zealand: "New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990". ISSN 0078-0170 page 52]

Government

The 14th New Zealand Parliament continued. In government was the Liberal Party.
*Speaker of the House - George O'Rorke (Liberal)
*Premier / Prime Minister - Richard Seddon
*Minister of Finance - Richard Seddon

Parliamentary opposition

* Leader of the Opposition - William Russell, (Independent) until 3 July, then vacant. [Cite web|url=http://www.elections.org.nz/democracy/leaders-opposition.html|title=Elections NZ - Leaders of the Opposition|accessdate=2008-04-06]

Main centre leaders

*Mayor of Auckland - John Logan Campbell
*Mayor of Hamilton - George Edgecumbe then Robert William Dyer
*Mayor of Wellington - John Aitken
*Mayor of Christchurch - William Reece then A. E. G. Rhodes
*Mayor of Dunedin - Robert Chisholm then George Denniston

Events

* 28 January - Captain William_James_Hardham became the first New Zealand-born winner of the Victoria Cross as a result of action in the South African War (Boer War). [ [http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/timeline&new_date=28/01 NZhistory.net] ]
* 2 February - a day of mourning acknowledging the death of Queen Victoria brings the nation to a standstill.
* Union of the Synod of Otago and Southland with the Northern Presbyterian Church to form the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
* A the second visit to New Zealand by members of the Royal Family: the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall (later to become King George V and Queen Mary).
* The New Zealand red ensign became the official flag for merchant vessels. [ [http://flagspot.net/flags/nz_ens.html#cen New Zealand Ensigns ] ]
* Founding of the New Zealand Socialist Party.
* New Zealand rejects the proposal to become a state in the Commonwealth of Australia
* Richard Seddon adopts the term "Prime Minister" rather than "Premier".

Arts and literature

See 1901 in art, 1901 in literature,

Music

See: 1901 in music

Appointments and awards

See: New Zealand Order of Merit , Order of New Zealand
*Archbishop of New Zealand
*Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia , see appointments to Diocese

port

* See: 1901 in sports ,

Rugby

* The Earl of Ranfurly announced his intention to present a cup to the NZRFU, without stipulating what form of competition it should be awarded for.
* A New Zealand representative team won both test matches against a touring team from New South Wales.

Births

* 7 February: Arnold Nordmeyer, politician.
* 26 February: Leslie Munro, diplomat.
* 25 March: Raymond Firth, ethnologist.
* 10 April: Robert Aitken, physician and university administrator.
* 17 May: Robert Macfarlane, politician.
* 13 June: John Cawte Beaglehole, historian and biographer.
* 15 June: Dove-Myer Robinson, long-serving mayor of Auckland.
* 5 July: Len Lye, sculptor, filmmaker, writer.
* 24 December: Nola Luxford, silent film actress. [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0527701/ IMDB] ]

* William Stevenson, industrialist and philanthropist.

Deaths

* 14 February: Edward Stafford. politician and 3rd Premier of New Zealand.
* 6 August (in Scotland): John McKenzie, politician

References

ee also

*List of years in New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand history
*History of New Zealand
*Military history of New Zealand
*Timeline of environmental history of New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

"For world events and topics in 1901 not specifically related to New Zealand see": 1901