1909 in New Zealand

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Edward VII
• Governor – The Lord Plunket GCMG KCVO

Government

• Speaker of the House – Sir Arthur Guinness
• Prime Minister – Joseph Ward
• Minister of Finance – Joseph Ward
• Attorney-General – John Findlay
• Chief Justice – Sir Robert Stout

Parliamentary opposition

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Arthur Myers then Charles Grey
• Mayor of Wellington – Alfred Newman
• Mayor of Christchurch – Charles Allison
• Mayor of Dunedin – John McDonald then James Walker

Events

• 1 January: The Quackery Prevention Act 1908 becomes law, preventing false advertising in relation to ingredients, composition, structure, nature or operation of a medicine.
• 12 February: Inter-island steamer SS Penguin is wrecked at Cape Terawhiti in Cook Strait with the loss of 75 lives.
• 14 February: The first North Island Main Trunk passenger express train leaves Auckland for Wellington, an overnight trip scheduled to take 19 hours 15 minutes, with a sleeping car, day cars with reclining seats, postal/parcels vans, and a dining car for part of the way.

Undated

• The Canterbury Aero Club, the first in New Zealand, is formed by George Bolt.

Arts and literature

Music

Film

Sport

Boxing

• Heavyweight – M. Ryan
• Middleweight – S. Monaghan
• Welterweight – G. Watchorn
• Lightweight – J. Finnerty
• Featherweight – J. Hagerty
• Bantamweight – C. Stewart

Chess

• The 22nd National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by F.K. Kelling of Wellington.

Golf

• The third New Zealand Open championship was won by J.A. Clements.
• The 17th National Amateur Championships were held in Auckland
• * Men: Arthur Duncan – 6th title
• * Women: Mrs ? Bevan.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Wildwood Junior
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Havoc

Rugby league

Rugby union

• Auckland defend the Ranfurly Shield only once, beating Taranaki 18-5

Soccer

• Auckland: Auckland Corinthians
• Canterbury: Burnham Industrial School
• Otago: Dunedin City
• Southland: Murihiku
• Taranaki: Kaponga
• Wellington: Wellington Swifts

Tennis

• Anthony Wilding and Australian Norman Brookes, as the Australasian team, successfully defend the Davis Cup, beating the United States 5–0. The final is held in Sydney.
• Anthony Wilding wins the men's singles at the Australian Open.

Births

• 15 April: Jack Watts, politician.
• 18 April: Tom Skinner, politician, Federation of Labour president.
• 20 May: Bill Pratney, cyclist.
• 13 June: Ralph Hanan, politician.
• 14 July: Brian Shorland, organic chemist.
• 27 July: Charles Brasch, poet and literary editor.
• 20 August: Alby Roberts, cricketer.
• 15 September: Jean Batten, aviator.
• 16 September: Rod MacKenzie, rugby union player
• 31 October: Frank Bateson, astronomer.
• 23 December: Don Cleverley, cricketer.

Deaths

• 14 February: Elsie Dohrmann, scholar, teacher and temperance campaigner
• 28 April: John Wilson (businessman), businessman and judge
• 7 August: Arthur Remington, politician
• 14 August: Samuel Brown, Mayor of Wellington.Maria Sophia Pope, shopkeeper and businesswoman.