1907 in New Zealand

There are celebrations throughout the country this year as New Zealand changes from colony to independent dominion status by proclamation of King Edward VII on September 26. In Wellington on 11 December there is a great sensation when the tinder-dry Parliament buildings burn to the ground.

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

*Head of State - Edward VII
*Governor - The Lord Plunket GCMG KCVO [Statistics New Zealand: "New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990". ISSN 0078-0170 page 52]

Government

The 16th New Zealand Parliament, Liberal
*Speaker of the House - Sir Arthur Guinness
*Prime Minister - Joseph Ward
*Minister of Finance - Joseph Ward
* Attorney-General - John Findlay

Parliamentary opposition

* Leader of the Opposition - William Massey, (Independent). [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 - Arthur Myers
*Mayor of Hamilton - James Shiner Bond
*Mayor of Wellington - Thomas Hislop
*Mayor of Christchurch - John Hall followed by George Payling
*Mayor of Dunedin - John Loudon

Appointments and awards

*Prime Minister Joseph Ward is appointed to the Privy Council.
*James Mills, a prominent businessman, ship-owner and politician becomes the first person born in New Zealand to be knighted (Knight Bachelor).

Events

*The Tohunga Suppression Act is passed by parliament, sponsored by Maui Pomare.
*Rua Kenana, a self proclaimed prophet, establishes a religious community at the foot of Maungapōhatu, the sacred Tūhoe mountain in the Ureweras.
*The Colonial Secretary’s Office is renamed the Department of Internal Affairs.
*St Paul's Church in Dunedin is consecrated by Bishop Churchill Julius.
*Flooding data from the Taupo, Tongariro, Waipa, and Waikato river systems this year is the highest recorded to date (FULLDATE).

Health

*Dr Sir Frederick Truby King establishes the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children which later becomes The Royal New Zealand Plunket Society, known simply as Plunket. The society establishes Plunket Rooms throughout the country and provides especially trained nurses to advise and assist New Zealand mothers free of charge.
*The first Home of Compassion is opened, at Island Bay in Wellington, by Mother Suzanne Aubert who had founded the congregation of the Sisters of Compassion in Jerusalem on the Whanganui River in 1892.
*The country's first dental school opens at Otago University. The first dean is Sir Henry Percy Pickerill, a pioneer of reconstructive surgery of the jaw and face.

Arts and literature

*The first "Edmonds Cookbook" is published.
*The "School Journal", an education resource distributed to schools throughout New Zealand, is introduced.
*Frances Hodgkins holds her first solo exhibition, in London.
*Publishing firm A.H. & A.W. Reed is established in Dunedin.
*The House of Royal Doulton produces "Kia Ora", a ceramic series of New Zealand themes, which become a collectors' item.

The sciences

*Thames astronomer John Grigg discovers his third comet, all of which are named after him.
*Pioneer aircraft designer Richard Pearse finally patents details for his wings and aircraft controls.

Flora and fauna

*The now extinct Huia bird which was endemic to New Zealand, is last seen in the Tararua Ranges on 28 December.
*Full protection is promulgated for the tui, kākā, paradise duck and oystercatcher.
*Chamois deer, six does and two bucks from Neuberg in Austria, are introduced to the country and released in the Aoraki/Mount Cook area as a hunting resource.
*This is the peak year in the country's history for milling for export of the rapidly disappearing native kauri.

Media

*26 September: The first issue of "The Dominion" newspaper (now the "Dominion Post") is published in Wellington to mark the occasion of New Zealand becoming a Dominion.
*After 36 years of publication, the authoritative weekly paper, the "New Zealand Mail", closes.

Transport

*December: The "Maori II", a triple-screw steamer which is the first purpose-built, inter-island ferry in the country, makes its first run between Lyttelton and Wellington.

port

=Boxing (amateur)=

*NZ heavyweight champion, J Lloyd (Canterbury).
*NZ middleweight champion, J Gilmour (Canterbury).
*NZ Lightweight champion, R Mayze (Canterbury).
*NZ featherweight champion, E Sanderson, (Auckland).
*NZ bantamweight champion, B Tracy (Wellington).

Cricket

*Inaugural year of Plunket Shield, won by Canterbury.
*The MCC toured the country, losing to New Zealand at the Basin Reserve, but winning at Lancaster Park.

Golf

*The first New Zealand Open championship is held at the Napier Golf Club at Waiohiki and is won by Arthur Duncan.

=Hockey=

* The Challenge Shield is introduced.

Netball

* Women's basketball, now called Netball, is introduced to the country by J. C. Jamieson when a demonstration match between Eden and Epsom is played in an Auckland paddock.

Racing

*Apologue becomes the first New Zealand-owned horse to win the Melbourne Cup.
*Auckland Cup: Zimmerman.
*Wellington Cup: Achilles.
*New Zealand Derby: Elevation.

hooting

The Collins Challenge Shield is introduced by the National Rifle Association.

Rowing

William Webb of Wanganui defeats Australian Charles Towns on August 3 for the World Professional Sculling Championship, the first world rowing title won by New Zealand.

Rugby union

*Auckland defend the Ranfurly Shield against Buller (21-0), Hawkes Bay (12-3) and Wanganui(6-5).
*The All Blacks tour Australia, winning both tests. They also play Wellington.
*A record crowd of 52,411 packsd the Sydney Cricket Ground for the All Blacks v NSW match.

Rugby league

*The All Golds New Zealand league team tours Britain, before a match has been played or a club has been formed in New Zealand.

Tennis

*Anthony Wilding of New Zealand pairsd with Australian Norman Brookes as the Australasian team to win the Davis Cup.
*Anthony Wilding and Josiah Ritchie win the men's doubles at the Wimbledon Championship
*Kathleen Nunneley wins the last of her 13 successive national ladies singles titles.

Births

* 8 October: Stanley Whitehead, politician.

* Denis Blundell - future Governor-General.
* Alf Cleverley, boxer.
* Thaddeus McCarthy - jurist.

Deaths

* 19 April: Edward Metcalf Smith, politician.
* 25 June: John Hall - Premier 1879-81

* William Henry Eyes, politician. [ [http://rulers.org/newzprov.html rulers.org] ]
* Tohu Kakahi, Māori leader and prophet at Parihaka

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 1907 not specifically related to New Zealand see": 1907

References

;General
*cite book | author= Gordon McLauchlan| title= The Illustrated encyclopedia of New Zealand | publisher = David Bateman Ltd, Glenfield, NZ | year= 1992| id= ISBN 1-86953-007-1;Specific