1871 in New Zealand
# 1871 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1871 in New Zealand.

## Incumbents

### Regal and viceregal

* Head of State – Queen Victoria
* Governor – Sir George Ferguson Bowen

### Government and law

The 1871 election takes place between 14 January and 1 February. The 5th New Zealand Parliament commences.

1 February – Māori elections are held for the first time in conjunction with a general election, although the first Māori MPs had been elected in 1868.

* Speaker of the House – After the election Sir Francis Dillon Bell becomes Speaker replacing Sir David Monro who stood down at the end of 1870.
* Premier – William Fox
* Minister of Finance – Julius Vogel
* Chief Justice – Hon Sir George Arney

### Main centre leaders

* Mayor of Auckland – Philip Philips
* Mayor of Christchurch – Andrew Duncan followed by James Jameson
* Mayor of Dunedin – Thomas Birch followed by Henry Fish
* Mayor of Wellington – Joseph Dransfield

## Events

* 1 February: The Daily Telegraph begins publishing in Napier. It continues until 1999, when it merges with The Hawke's Bay Herald Tribune to form Hawke's Bay Today.
* 5 July: New Zealand's first university, Otago opens its doors. It was absorbed into the University of New Zealand three years later.
* The Westport News begins publication. The newspaper continues to publish Monday-Friday.

## Sport

### Athletics

The first amateur club is formed, in South Canterbury. Professional athletics is already well established.

### Horse racing

**Major race winners**

* New Zealand Cup: Peeress
* New Zealand Derby: Defamation

### Rugby union

* 12 May: Founding of the Wellington Rugby club, the second rugby union club in New Zealand.

### Shooting

Ballinger Belt: Captain Wales (Otago)

## Births

* 10 January: Hoeroa Tiopira, rugby union player
* 10 March (in Europe): George William von Zedlitz, professor of languages
* 6 June: Freeman Wright Holmes, jockey, horse driver, trainer and breeder

## Deaths

### Date unknown

* Helen Ann Wilson, nurse and community leader (b. 1793)
