1923 in New Zealand

← 1922 1921 1920 1923 in New Zealand → 1924 1925 1926
Decades:	1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s
See also:	Other events of 1923 Timeline of New Zealand history

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State - George V
• Governor-General - The Viscount Jellicoe GCB OM GCVO

Government

The 21st New Zealand Parliament continued. The Reform Party governed as a minority with the support of independents.

• Speaker of the House - Charles Statham (Independent)
• Prime Minister - William Massey
• Minister of Finance - William Massey
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - Francis Bell

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition - Thomas Wilford (Liberal Party).

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland - James Gunson
• Mayor of Hamilton - John Robert Fow
• Mayor of Wellington - Robert Wright
• Mayor of Christchurch - Henry Thacker succeeded by James Arthur Flesher
• Mayor of Dunedin - James Sandilands Douglas succeeded by Harold Livingstone Tapley

Events

• New Zealand gained the right to conduct its own trade negotiations independently of Britain.
• The Ross Dependency was claimed by Britain and placed under New Zealand's administration
• Opening of the Otira rail tunnel on the Midland Line.
• Establishment of the Royal New Zealand Air Force
• The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand is formed.
• Battlecruiser HMS New Zealand broken up for scrap.
• 28 March: Tauranga by-election won by Charles Edward MacMillan (Reform Party)
• 1 May: Oamaru by-election won by John MacPherson (Liberal Party)
• Friday 6 July around 6am Auckland-Wellington Express on the main trunk line runs into a slip at Ongarue near Taumarunui resulting in 17 deaths.
• The New Zealand Inflation Rate reached the lowest recorded value -15.3 Percent in March 1923

Arts and literature

See 1923 in art, 1923 in literature, Category:1923 books

Music

Production of the musical "Tutankhamen" by L.P.Leary at His Majesty's Theatre in Auckland. Music by Eric Waters.

See: 1923 in music

Radio

• A set of Broadcasting regulations are issued under the Post And Telegraph Act 1920. Under the new regulations the country is divided into four numerical transmission regions. The regulations also stipulate that the owner of a receiving set is to pay an annual license of five shillings while permission to transmit costs two pounds.[1]

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

• The Romance of Sleepy Hollow

See: 1923 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1923 films

Sport

Chess

• The 32nd National Chess Championship was held in Christchurch, and was won by J.B. Dunlop of Oamaru, his third title.

Cricket

• Plunket Shield

Golf

• The 10th New Zealand Open championship was won by A. Brooks.
• The 27th National Amateur Championships were held in Wanganui
  • Men: J. Goss (Wanganui)
  • Women: Miss E. Vigor Brown

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Great Hope
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Blue Mountain King

Thoroughbred racing

• ARC Great Northern Derby: Won by Enthusiasm (NZ)

Rugby

• A New South Wales team toured New Zealand, playing three matches against the New Zealand team. New Zealand won all three, 19-9, 34-6 and 38-11.
• Hawkes Bay held and defended the Ranfurly Shield for the full season, defeating Wairarapa (6-0), Wellington (10-6), Poverty Bay (15-0), Canterbury (9-8), Horowhenua (38-11), and Auckland (20-5).

Soccer

• Inaugural competition for the Chatham Cup won by Seacliff AFC (Otago)
• New Zealand tour of Australia:
  • 24 May, Granville: Lost 1-3 vs Granville
  • 26 May, Sydney: drew 2-2 vs New South Wales
  • 29 May, Newcastle: lost 0-2 vs Newcastle
  • 2 June, Ipswich: won 4-2 vs Ipswich / West Moreton
  • 4 June, Brisbane: won 3-1 vs Queensland
  • 6 June, Nambour: won 2-0 vs North Coast
  • 9 June, Brisbane: lost 1-2 vs Australia
  • 13 June, Cessnock: lost 1-2 vs South Maitland
  • 16 June, Sydney: won 3-2 vs Australia
  • 20 June, Sydney: won 3-4 vs Metropolis
  • 23 June, Sydney: won 3-1 vs Granville
  • 25 June, Sydney: drew 1-1 vs New South Wales
  • 30 June, Newcastle: won 4-1 vs Australia
  • 3 July, Weston: lost 1-4 vs South Maitland
  • 7 July, Wollongong: lost 0-2 vs South Coast
  • 11 July, Lithgow: won 4-0 vs Western Districts
• Provincial league champions:
  • Auckland: North Shore AFC (Devonport)
  • Canterbury: Sunnyside
  • Hawke's Bay: Whakatu
  • Nelson: Athletic
  • Otago: HSOB
  • South Canterbury: Albion Rovers
  • Southland: Nightcaps
  • Taranaki: Hawera
  • Wanganui: Eastown Workshops
  • Wellington: Waterside

Births

• 6 January: Norman Kirk. Politician and Prime Minister.
• 27 January: Robert Burchfield. Lexicographer.
• 2 March: Don Taylor, cricketer.
• 31 March: Lawrie Miller, cricketer.
• 18 July J.J. Stewart, rugby coach.
• 11 November: Sonja Davies, Trade unionist, peace activist.
• 17 November: Bert Sutcliffe, cricketer.
• Lindsay Daen, sculptor.
• Melvin (Pat) Day, artist.
• Eric Heath, cartoonist.
• Jean Herbison, academic, university chancellor.
• Jack Luxton, politician.
• Peter Mahon QC.
• Neville Pickering, politician.

Category:1923 births

Deaths

• 9 January: Katherine Mansfield (writer).
• 15 October: Thomas Frederic Cheeseman, botanist.

Category:1923 deaths

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

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• Events of the Past Year as compiled by The New Zealand Herald