2015 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 2015 in New Zealand.

Population

;National
Estimated populations as at 30 June.

New Zealand total – 4,596,700
North Island – 3,519,800
South Island – 1,076,300

;Main urban areas
Estimated populations as at 30 June.

Auckland – 1,454,300
Blenheim – 30,600
Christchurch – 381,800
Dunedin – 117,400
Gisborne – 35,700
Hamilton – 224,000
Invercargill – 50,300
Kapiti – 41,300
Napier-Hastings – 129,700
Nelson – 64,800
New Plymouth – 56,300
Palmerston North – 83,500
Rotorua – 56,800
Tauranga – 130,800
Wellington – 398,300
Whanganui – 39,400
Whangārei – 55,400

Incumbents

Regal and vice-regal

Head of State – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Jerry Mateparae

Government

2015 is the first full year of the 51st Parliament, which first sat on 21 October 2014.
The Fifth National Government, first elected in 2008, continues.

Speaker of the House – David Carter
Prime Minister – John Key
Deputy Prime Minister – Bill English
Leader of the House – Gerry Brownlee
Minister of Finance – Bill English
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Murray McCully

Other party leaders

Labour – Andrew Little
Green – Russel Norman until 30 May then James Shaw, and Metiria Turei
New Zealand First – Winston Peters
Māori Party – Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox
ACT New Zealand – David Seymour
United Future – Peter Dunne

Judiciary

Chief Justice – Sian Elias
President of the Court of Appeal – Ellen France
Chief High Court judge – Helen Winkelmann, and then Geoffrey Venning from 1 June
Chief District Court judge – Jan-Marie Doogue

Main centre leaders

Arts and literature

Performing arts

Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Johnny Devlin.

Events

January

1 January – New Zealand begins its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, after being elected on the first ballot in the 2014 election.

February

12 February - Sky New Zealand launches its Neon streaming service.
14 February – The 2015 Cricket World Cup, jointly hosted between Australia and New Zealand, began in Christchurch with New Zealand winning against Sri Lanka

March

16 March – The remnants of Cyclone Pam move down the east coast of New Zealand causing evacuations, heavy flooding, and power outages.
24 March – Netflix launches in New Zealand.
28 March – A by-election was held in the Northland electorate to replace MP Mike Sabin of the National Party who resigned on 30 January. The electorate was regarded as a safe National seat, but was won by Winston Peters of New Zealand First.

April

24 April – A magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes south-east of Saint Arnaud in the Tasman District.

May

31 May – The Christchurch Central Police Station is demolished by implosion following damage from the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

June

3 June – Heavy rain in the coastal Otago Region causes heavy flooding in South Dunedin, which was exacerbated by a breakdown of the Portobello pumping station.
20 June – State of emergencies are declared in Rangitikei District, Whanganui District and South Taranaki District due to flooding.

September

A temporary ban on the 2013 book Into the River creates controversy.
1 September – The Flag Consideration Panel releases the short list of flag options

December

11 December – Voting closes on the first referendum on the New Zealand flag closes, with the black and blue variant of the Lockwood silver fern flag advancing to the second referendum.

Holidays and observances

6 February – Waitangi Day
25 April – Anzac Day
27 April – Anzac Day public holiday
1 June – Queen's Birthday Monday
26 October – Labour Day
25 December – Christmas Day

Sport

Awards

Halberg Awards
* Supreme Award – All Blacks
* Sportsman – Kane Williamson
* Sportswoman – Lydia Ko
* Team – All Blacks
* Disabled Sportsperson – Sophie Pascoe
* Coach – Steve Hansen
* Emerging Talent – Eliza McCartney

Cricket

New Zealand, in conjunction with Australia, will host the 2015 Cricket World Cup between 14 February and 29 March.

Football

New Zealand will host the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup between 30 May and 20 June.

Rowing

New Zealand Secondary School Championships (Maadi Cup)
* Maadi Cup – Hamilton Boys' High School
* Levin 75th Jubilee Cup – St Margaret's College
* Star Trophy – Hamilton Boys' High School

Shooting

Ballinger Belt – Ross Geange

Births

12 September – Tofane, Thoroughbred racehorse
12 October – Verry Elleegant, Thoroughbred racehorse
26 October – Self Assured, Standardbred racehorse
3 November – Kolding, Thoroughbred racehorse

Deaths

January

10 January – John Angus, children's rights advocate
11 January
* Doriemus, thoroughbred racehorse
* Chic Littlewood, television personality and actor
13 January – Tony Ciprian, television sports news presenter and producer
15 January – Harvey Sweetman, air force pilot
16 January – Sir Ian Athfield, architect
20 January – Lawrence Hogben, World War II naval officer, meteorologist
29 January – Len Wyatt, cricketer

February

1 February – Alby Duckmanton, cricket player and administrator
9 February – Apirana Mahuika, Ngāti Porou leader
11 February – Tama Huata, Māori performing arts leader
12 February – Christopher Horton, businessman
13 February – Kete Ioane, Cook Islands politician
16 February
* Robin Duff, teacher, education leader, gay rights activist
* Celia Lashlie, prison officer, social justice advocate
18 February – Doug Armstrong, cricketer, television sports presenter, politician
24 February
* Dame Thea Muldoon, wife of Sir Robert Muldoon
* Tony Small, diplomat

March

3 March –
* Kerry Ashby, rower
* Peter Yaxley, rugby league player, referee and administrator
7 March – Brian Sutton-Smith, writer and play theorist
11 March – Keith Roberts, rugby league player
12 March – Alan Wilkinson, association footballer
14 March – Graham Avery, track cyclist
18 March – Sir Don Rowlands, rower and businessman
20 March – Sir Russell Pettigrew, businessman, sports administrator
24 March
* Bryan Bartley, engineer
* Peter Stichbury, potter
27 March – Neville Denton, rugby league player
29 March – Mike Watt, sport shooter
31 March – Trevor Laurence, field hockey player

April

1 April – Sir John Ingram, engineer and businessman
2 April
* Mick Brown, jurist
* Bill Lean, Paralympic athlete
5 April – Steve Rickard, professional wrestler
10 April
* Desmond Digby, stage designer, children's book illustrator and painter
* Dorothy Jelicich, politician
16 April – Ron Bailey, politician
18 April – Bill Schultz, rugby league player
20 April – Gary Brain, timpanist and orchestral conductor
23 April – Frana Cardno, politician

May

2 May – Rex Percy, rugby league player
8 May –
* Juan Schwanner, association football player and manager
* Phil Skoglund, lawn bowls player
9 May – Buddy Corlett, softball and basketball player
10 May – Jack Body, composer
19 May – Sir Thomas Gault, jurist
21 May – Roland Avery, rugby league referee
26 May – John Pinder, comedy producer and festival director
29 May – Chris Kohlhase, softball player and coach
31 May – Iain Campbell, cricketer

June

5 June
* Jerry Collins, rugby union player
* Te Uruhina McGarvey, Tūhoe kuia
* Lecretia Seales, lawyer and right to die campaigner
7 June – Peter Petherick, cricketer
9 June – Sir Peter Williams, lawyer and penal reform advocate
10 June – Bonecrusher, Thoroughbred racehorse
13 June – Mike Shrimpton, cricket player and coach
17 June – John Lasher, rugby league player
18 June – Sir Patrick Moore, otolaryngologist
20 June – Ian Bradley, naval officer and politician
22 June – Norm Berryman, rugby union player
25 June – Ross Hynds, Paralympic athlete
27 June – Eric Dunn, cricketer

July

2 July – Sir Ronald Davison, jurist, Chief Justice
7 July – Craig Norgate, accountant and business leader
13 July
* Sir John Buchanan, scientist and businessman
* Campbell Smith, wood engraver, playwright and poet
18 July
* Tim Beaglehole, historian and university administrator
* Lou Gardiner, military officer, Chief of Army
20 July – Stuart Jones, cricketer
23 July – Doug Rowe, musician and singer
27 July – Joan Mattingley, clinical chemist
29 July – Sir John Todd, businessman and philanthropist
30 July – Jimmy Edwards, rugby league player

August

4 August – Les Munro, World War II pilot, last survivor of Operation Chastise
6 August – Geoff Mardon, speedway rider
7 August – Trevor Barber, cricketer
9 August – Gordon Vette, pilot, TE-901 crash researcher
16 August – Jon Craig, architect
17 August – George Gair, politician and diplomat
20 August – Paul Kibblewhite, pulp and paper scientist
21 August – Colin Beyer, lawyer and businessman
28 August – Jan Anderson, plant biologist
30 August – John Hotop, rugby union player

September

2 September
* Avinash Deobhakta, lawyer and jurist
* Manos Nathan, ceramicist
4 September – Graham Brazier, musician and songwriter
6 September – Allen Roberts, cricketer
8 September – Robert Wylie, cricketer
10 September – Colleen Waata-Urlich, ceramicist
13 September – Sir James Belich, politician, Mayor of Wellington
15 September – Ian Uttley, rugby union player
16 September
* Terry McCavana, association footballer
* Peter Molan, biochemist
* Bill Oliver, historian and poet
17 September – Daniel Keighley, music festival promoter and band manager
20 September – Dorothy Butler, children's author, bookseller and reading advocate
25 September – Zabeel, Thoroughbred racehorse and sire
30 September – Neil Graham, businessman and philanthropist

October

3 October – William Taylor, children's writer and politician
5 October – Michael Dean, television presenter
6 October – Frankie Boardman, musician
7 October – Arthur Woods, rugby union player
9 October – David Benney, applied mathematician
20 October – Sir John Scott, medical researcher
29 October – Bruce Gregory, politician
31 October – Colin Nicholson, lawyer and jurist

November

1 November – Bill Ballantine, marine biologist
10 November – Laurent Vidal, French triathlete who lived half the time in New Zealand
12 November – Peter McLeavey, art dealer
13 November – John Gray, Anglican bishop
17 November – Donald Brian, cricketer
18 November – Jonah Lomu, rugby union player
19 November
* Rex Cunningham, rugby league player
* John Hall-Jones, historian, otolaryngologist and outdoorsman
21 November – Vern Bakalich, rugby league player
30 November
* Jack Fagan, rugby league player
* David Simmons, ethnologist and historian

December

3 December – Michael Wilson, cricketer
7 December – Betty Bourke, health administrator
10 December – Maurice Graham, rugby union player
12 December – Jon Gadsby, writer and comedian
19 December – Stephen Jelicich, architect and historian
23 December – Bill Subritzky, property developer and evangelist