1931 in New Zealand
The following lists events that happened during 1931 in New Zealand.
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Population
Incumbents
Regal and viceregal
Government
Crowd on intersection of Willis and Mercer Streets, Wellington, outside the offices of the Evening Post, awaiting the results of the 1931 general election.
The 23rd New Zealand Parliament continued with the coalition of the United Party and the Labour Party with the Reform Party in opposition. During the year the agreement between United and Labour collapsed due to differing opinions on how to counter the Great Depression. The Reform Party, fearing that the Depression would give Labour a substantial boost, reluctantly agreed to form a coalition with United to avert elections. By forming a coalition, United and Reform were able to blunt Labour's advantage, ending the possibility of the anti-Labour vote being split and the general election in December saw the United–Reform Coalition winning a majority.
- Speaker of the House - Charles Statham (Independent)
- Prime Minister - George Forbes
- Minister of Finance - George Forbes (United) until 22 September, then William Downie Stewart (Reform)
- Minister of Foreign Affairs - George Forbes
- Attor - Thomas Sidey until 22 September, then William Downie Stewart
- Chief Justice — Sir Michael Myers
Parliamentary opposition
- Leader of the Opposition - Gordon Coates (Reform) until 22 September, then Harry Holland (Labour).[3]
Main centre leaders
- Mayor of Auckland - George Baildon, succeeded by George Hutchison
- Mayor of Wellington - George Troup, succeeded by Thomas Hislop
- Mayor of Christchurch - John Archer, succeeded by Dan Sullivan
- Mayor of Dunedin - Robert Black
Events
Damage to the Hastings Post Office inflicted by the Hawke's Bay earthquake
- 7 January – Australian aviator Guy Menzies makes the first solo flight across the Tasman sea, starting from Sydney and ending 11 hours 45 minutes later with a crash landing in a swamp near Harihari on the West Coast[4]
- January – Chancellor Hut finishes construction.[5]
- 3 February – The Hawkes Bay earthquake, New Zealand's worst, kills 256 people, mainly in Napier and Hastings
- 8 February – A Desoutter aircraft of Dominion Airline crashed near Wairoa, killing all three people aboard. This is the first fatality on a scheduled air service in New Zealand.[6]
- 27 February – Oscar Garden lands his Gipsy Moth aircraft at Horseshoe Bay on Stewart Island/Rakiura, the first aircraft to land on the island.
Arts and literature
See 1931 in art, 1931 in literature, Category:1931 books
Music
See: 1931 in music
Radio
Film
See: Category:1931 film awards, 1931 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1931 films
Sport
Chess
- The 40th National Chess Championship was held in Rotorua, and was won by A.W. Gyles of Wellington.[7]
Golf
- The 21st New Zealand Open championship was won by Andrew Shaw, his 4th win.[8]
- The 35th National Amateur Championships were held in Christchurch [9]
- Men: Rana Wagg (Hutt)
- Women: Miss B. Gaisford
Harness racing
- New Zealand Trotting Cup – Harold Logan[10]
- Auckland Trotting Cup – Royal Silk[11]
Thoroughbred racing
- New Zealand Cup – Spearful[12]
- Avondale Gold Cup – Little Doubt[12]
- Auckland Cup – Admiral Drake[12]
- Wellington Cup – Stanchion[12]
- New Zealand Derby – Bronze Eagle[12]
Lawn bowls
The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Auckland.[13]
- Men's singles champion – N.C. Bell (Hamilton Bowling Club)
- Men's pair champions – H.G. Loveridge, R.N. Pilkington (skip) (Hamilton Bowling Club)
- Men's fours champions – J.D. Best, A.J.H. Gregory, H. Gardiner, G.A. Deare (skip) (Dunedin Bowling Club)
Rugby league
Soccer
Births
January
- 1 January – Inez Kingi, health advocate
- 2 January – Ritchie Johnston, cyclist
- 12 January – Bert Ormond, association footballer
- 14 January – Norm Wilson, cricketer
- 19 January – Pat Hunt, politician
- 20 January – Allan Tong, rower
