1931 in New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Population
- Estimated Population as of 31 December: 1,522,800
- Increase since previous 31/12/1930: 16,000 (1.06%)
- Males per 100 Females: 103.8
Regal and Vice Regal
- Head of StateHead of StateA head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
- George VGeorge V of the United KingdomGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936.... - Governor-GeneralGovernor-General of New ZealandThe Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
- The Lord BledisloeCharles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe-External links:*...
GCMGOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
KBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
PCPrivy Council of the United KingdomHer Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
Government
United Party (New Zealand)
The United Party of New Zealand, a party formed out of the remnants of the Liberal Party, formed a government between 1928 and 1935, and in 1936 merged with the Reform Party to establish the National Party...
and the Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
with the Reform Party
New Zealand Reform Party
The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party...
in opposition. During the year the agreement between United and Labour collapsed due to differing opinions on how to counter the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. The Reform Party, fearing that the Depression would give Labour a substantial boost, reluctantly agreed to form a coalition with United to avert elections. By forming a coalition, United and Reform were able to blunt Labour's advantage, ending the possibility of the anti-Labour vote being split and the general election
New Zealand general election, 1931
The 1931 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 24th term. It resulted in the newly formed coalition between the United Party and the Reform Party remaining in office as the Liberal-Reform Government, although the opposition Labour...
in December saw the United/Reform coalition winning a majority.
- Speaker of the HouseSpeaker of the New Zealand House of RepresentativesIn New Zealand the Speaker of the House of Representatives is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body, the New Zealand House of Representatives...
- Charles StathamCharles StathamSir Charles Ernest Statham was a New Zealand politician, and the ninth Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1923 to 1935.He was born in Dunedin, and trained in law, practicing from 1904 in Dunedin...
(Independent) - Prime MinisterPrime Minister of New ZealandThe Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
- George William ForbesGeorge William ForbesGeorge William Forbes served as the 22nd Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935. Few expected him to become Prime Minister when he did, and some believed him unsuitable, but he nevertheless remained in that office for five years... - Minister of FinanceMinister of Finance (New Zealand)The Minister of Finance is a senior figure within the government of New Zealand. The position is often considered to be the most important Cabinet role after that of the Prime Minister....
- George William ForbesGeorge William ForbesGeorge William Forbes served as the 22nd Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935. Few expected him to become Prime Minister when he did, and some believed him unsuitable, but he nevertheless remained in that office for five years...
(United) until 22 September, then William Downie StewartWilliam Downie StewartWilliam Downie Stewart was a New Zealand Finance Minister, Mayor of Dunedin and writer.-Early life:Stewart was born in Dunedin in 1878. His father was William Downie Stewart, a lawyer and politician...
(Reform) - Minister of Foreign AffairsMinister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand)The Minister of Foreign Affairs is a major ministerial portfolio in the government of New Zealand.The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Murray McCully, who was National Party Spokeperson of Foreign Affairs and Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs. There are also Associate Minister roles...
- George William ForbesGeorge William ForbesGeorge William Forbes served as the 22nd Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935. Few expected him to become Prime Minister when he did, and some believed him unsuitable, but he nevertheless remained in that office for five years... - AttorAttorney-General (New Zealand)The Attorney-General is a political office in New Zealand. It is simultaneously a ministerial position and an administrative office, and has responsibility for supervising New Zealand law and advising the government on legal matters...
- Thomas SideyThomas SideySir Thomas Kay Sidey was a New Zealand politician from the Otago Region, remembered for his successful advocacy of daylight saving time.-Early life:...
until 22 September, then William Downie StewartWilliam Downie StewartWilliam Downie Stewart was a New Zealand Finance Minister, Mayor of Dunedin and writer.-Early life:Stewart was born in Dunedin in 1878. His father was William Downie Stewart, a lawyer and politician...
