1903 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1903 in New Zealand.

Regal and viceregal

 * Head of State – Edward VII
 * Governor – The Earl of Ranfurly GCMG

Government
The 15th New Zealand Parliament continued. In government was the Liberal Party.
 * Speaker of the House – Arthur Guinness (Liberal)
 * Prime Minister – Richard Seddon
 * Minister of Finance – Richard Seddon
 * Chief Justice – Sir Robert Stout

Parliamentary opposition

 * Leader of the Opposition – Vacant until 11 September, then William Massey, (Independent).

Main centre leaders

 * Mayor of Auckland – Alfred Kidd then Edwin Mitchelson
 * Mayor of Wellington – John Aitken
 * Mayor of Christchurch – Henry Wigram
 * Mayor of Dunedin – James Park then Thomas Scott

September
26 September – New Zealand is the first country in the world to pass a Wireless Telegraphy Act.

Arts and literature
See 1903 in art, 1903 in literature

Music
See: 1903 in music

Film

 * A Message from Mars

Boxing
The Bantamweight division is included in the national championships for the first time.

National amateur champions
 * Heavyweight – H. Taylor (Greymouth)
 * Middleweight – J. Griffin (Invercargill)
 * Lightweight – A. Farquharson (Dunedin)
 * Featherweight – A. Parker (Christchurch)
 * Bantamweight – J. Pearce (Christchurch)

Chess
National Champion: J.C. Grierson of Auckland.

Golf
The 11th National Amateur Championships were held in Napier
 * Men: Kurepo Tareha (Napier)
 * Women: A. E Pearce

Harness racing

 * Auckland Trotting Cup: Plain G

Rugby union

 * 1903 New Zealand rugby union tour of Australia

Soccer
Provincial league champions:
 * Auckland:	YMCA Auckland
 * Otago:	Northern
 * Wellington:	Wellington St. John's

Births

 * 30 January: Colin Scrimgeour, minister and broadcaster.
 * 6 February: Jack Dunning, cricketer
 * 21 February: P. H. Matthews, politician
 * 11 March: George Dickinson, cricketer
 * 11 March: Ronald Syme, historian
 * 21 March: Frank Sargeson, writer
 * 28 March: Merton Hodge, west-end playwright
 * 23 April: John Stewart, politician.
 * 10 June: Count Geoffrey Potocki de Montalk, poet.
 * 6 July: Edward Musgrave Blaiklock, academic.
 * 4 August: Charles Bateson, historian and writer
 * 2 November: Anna Lois White, painter
 * 15 November: Stewie Dempster, cricketer

Deaths

 * 7 March: John Studholme, politician and farmer (born 1829).
 * 23 April: William Travers, politician (born 1819).
 * 11 June: Thomas Mason, horticulturist and politician.
 * 7 July: Agnes Harrold, hotel manager, foster parent, nurse and midwife
 * 30 August: Joe Warbrick, rugby player (born 1862).