- 23 January – Gordon McLauchlan, author
- 30 January – Doug Wilson, rugby union player
February
- 1 February – Nicholas Tarling, historian
- 10 February – Keith Bagley, rugby union player
- 14 February – Peter Wardle, botanist
- 15 February – Lloyd Ashby, rugby union player
- 21 February
- Warren Dibble, poet, playwright
- Te Paekiomeka Joy Ruha, Māori leader
- 22 February – Bryce Postles, cricketer
March
- 4 March – Don Jowett, athlete, rugby union player
- 5 March
- Ian Clarke, rugby union player
- Brian Fitzpatrick, rugby union player
- 9 March – Jack Lasenby, children's author
- 10 March – Colin Loader, rugby union player
- 11 March – Colin Jillings, Thoroughbred racehorse trainer
- 19 March – Cliff Skeggs, businessman, politician, mayor of Dunedin
- 31 March – Shirley Murray, hymn lyricist
April
- 3 April – Elspeth Kennedy, sharebroker, community leader (died 2017)
- 4 April
- Eric Anderson, rugby union player and coach
- Catherine Tizard, politician, mayor of Auckland, 16th governor-general (died 2021)
- 6 April – Ian Grey, rugby league player
- 7 April – John McDonald, cricketer
- 9 April – Ruth Castle, weaver
- 10 April – Neil Waters, chemist, university administrator
- 13 April – Doug Armstrong, cricketer, sports broadcaster, politician
- 14 April – Bruce Pairaudeau, cricketer
- 20 April – Bill Tolhurst, politician
- 23 April – John Williams, cricketer
May
- 3 May – Malcolm Hahn, javelin thrower
- 12 May – Murray Ashby, rower
- 17 May – Thomas Eichelbaum, jurist
- 20 May – Barry Brown, boxer
- 22 May – Buddy Lucas, swimmer, surf livesaver
- 23 May – Rex Austin, politician
June
- 2 June – Joyce Waters, inorganic chemist
- 18 June – Jane Soons, geomorphologist
- 19 June – Heather Nicholson geologist, writer
- 26 June
- George Martin, rugby league player, field athlete
- John Scott, medical researcher
July
- 2 July – Robin Gray, politician
- 6 July – John Spencer, boat designer
- 18 July – Peter Goddard, educationalist
- 21 July – Roy Meehan, wrestler
- 23 July – Te Atairangikaahu, 6th Māori monarch
- 24 July – Ray Laurent, rower
- 25 July – Murray Day, squash administrator
- 26 July – Jean Puketapu, Māori language activist, kōhanga reo pioneer
- 27 July – David Goldsmith, field hockey player
- 28 July – Peter Shirtcliffe, businessman
August
- 3 August
- Rod Bieleski, plant physiologist
- Lee Grant, actress, singer
- 9 August
- Mike Hinge, artist and illustrator
- Ernie Leonard, television presenter, wrestling commentator, actor
- 10 August
- Richard Atkins, diplomat
- Bruce Slane, public servant, lawyer
- 11 August – Ralph Hotere, artist
- 13 August – Norman Read, racewalker
- 22 August – Maurice Gee, novelist, screenwriter
September
- 4 September – Bill Skelton, jockey
- 5 September
- Bill Bell, cricketer
- Stew Nairn, sports shooter
- 12 September – John Ogilvie, cricketer
- 15 September
- Brian Henderson, radio and television personality
- Lincoln Hurring, swimmer and swimming coach
- Harold Marshall, acoustician
- 28 September – Noel Pope, local-body politician
- 30 September – Geoffrey Chisholm, urologist
October
- 6 October – Michael Hardie Boys, jurist, 17th governor-general
- 9 October – Mark Otway, tennis player
- 14 October – Colin Dickinson, cyclist
- 16 October
- Peter Bush, sports photographer
- Kristin Jacobi, swimmer
- Ian Quigley, politician
- 17 October – Mazhar Krasniqi, Muslim community leader, human rights activist
- 23 October – James McNeish, novelist, playwright, biographer
- 29 October – Murray Loudon, field hockey player, dentist
- 30 October – Alma Johnson, television personality
November
- 2 November – Steve Kuzmicich, statistician
- 9 November – Eion Scarrow, gardening personality, broadcaster and author
- 12 November – Jeanne Macaskill, artist
- 21 November – Bruce Townshend, politician
- 27 November – Keith Allen, politician
- 30 November – Vivian Lynn, artist
December
- 8 December – David Crooks, air force officer
- 11 December – Bryce Harland, diplomat
- 17 December – Frank Devine, journalist, newspaper editor
- 18 December – Noel McGregor, cricketer
Exact date unknown
- Nola Barron, potter
- Con Cambie, natural products chemist
- Beverley Holloway, entomologist
- Pat Moore, cricketer
- Patrick Murray, priest, editor, ecumenicist
- Bruce Papas, fashion designer
- Beverley Randell, children's author
Deaths
January–March
- 12 January – Peter Cheal, surveyor (born 1846)
- 18 January
- Daldy MacWilliams, goldminer, businessman, sportsman (born 1860)
- Owen Merton, painter (born 1887)
- 20 January – Shailer Weston, politician (born 1868)
- 31 January – Job Osborne, farm contractor, well-sinker (born 1842)
- 21 February – Rhona Haszard, artist (born 1901)
- 27 February – Edith Searle Grossmann, novelist, journalist, feminist (born 1863)
- 15 March – William Beattie, photographer (born 1864)
April–June
- 13 April – Joseph Firth, cricketer, sports administrator, educator (born 1859)
- 18 April – Arthur Hall, politician (born 1880)
- 3 May – Hannah Dudley, Methodist mission sister (born 1864)
- 10 May – Anna Stout, social reformer (born 1858)
- 22 May – Bernard Chambers, viticulturist, winemaker (born 1859)
- 26 May – Richard Barton, pastoralist, author (born 1879)
- 6 June – William Baucke, linguist, ethnologist, journalist (born 1848)
- 10 June – May Moore, photographer (born 1881)
July–September
- 5 July – Henry Winkelmann, photographer (born 1860)
- 12 July – Noel Brodrick, surveyor (born 1855)
- 1 August – Dick Stewart, rugby union player (born 1871)
- 12 August – Lizzie Rattray, journalist, suffragist (born 1855)
- 28 August – Tene Waitere, carver (born c.1853)
- 9 September – Elsdon Best, ethnographer (born 1856)
- 10 September – Pratt Kempthorne, Anglican clergyman (born 1849)
October–December
- 6 October – Robert Yates, cricketer (born 1845)
- 24 October
- Alfred Eckhold, rugby union player, cricketer (born 1885)
- John Potter, stonemason, builder (born 1834)
- 28 October – Edward Tregear, surveyor, public servant, linguist (born 1846)
- 30 October – Joseph Witheford, politician (born 1848)
- 31 October – Charles Gleeson, cricketer (born 1845)
- 28 November
- John Stalker, rugby union player (born 1881)
- Heathcote Williams, cricket player and administrator (born 1859)
- 7 December – Sir John Luke, politician, mayor of Wellington (born 1858)
- 23 December – Jack Stanaway, rugby league player (born 1873)
- 29 December – William Earnshaw, politician (born 1852)
See also
References
- "Historical population estimates tables". Statistics New Zealand. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017.
- Statistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
- "Elections NZ - Leaders of the Opposition". Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
- Today in History | NZHistory
- "Welcome to Heritage New Zealand". Welcome to Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- nzhistory.net.nz
- List of New Zealand Chess Champions Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- "PGA European - Holden New Zealand Open". The Sports Network. 2005. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
- McLintock, A. H., ed. (1966). "Men's Golf - National Champions". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
- "List of NZ Trotting cup winners". Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
- Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz Archived 17 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- Lambert, Max; Palenski, Ron (1982). The New Zealand Almanac. Moa Almanac Press. pp. 448–454. ISBN 0-908570-55-4.
- McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Bowls, men's outdoor—tournament winners". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- "New Zealand: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 1999.
External links
Media related to 1931 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons
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