Parliamentary opposition
- Leader of the OppositionLeader of the Opposition (New Zealand)The Leader of the Opposition in New Zealand is the politician who, at least in theory, commands the support of the non-government bloc of members in the New Zealand Parliament. In the debating chamber the Leader of the Opposition sits directly opposite the Prime Minister...
- Gordon CoatesGordon CoatesJoseph Gordon Coates, MC and bar served as the 21st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1925 to 1928.- Early life :Born on the Hukatere Peninsula in Kaipara Harbour where his family ran a farm, Coates took on significant responsibility at a relatively early age because his father suffered from...
(ReformNew Zealand Reform PartyThe Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party...
) until September 22, then Harry HollandHarry HollandHenry Edmund Holland was a New Zealand politician and unionist. He was the first leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.-Early life:...
(LabourNew Zealand Labour PartyThe New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
).
Main centre leaders
- Mayor of AucklandMayor of AucklandThe Mayor of Auckland is the directly elected head of the Auckland Council, the local government authority for the Auckland region in New Zealand...
- George BaildonGeorge BaildonGeorge Baildon was a New Zealand businessman and Mayor of Auckland City from 1925 to 1931.Born and educated in Auckland, he was a builder and contractor. He was 4 years on the Archhill Road Board , then on the Grey Lynn Borough Council from 1909 and Mayor from 1912; until Grey Lynn amalgamated...
, succeeded by George Hutchison - Mayor of Hamilton, New ZealandMayor of Hamilton, New ZealandThe Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand is the head of the municipal government of Hamilton, New Zealand, and presides over the Hamilton City Council.In the 2010 Local Government elections, Julie Hardaker was elected as mayor, defeating incumbent Bob Simcock....
- John Robert FowJohn Robert FowJohn Robert Fow was Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand for four terms: June 1916 to May 1917, August 1918 to May 1919, May 1920 to May 1931, and May 1933 to May 1938....
, succeeded by Frances Dewsbury Pinford - Mayor of WellingtonMayor of WellingtonThe Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of Wellington, New Zealand, and presides over the Wellington City Council. The Mayor of Wellington administers only Wellington City itself — other municipalities in adjacent areas of the Wellington Region such as Lower Hutt, Upper...
- George Troup, succeeded by Thomas HislopThomas Charles Atkinson HislopThomas Charles Atkinson Hislop was the Mayor of Wellington from 1931 to 1944.He was a Wellington City Councillor from 1913 to 1915, when he resigned to serve in the Wellington Regiment in World War I. He became a Councillor again from 1927 to 1931, and then Mayor from 1931 to 1945.He was the... - Mayor of ChristchurchMayor of ChristchurchThe Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system...
- J. K. Archer, succeeded by Daniel Giles SullivanDaniel Giles SullivanDaniel Giles "Dan" Sullivan was a New Zealand Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and Mayor of Christchurch.-Early years:... - Mayor of DunedinMayor of DunedinThe Mayor of Dunedin is the head of the municipal government of Dunedin, New Zealand, and presides over the Dunedin City Council. The Mayor is directly elected, using the Single Transferable Vote system in 2007....
- Robert Sheriff Black
Events
- 7 January: Australian aviator Guy MenziesGuy MenziesGuy Lambton Menzies was the Australian aviator who flew the first solo trans-Tasman flight, from Sydney, Australia to the West Coast of New Zealand, on 7 January 1931....
makes the first solo flight across the Tasman sea, starting from Sydney and ending 11 hours 45 minutes later with a crash landing in a swamp near HarihariHarihariHari Hari -Maori Meaning, from Te Aka Maori/English Dictionary is "To Take/Carry Joy" or, as local legend suggests, "Come together in Unison" from a Maori canoe paddling chant/song. In recent years, Hari Hari has been increasingly referred to as "Harihari" – Maori Meaning is "Ambulance"...
on the West CoastWest Coast, New ZealandThe West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland... - 3 February: The Hawkes Bay earthquake1931 Hawke's Bay earthquakeThe 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, also known as the Napier earthquake, occurred in New Zealand at 10:47 am on Tuesday 3 February 1931, killing 256 and devastating the Hawke's Bay region. It remains New Zealand's deadliest natural disaster...
