1914 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1914 in New Zealand.
New Zealand showed no hesitation in emulating Britain's declaration of war on Germany and entering World War I. New Zealand troops became the first to occupy German territory when they took over Samoa in November.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Government

The 18th New Zealand Parliament concludes, and the Reform Party is returned for its second term of office following the 1914 general election on 10 December.

Events

17 January – Joseph Hammond is the first person to fly over Auckland city. He flies a Blériot monoplane which has been donated to the New Zealand Government by the Imperial Air Fleet Committee, from Potter's Park.
20 February – James William Humphrys Scotland makes the first substantial cross-country flight in New Zealand. He flies from Invercargill to Gore, a distance of, in 40 minutes in a Caudron biplane. He continues on to Dunedin, Timaru and Christchurch where he arrives on 6 March.
18 April – The Auckland Exhibition closes.
4 August – New Zealand declares war on Germany.
29 August – 1374 New Zealand troops land in Samoa and are offered no resistance by German colonial forces. This is the second German territory to be captured by the Allies.
25 September – The departure of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force for Europe is delayed due to concerns about the presence of German raiders.
7 October – A magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes East Cape, Gisborne.
16 October – The main body of the NZEF, some 8000 troops, finally departs New Zealand for Australia where they will join with the First AIF.
28 October – Another earthquake, a magnitude 6.4, strikes Gisborne.
1 November – The 38 ships carrying the NZEF and the AIF leave Perth, Western Australia. Although expecting to sail to England, they will receive orders to land in Egypt while crossing the Indian Ocean.
Early December – The NZEF and AIF land in Egypt.
10 December – The 1914 general election is held.

Arts and literature

See 1914 in art, 1914 in literature, :Category:1914 books

Music

See: 1914 in music

Film

Hinemoa, the first feature film made in New Zealand, premieres at the Lyric Theatre, Auckland.

Sport

Chess

The 27th New Zealand Chess Championship is held in Auckland, and is won by W.E. Mason of Wellington, his fifth title.

Golf

The eighth New Zealand Open championship is won by Ted Douglas.
The 22nd National Amateur Championships are held in Auckland:
* Men – Arthur Duncan
* Women – Mrs G. Williams

Horse racing

Harness racing

New Zealand Trotting Cup – Win Soon
Auckland Trotting Cup – Steel Bell

Thoroughbred racing

New Zealand Cup – Warstep
Auckland Cup – Warstep
Wellington Cup – Kilrain
New Zealand Derby – Balboa

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin.

Men's singles champion – J.S. Kilgour
Men's pair champions – J. Johnson, E. Harraway
Men's fours champions – W. Grenfell, A.E. Erksine, W.J. Thompson, J. Porteous

Rugby league

During the 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, the Kiwis lose to Great Britain 16–13 in Auckland

Rugby union

defend the Ranfurly Shield against,, Horowhenua, Wairarapa, and, before losing to .

Soccer

Provincial league champions:
* Auckland – Auckland Thistle
* Canterbury – Sydenham
* Hawke's Bay – Waipukurau
* Otago – Northern
* Southland – Rangers
* Wanganui – Eastbrooke
* Wellington – Wellington Corinthians

Tennis

Anthony Wilding, partnered with Norman Brookes, wins the men's doubles at the Wimbledon Championship.
The Davis Cup final is held in New York City. New Zealander Anthony Wilding and Australian Norman Brookes beat the United States 3–2.

Births

January–March

12 January –
* Roy Jack, politician
* Everard Jackson, rugby union player
22 January – Ron McLean, environmental campaigner
30 January – Bill Phillips, rugby union player
1 February – James Gould, rower
2 February – F. Russell Miller, politician
3 February – Felix Kelly, graphic designer, painter, illustrator
14 February – Jack Rankin, rugby union player
19 February – Thelma Kench, athlete
22 February – Theo Allen, athlete
7 March – Doreen Blumhardt, potter, arts educator
11 March – Dan Riddiford, politician
16 March – H. W. Gretton, poet, lyricist, diarist
19 March – Jack Best, rugby union player
24 March
* Nancy Borlase, painter and art critic
* Enid McElwee, fencer
27 March – Ces Burke, cricketer
31 March – David Seath, politician

