1912 in New Zealand

The 1911 General Election, the first contested by the Reform Party, left parliament in an indeterminate state, with Reform holding 38 seats, Liberal 36, Labour 1 and with 5 independents.

Liberal, who had been in government for the past 21 years, claimed that Reform did not have a mandate, since many of their seats were the smaller rural electorates, and the Liberals proceeded to form a government under Joseph Ward as per the previous two parliaments.

Such were the loyalties of the independent members that votes were often deadlocked and dependent upon the casting vote of the Speaker. As a result, Joseph Ward resigned on March 28th, to be succeeded by agriculture minister Thomas Mackenzie. However, the government was defeated on the next occasion that parliament met, and the first Reform Government was formed under William Massey in July.

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

*Head of State - George V
*Governor - The Lord Islington GCMG GBE DSO PC, succeeded the same year by The Earl of Liverpool [Statistics New Zealand: "New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990". ISSN 0078-0170 page 52]

Government

*Speaker of the House - Arthur Guinness - (Liberal)
*Prime Minister - Joseph Ward until March 28, then Thomas Mackenzie (Liberal) until July 10, then William Massey (Reform)
*Minister of Finance - Joseph Ward until March 28, then Arthur Myers (Liberal) until July 10, then James Allen (Reform)

Parliamentary opposition

Leader of the Opposition - William Massey (Reform Party) until July 10. The Liberal opposition had no recognised leader until the following year. [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 - Christopher Parr
*Mayor of Hamilton - James Alexander Young then Arthur Edward Manning
*Mayor of Wellington - David McLaren
*Mayor of Christchurch - J. J. Dougall then Henry Holland
*Mayor of Dunedin - William Burnett then John Wilson

Events

* 24 February: The "TSS Earnslaw" launched at Kingston on Lake Wakatipu. [http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/earnslaw.htm New Zealand Maritime Record - Earnslaw] ] [ [http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/SeaAndAirTransport/Shipbuilding/2/en Te Ara: Encyclopedia of New Zealand - Shipbuilding] ]
* 28 March: Prime Minister Joseph Ward resigns and is replaced by Thomas Mackenzie.
* April: Pelorus Jack is seen for the last time.
* May: Waihi miners' strike commences.
* 10 July: William Massey sworn in as Prime Minister after the Reform Party loses a vote of no confidence.
* October: Waihi Goldmining Company reopens the mine with scab labour.
* 18 October: The "TSS Earnslaw" makes her maiden voyage on Lake Wakatipu, from Kingston to Queenstown.
* 12 November: 'Black Tuesday', the peak of confrontation during the Waihi miners' strike. One trade unionist is killed.

Undated

*The School Medical Service begins in New Zealand.

* Construction of the new Parliament Buildings commences. [ [http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/HstBldgs/History/Resources/3/6/e/36e40376aa2842e6bcce0a4557ebf2bc.htm New Zealand Parliament - Parliament timeline ] ]

Arts and literature

See 1912 in art, 1912 in literature,

Music

See: 1912 in music

Film

See: , 1912 in film , List of New Zealand feature films , Cinema of New Zealand,

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: 1912 in sports ,

=Olympic Games=

*New Zealand competed in the Australasian team. Two New Zealanders won Olympic medals, see Swimming, Tennis below.

Rugby Union

* Auckland defended the Ranfurly Shield against Taranaki (6-5), Wellington (12-0) and Otago (5-5)

Swimming

* Malcolm Champion was a member of the Australasian team which won the Gold medal in the Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.

Tennis

* The Davis Cup final was held in Melbourne, Australia. The Australasian team of Norman Brookes (Aus), Roger Heath (Aus) and Alfred Dunlop (NZ, doubles) lost to Great Britain, 2-3
*Anthony Wilding won the men's singles at the Wimbledon Championship for a third year in succession.
* Anthony Wilding won the bronze medal in mens' singles (indoor) at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.

Births

* 5 March: Jack Marshall, politician.
* 30 March: Jack Cowie, cricketer.
* 3 April: Dorothy Eden, novellist.
* 20 May: Alfred E. Allen, politician.
* 24 May: Joan Hammond, opera singer.
* 15 June: Oscar Natzka, opera singer.
* 30 August: Nancy Wake, resistance fighter.
* 20 September: Richard Wild, 9th Chief Justice of New Zealand.
* 15 October: George Laking, diplomat.
* 4 November: Henry Gifford 'Giff' Vivian, cricketer.
* 9 December: Denis Glover, poet and publisher.

* Martyn Finlay, politician.
* Rosemary Firth, ethnologist.
* Eric Halstead, politician.
* Connie Soljak (Purdue) trade unionist, anti-abortion campaigner.

Deaths

* 30 October: William Steward, politician
* 9 November: Mahuta Tāwhiao, 3rd Māori King

* James McGowan, 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 1912 not specifically related to New Zealand see": 1912