1871 in New Zealand

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

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.

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

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

Date unknown

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