April–June

2 April – Walter Whittlestone, dairy scientist, peace activist
30 April – Zena Daysh, human ecologist
5 May – Lloyd Trigg, World War II pilot, Victoria Cross recipient
8 May –
* Gaven Donne, jurist
* Dean Eyre, politician, diplomat
27 May – Graham Turbott, ornithologist, zoologist, museum director
30 May – Frank Sharpley, athlete
2 June – Joe Genet, wrestler
3 June –
* Tommy Farnan, association football player
* Reg Grant, World War II pilot
13 June – Gordon Patrick, cyclist
16 June – Theo de Lange, air force officer
20 June – Pearl Savin, cricketer
23 June – Clifford Richmond, jurist

July–September

4 July – Ray Speed, association football player
5 July – Jim Watt, rugby union player and paediatrician
9 July – M. K. Joseph, poet and novelist
28 July –
* Wiremu Te Āwhitu, first Māori Roman Catholic priest
* Joey Sadler, rugby union player
7 August – Alice Bush, doctor, family planning activist
11 August – Donald Cobden, rugby union player, Battle of Britain pilot
21 August – Billie Fulford, cricketer
23 August – Jack Hemi, rugby union and rugby league player
27 August –
* Gordon Christie, politician
* Vernon Thomas, wrestler
2 September – Ron Barclay, politician

October–December

13 October – Cecil Matthews, athlete
17 October – Leo Schultz, politician
22 October – Pat Boot, athlete
23 October – Donald Stott, soldier, military intelligence agent
30 October – Pat Mackie, miner and trade unionist
7 November – Doug Freeman, cricketer
8 November – Guthrie Wilson, novelist and teacher
9 November – Colin Gray, World War II fighter ace
15 November – Jack Holloway, alpine explorer, forest ecologist
18 November – Bill Phillips, economist
1 December – Peter Mathieson, swimmer
4 December – Arthur Prior, logician and philosopher
10 December – Reginald Delargey, Roman Catholic bishop
21 December – Lankford Smith, association football player and cricketer
22 December – Adrian Hayter, soldier, sailor, Antarctic leader, author
25 December –
* James Fletcher, industrialist
* Don McRae, cricketer and association football player
* Bob White, politician
27 December – Hilda Buck, cricketer
28 December – Norman King, politician
30 December – Ian Lythgoe, public servant

Deaths

January–June

10 January – Samuel Hodgkinson, politician
2 February – Alfred Burton, photographer
8 February – Irving Sayles, vaudeville entertainer
25 February – John Scott, medical academic, artist
28 February – Ann Boyce, herbalist
2 March – Mohi Tūrei, Ngāti Porou leader, Anglican minister, carver, haka composer
18 March – Edwin Blake, politician
20 March – Henry Goulstone, banker, magistrate
10 June – Carbine, Thoroughbred racehorse

July–December

6 July – Charles Carter, Baptist missionary
21 July – John Blair Whyte, politician
30 July – Helen Gibb, farmer, accommodation-house keeper
16 August – Caroline Freeman, school teacher
18 August – Thomas Young Duncan, politician
25 August –
* William McLean, politician, New Zealand's first motor car owner
* Patrick O'Reilly, Roman Catholic priest, educationalist
2 September – John Carruthers, civil engineer, economic theorist
29 September – Thomas Fergus, politician
* Maria Atkinson, community leader
* Matthew Green, politician
1 October – Richard Barcham Shalders, Baptist preacher, founder of YMCA in New Zealand
14 October – Walter Symes, politician
17 October – Kennedy Macdonald, politician
25 November – John Blair, businessman, politician, educational administrator
30 November – John Shand, university professor
21 December – William Montgomery, politician
25 December – James Gow Black, chemist, mineralogist

Full date unknown

Matutaera Nihoniho, a Ngāti Porou leader, soldier, storekeeper and assessor