1888 in New Zealand

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

The following lists events that happened during 1888 in New Zealand.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

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

Government and law

The 10th New Zealand 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
• Samuel Brown

Events

• 25 July: By-election in the Ashley electorate
• 4 August: Reefton Power Station begins operation
• 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.

Avondale Racecourse in Auckland is established.

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

Lawn bowls

National Champions

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

Note: 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.

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

. 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

The first ever

The first New Zealand Native team to visit Britain leaves at the end of the year.

Shooting

Ballinger Belt –

Purnell (NZ Volunteers)

Tennis

National championships

• Men's singles – P. Fenwicke
• Women's singles – E. Harman
• Men's doubles – Richard Harman and Frederick Wilding
• Women's doubles – E. Harman and E. Gordon
• Mixed doubles – No competition

Births

• 27 April: Daisy Osborn, artist. (d. 1957)
• 21 June: Cecil King, rugby league footballer. (d. 1975)
• 15 November: Cora Wilding, physiotherapist and artist. (d. 1982)
• 29 November: Thomas Hislop (Jnr), politician and mayor of Wellington. (d. 1965)

Deaths

• 3 June; Joseph Beswick, politician
• 14 July: Samuel Revans, politician and journalist.
• 18 August; James Menzies, politician
• 30 August: George O'Brien, painter.
• 18 October: Mary Ann Buxton, educator.
• 28 November: William Meluish, photographer and businessman.^[5]
• (in England, no date) John Bacot, politician.

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

External links

Media related to 1888 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons