1854 in New Zealand

← 1853 1852 1851 1854 in New Zealand → 1855 1856 1857
Decades:	1830s 1840s 1850s 1860s 1870s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

The following lists events that happened during 1854 in New Zealand.

Population

The estimated population of New Zealand at the end of 1854 is 60,650 Māori and 32,554 non-Māori.^[1]

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Queen Victoria
• Governor – Sir George Grey resigns on 6 January. Colonel Thomas Gore Browne is appointed later in the year, but does not arrive to take up his position until 6 September 1855.

Government and law

After New Zealand's first general election, held on 1 October 1853 the 1st Parliament opens on 24 May.^[2]

There is neither an official Prime Minister/Premier/Colonial Secretary or Finance Minister/Colonial Secretary in the government at this point in time. (see 1st New Zealand Parliament)

• Speaker of the House – When the 1st Parliament opens on 24 May Sir Charles Clifford is unanimously elected as New Zealand's first Speaker of the House.
• Chief Justice – William Martin

Events

• 4 May: The Māori language magazine, The Maori Messenger or Ko te Karere Maori, which started in 1849, stops publishing. In 1855 it will be revived with a different Māori title.^[3]
• June: The Canterbury Standard begins publication. The Christchurch newspaper continues until 1866.^[4]

Sport

Horse racing

• 2 December – The Canterbury Jockey Club is formed, the first club of its kind in New Zealand.^[5][6] It holds its first meeting, at Riccarton Racecourse, in 1855.

Births

• 15 February: Peter Webb, rugby union player
• 8 April: George Carter, rugby union player
• 11 May: Westby Perceval, politician (in Tasmania)
• 11 December: James Edward Fulton, civil engineer
• 12 December: Alfred Brandon, Mayor of Wellington.
• (unknown date): William Thomas Wood, politician

Deaths

• April: Robert Fyffe, whaler and runholder
• 5 May: Te Ruki Kawiti, tribal leader
• 23 June: John Deans, Christchurch pioneer
• 19 October: Joseph Zillwood, policeman, farmer and innkeeper

Unknown date

• Te Aitu-o-te-rangi Jury, tribal founding mother, landowner and farmer
• Ngātata-i-te-rangi, tribal leader

See also

• List of years in New Zealand
• Timeline of New Zealand history
• History of New Zealand
• Military history of New Zealand
• Timeline of the New Zealand environment
• Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

References

1. Statistics New Zealand has collated estimates from a number of sources (interpolating where necessary) at "Long-term data series". Archived from the original on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008., in particular "A1.1 Total population.xls". Archived from the original (Excel) on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
2. New Zealand Parliament - Parliament timeline
3. "Chapter 2: Early Statistical Sources – 19th Century" (PDF). Statistical publications 1840–2000. Statistics New Zealand. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2007.
4. "Chapter 2: Early Statistical Sources – 19th Century" (PDF). Statistical publications 1840–2000. Statistics New Zealand. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2007.
5. Todd, S. (1976) Sporting Records of New Zealand. Auckland: Moa Publications. ISBN 0-908570-00-7
6. Christchurch: a chronology - 1854

External links

Media related to 1854 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons