1888 in New Zealand

← 1887 1886 1885 1888 in New Zealand → 1889 1890 1891
Decades:	1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s
See also:	Other events of 1888 Timeline of New Zealand history

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State — Queen Victoria
• Governor — Lieutenant-General Sir William Jervois.

Government and law

The 10th Parliament continues.

• Speaker of the House — Maurice O'Rorke.
• Premier — Harry Atkinson.
• Minister of Finance — Harry Atkinson.
• Chief Justice — Hon Sir James Prendergast

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland — Albert Devore
• Mayor of Christchurch — Aaron Ayers followed by Charles Louisson
• Mayor of Dunedin — William Dawson followed by Hugh Gourley
• Mayor of Wellington — Samuel Brown

Events

• 1 September: 1888 North Canterbury earthquake

Undated

• First sightings of the dolphin Pelorus Jack in Cook Strait.

Sport

Athletics

The first New Zealand Championships are held.^[1][2]

National Champions, Men

• 100 yards — F. Meenan (Otago)
• 250 yards — A. Williams (Canterbury)
• 440 yards — A. Williams (Canterbury)
• 880 yards — Peter Morrison (South Canterbury)
• 1 mile — J. Field (Southland)
• 120 yards hurdles — Godfrey Shaw (Canterbury)
• Long jump — T. Harman (Canterbury)
• High jump — F. Perry (South Canterbury)

Source:^[3]

Horse racing

The Auckland Cup of 1887 is moved to January 1888. Future Auckland Cup's are normally scheduled for New Year's Day.

Major race winners

• New Zealand Cup — Manton
• New Zealand Derby — Manton
• Auckland Cup winner (January) — Nelson (Australian owned)
• Auckland Cup winner (December) — Lochiel
• Wellington Cup winner — Beresford

National Champions^[4]

• Singles — G. White (Milton)
• Fours — R. Churton, L. Oughton, W. Carswell and D. Mackie (skip) (Taieri)

Polo

The first polo club in New Zealand is formed in Auckland.^[2]

Rowing

National Championships are held for the first time. They are held at separate venues; the single sculls in Wellington, the coxed fours in Wanganui. From the following year the Championships will be held at a single venue.

National Champions (Men)

• Single sculls — J. Foster (Napier)
• Coxed fours — Canterbury

Rugby union

The South Canterbury, Wanganui and Marlborough unions are formed.^[2]

The first ever British Isles rugby team tour takes place, visiting New Zealand and Australia. The visitors win all their New Zealand games except for one, losing to Auckland.^[5]
The first New Zealand Native team to visit Britain leaves at the end of the year.

Shooting

Ballinger Belt — Hon Major Purnell (NZ Volunteers)

Tennis

National championships

• Men's singles — P. Fenwicke
• Women's singles — E. Harman
• Men's doubles — R. Harman and F. Wilding
• Women's doubles — E. Harman and E. Gordon
• Mixed doubles — No competition

Births

• 15 February: James Courtney, soldier.

Undated

• Thomas Hislop (Jnr), politician.

Deaths

• 30 August: George O'Brien, painter.

See also

• List of years in New Zealand
• Timeline of New Zealand history
• History of New Zealand
• Military history of New Zealand
• Timeline of the New Zealand environment
• Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

References

General

• Romanos, J. (2001) New Zealand Sporting Records and Lists. Auckland: Hodder Moa Beckett. ISBN 1-86958-879-7

Specific

1. Heidenstrom, P. (1992) Athletes of the Century. Wellington: GP Publications. ISBN 1-86956-044-2
2. Todd, S. (1976) Sporting Records of New Zealand. Auckland: Moa Publications. ISBN 0-908570-00-7
3. athletics.org.nz
4. As the New Zealand Bowling Association at this time consists largely of South Island clubs, the first truly "national" championships are not deemed to have begun until 1914.
5. History of Rugby Union in New Zealand

External links

Media related to 1888 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons