The following lists events that happened during 1918 in New Zealand.
The jubilation over the end of World War I was overshadowed by the Spanish flu pandemic reaching New Zealand. In four months, it is estimated that over 8600 New Zealanders died of the disease and between one third and one half of the population were infected. The death rate for Māori was estimated at 42 per thousand (approx 2,160 deaths) compared to 5.6 per 1000 (6,400 deaths) for European New Zealanders.Chch City Libraries website gathered 17 July 2006
Incumbents
Regal and viceregal Head of State – George V Governor-General – Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of LiverpoolStatistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
Government The 19th New Zealand Parliament continues for a fourth year as a grand coalition led by the Reform Party. Speaker of the House – Frederic Lang (Reform Party) Prime Minister – William Massey (Reform Party) Minister of Finance – Joseph Ward (Liberal Party)
Parliamentary opposition Leader of the Opposition – Joseph Ward (Liberal Party). Ward retains the title even though he is part of the coalition government.
Judiciary Chief Justice – Sir Robert Stout
Main centre leaders Mayor of Auckland – James Gunson Mayor of Wellington – John Luke Mayor of Christchurch – Henry Holland Mayor of Dunedin – James Clark
Events 19–20 March: Raetihi forest fire kills 3 and destroys over 150 homes.Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand: Disasters and Mishaps – The Raetihi Conflagration Early October: The first cases of Spanish flu are recorded in Auckland.New Zealand History online: The 1918 flu pandemic 12 October: Troop ship RMS Niagara returns, carrying a number of people ill with influenza. It is not quarantined. William Massey and Joseph Ward are aboard. Although later cited as the cause of the Spanish flu epidemic, 6 persons had already died in the 3 days preceding its arrival.New Zealand History online: RMS Niagara – the 1918 influenza pandemic 18 November: Influenza is "hastily" gazetted as a notifiable disease. December: The flu epidemic eases. Over 8600 have died including at least 1260 Māori. 2 December: Aviation Act 1918, to control aviation in New Zealand, is passed by Parliament.Rendel, David (1975) Civil Aviation in New Zealand: An Illustrated History. Wellington. A.H. & A.W.Reed.
Undated Parliament moves into Parliament House although it is not yet completed.
Arts and literature
See 1918 in art, 1918 in literature, :Category:1918 books
Music
See: 1918 in music
Film
See: 1918 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :Category:1918 films
Sport
Golf The New Zealand Open championship was not held due to the war.
Horse racing
Harness racing New Zealand Trotting Cup – Author Dillon Auckland Trotting Cup – Harold JuniorAuckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz
Thoroughbred racing New Zealand Cup – Sasanof Auckland Cup – Mascot Wellington Cup – Nobleman New Zealand Derby – Gloaming
Lawn bowls The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin. Men's singles champion – W. Foster (Caledonian Bowling Club) Men's pair champions – W.M. Hogg, E. Harraway (skip) (Dunedin Bowling Club) Men's fours champions – W. Robson, J. Spinks, E. Falconer, C.R. Smith (skip) (Otago Bowling Club)
Rugby union The Ranfurly Shield (held by Wellington) is not contested as interprovincial matches are cancelled due to the war.
Soccer Provincial league champions: Auckland: North Shore Canterbury: Excelsior Hawke's Bay: Waipukurau Otago: Southern Dunedin Southland: No competition Wanganui: No competition Wellington: Porirua
Births
January–March 4 January – Anne Elder, ballet dancer, poet 5 January Roy Cowan, potter, illustrator, printmaker Margaret Marks, cricketer Joyce Sullivan, netball player 7 January – Colin Snedden, cricket player and commentator 11 January – John Mackey, Roman Catholic bishop 15 January – Arthur Kinsella, politician 19 January – Mihi Edwards, writer, social worker, teacher 28 January – Trevor Skeet, lawyer, politician 5 February – Joe Ongley, cricket player and administrator, lawyer, jurist 24 February − Daniel Watkins, agrochemical distributor and manufacturer 26 February – Lloyd Geering, theologian 27 February – Brian Carbury, World War II fighter pilot 14 March – Ivan Lichter, thoracic surgeon, palliative care pioneer 17 March – Patrick Eisdell Moore, otolaryngologist 21 March – Lloyd White, diplomat 25 March – Nazmi Mehmeti, Muslim community leader 30 March – Elva Bett, artist, art historian, art gallery director
April–June 6 April – Jimmy Kemp, cricketer 7 April – Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu, soldier, Victoria Cross recipient 16 April – Roger Mirams, film producer and director 17 April – Dorothea Horsman, women's rights advocate 18 April – Patrick O'Dea, public servant 27 April – Douglas Dumbleton, cricket player and umpire 11 May – John O'Sullivan, cricketer 18 May – Walter Metcalf, physical chemist 19 May – Nevile Lodge, cartoonist 26 May – Freda Bream, author 8 June – George Edward Hughes, philosopher and logician 22 June – Mana Strickland, Cook Islands educator and politician 27 June – Edgar Kain, World War II fighter pilot
