1832 in New Zealand

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – King William IV
• Governor of New South Wales – Major-General Sir Richard Bourke

Government and law

• British Resident in New Zealand – James Busby is appointed in March but does not arrive in New Zealand until 10 May 1833.

Events

• 19 April – Construction of the Stone Store at Kerikeri begins.
• December – Missionary Henry Williams records the first mention of cricket being played in New Zealand, on the beach at Paihia.

Undated

• The Weller brothers whaling station at Otakou is destroyed by fire before whaling operations have begun. It is soon rebuilt.
• Ngāti Toa under chief and war leader Te Rauparaha capture and destroy the Ngāi Tahu stronghold of Kaiapoi pa.
• Te Rauparaha and Ngāti Toa capture the Ngāi Tahu pā at Onawe on Akaroa harbour and massacre the inhabitants.
• Ngā Puhi attack Otumoetai pā.
• British merchant and ship owner Captain James Clendon buys land and sets up a trading station at Okiato in the Bay of Islands. The location would be renamed Russell and become the first capital of New Zealand in 1840.

Births

• 14 March : Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet, 6th Governor of New Zealand.
• 20 November William Gilbert Mair, soldier and judge

• Frederic Jones, politician.
• : John Davies Ormond, politician.
• Elizabeth Mary Palmer, New Zealand music and singing teacher, performer, composer, and entertainment promoter.
• Arthur Seymour, politician, Superintendent of Marlborough.
• Alexander Sligo, politician.
• Thomas Thompson, politician.

• Te Kooti, Māori leader, religion founder and guerilla.

Deaths

• 6 August: Thomas Kendall, Missionary and Pākehā Māori