, New Zealand's worst, kills 256 people, mainly in NapierNapier, New ZealandNapier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
and HastingsHastings, New ZealandThe city of Hastings is a major urban settlement in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District... - 8 February: A DesoutterDesoutter Aircraft CompanyThe Desoutter Aircraft Company was a British aircraft manufacturer based in Croydon. It was founded by Marcel Desoutter and produced aircraft during the late 1920s and the 1930s.-History:...
aircraft of Dominion Airline crashed near WairoaWairoaWairoa is a town in New Zealand's North Island. It is the northernmost town in the Hawke's Bay region, and is located on the northern shore of Hawke Bay at the mouth of the Wairoa River and to the west of Mahia Peninsula...
, killing all three people aboard. This is the first fatality on a scheduled air service in New Zealand.
Film
See: :Category:1931 film awards , 1931 in film1931 in film
-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
, List of New Zealand feature films , Cinema of New Zealand
Cinema of New Zealand
New Zealand cinema, can refer to films made by New Zealand-based production companies in New Zealand. However, it may also refer to films made about New Zealand by filmmakers from other countries...
, :Category:1931 films
Appointments and awards
See: New Zealand Order of MeritNew Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, Order of New Zealand
Order of New Zealand
The Order of New Zealand is the highest honour in New Zealand's honours system, created "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity"...
- Archbishop of New ZealandArchbishop of New ZealandThe Archbishop of New Zealand is the primate, or head, of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. However, since Whakahuihui Vercoe stepped down at the end of his two-year term as archbishop in 2006, the church has decided that three bishops shall share the position and style of...
- Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and PolynesiaAnglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and PolynesiaThe Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia is a church of the Anglican Communion serving New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands...
, see appointments to Diocese
Chess
- The 40th National Chess Championship was held in Rotorua, and was won by A.W. GylesAlfred William GylesAlfred William Gyles was New Zealand chess champion on two occasions—1930/31 and 1935/36.Gyles was born in Wellington, New Zealand and died in Levin.-Further reading:*30th Congress of the New Zealand Chess Association...
of Wellington.
Golf
- The 21st New Zealand OpenNew Zealand OpenThe BMW New Zealand Open is the leading men's golf tournament in New Zealand. In 2011, it will be hosted by The Clearwater Resort in Christchurch from 1–4 December. The tournament is being promoted by New Zealand Golf...
championship was won by Andrew ShawAndrew Shaw (golfer)Andrew J. Shaw is a former professional golfer from New Zealand. He is a seven time winner of the New Zealand PGA Championship and a seven time winner of the New Zealand Open .-References:...
, his 4th win. - The 35th National Amateur Championships were held in Christchurch
- Men: Rana Wagg (Hutt)
- Women: Miss B. Gaisford
Harness racing
- New Zealand Trotting CupNew Zealand Trotting CupThe New Zealand Trotting Cup or New Zealand Cup is a Group One harness race held annually by the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is considered the country's most prestigious harness racing event. the prize was NZ$750,000, the largest prize for a...
: Harold LoganHarold LoganHarold Logan was a New Zealand bred Standardbred pacer that won two New Zealand Trotting Cups. He was a leading performer in 1931 and 1932. In 1932, he won the New Zealand Trotting Cup with a handicap of 60 yards.-Pedigree:... - Auckland Trotting CupAuckland Trotting CupThe Auckland Trotting Cup or Auckland Cup is a race held at Alexandra Park in March in Auckland, New Zealand for Standardbred horses. It is one of two major harness races, along with the New Zealand Cup, held in New Zealand each year. It is notable as it is a Group 1 championship race over...
: Royal Silk