July–September 1 July – Clive Boyce, local-body politician 31 July – Frank Renouf, businessman, philanthropist 8 August – Logan Sloane, politician 9 August – Frank Rennie, soldier 12 August – Sid Hurst, farmer 30 August – Laurie Francis, diplomat and lawyer 11 September – Desmond Scott, World War II fighter pilot 15 September – Phil Lamason, World War II bomber pilot and prisoner-of-war leader 21 September – Avis Higgs, textile designer, painter 23 September – Douglas Bagnall, air force officer
October–December 1 October – Gloria Rawlinson, writer and editor 4 October – Gordon Burgess, cricket player and administrator 8 October – Olga Jekyll, fencer 22 October – Marcel Stanley, philatelist 24 October – Frank O'Flynn, lawyer, politician 2 November – Robbie Robson, lawn bowls player 4 November – Sidney Koreneff, World War II French resistance worker, newspaper managing director, Anglican priest 12 November – Denis Miller, World War II bomber pilot, airline pilot 15 November – Neil Williams, water polo player 16 November – Frank Newhook, plant pathologist 23 November – Gordon Bisson, jurist 29 November – Mick Holland, speedway rider, stock car racing pioneer 9 December – Harold Cassie, cricket umpire 12 December – Neville Thornton, rugby union player, school principal
Exact date unknown The Hawk, Thoroughbred racehorse Night Raid, Thoroughbred racehorse
Deaths
January–March 8 January – Taare Parata, politician (born 1865) 2 February – Arthur Hume, public servant (born 1838) 3 February – Ernest Hoben, rugby union administrator (born 1864) 6 February – Sir Henry Miller, politician (born 1830) 17 February – Harry Bedford, politician, university lecturer (born 1877) 18 February – William Morgan, politician (born 1851) 20 February – Gerhard Mueller, surveyor, engineer, land commissioner (born 1835) 24 February Luke Adams, potter (born 1838) Victor Spencer, soldier (born 1896) 12 March – Andrew Maginnity, politician (born 1849) 29 March – Harry Fulton, army officer (born 1869)
April–June 9 April – Hubert Turtill, rugby union and rugby league player (born 1880) 30 April – Eric Harper, rugby union player, athlete (born 1877) 9 May – Richard Hutton Davies, soldier (born 1861) 11 May – Felix Hunger, farmer, coloniser (born 1837) 3 June – Jane McBride, hotel proprietor (born ) 4 June – Hāmiora Mangakāhia, Ngāti Whanaunga leader, politician (born 1838) 9 June – Charles Fell, barrister, artist, politician, mayor of Nelson (1882–87) (born 1844) 11 June – Charles Gray, politician, mayor of Christchurch (1891–92) (born 1853) 13 June – Charles Johnston, politician, mayor of Wellington (1890) (born 1845) 28 June – Alexander Turnbull, bibliophile (born 1868)
July–September 10 July – Charles Rawlins, politician (born 1846) 14 July – Samuel Farr, architect (born 1827) 22 July – Thomas Tanner, politician (born 1830) 23 July William Barnes, blacksmith, labour reformer (born 1827) Albert Rowland, race walker (born 1885) 25 July – Richard Travis, soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1884) 30 July – Alexander Hatrick, merchant, shipowner, tourist entrepreneur, politician, mayor of Wanganui (1897–1904) (born 1857) 31 July – Henry Suter, zoologist (born 1841) 20 August William Campbell, Presbyterian minister (born 1840) Richard Meredith, politician (born 1843) 24 August – Samuel Forsyth, soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1891) 25 August – Jack Arnst, racing cyclist (born 1883) 4 September – Robert Fletcher, politician (born 1863) 6 September – Elizabeth Yates, first female mayor in the British Empire (born 1845) 8 September – Tony Foster, school principal and inspector, university lecturer (born 1853) 11 September – Ernie Dodd, rugby union player (born 1880) 13 September – Henry Okey, politician (born 1857) 14 September – Charles Macintosh, rugby union player, politician, mayor of Timaru (1901–02) (born 1869) 22 September – Joseph Joel Hammond, aviator (born 1886) 29 September George McMurtry, chemical engineer, mining manager, orchardist (born 1867) Lawrence Weathers, soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1890)
October–December 23 October – Henry James Nicholas, soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1891) 29 October – Charles Adams, surveyor, astronomer, public servant (born 1840) 1 November – Albert Gourlay, Australian rules footballer (born 1881) 5 November – Jimmy Ridland, rugby union player (born 1882) 6 November – George Stephenson, auctioneer, rugby player, impresario (born 1874) 11 November – Andrew Rutherford, politician (born 1842) 13 November – Alfred Hindmarsh, politician (born 1860) 15 November – Iraia Te Whaiti, farmer, Ngāti Kahungunu leader and historian (born 1861) 16 November – Ned Sale, cricketer (born 1883) 17 November – Helen Smith, clothing manufacturer and retailer (born 1873) 18 November – David Buick, politician (born 1848) 21 November – William Gibbes, cricketer (born 1880) 23 November – Michael Verdon, Roman Catholic bishop (born 1838) 28 November – Margaret Cruickshank, doctor (born 1873) 29 November – Heremia Te Wake, Te Rarawa leader, catechist (born 1830s) 8 December – Margaret Burn, school teacher and principal (born 1825) 10 December – Francis Petre, architect (born 1847) 12 December – Louis Steele, artist and engraver (born 1842) 18 December – Jim Gilmour, rugby league player (born 1881)
See also History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Military history of New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica Timeline of the New Zealand environment
References
External links