1917 in New Zealand

Decades:	1890s; 1900s; 1910s; 1920s; 1930s;
See also:	History of New Zealand; List of years in New Zealand; Timeline of New Zealand history;

The following lists events that happened during 1917 in New Zealand.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Head of State – George V
Governor – Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, until 28 June^[1]
Governor-General – Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, from 28 June^[2]

George V
Lord Liverpool

Government

The 19th New Zealand Parliament continues as a grand coalition led by the Reform Party. The general election due this year is deferred because of World War I.

Speaker of the House – Frederic Lang (Reform Party)
Prime Minister – William Massey (Reform Party)
Minister of Finance – Joseph Ward

Frederic Lang
William Massey
Joseph Ward

Parliamentary opposition

Leader of the Opposition – Joseph Ward (Liberal Party). Ward retains the title even though he is part of the coalition government.^[3]

Joseph Ward

Judiciary

Chief Justice – Sir Robert Stout

Robert Stout

Main centre leaders

James Gunson
John Luke
Henry Holland
James Clark

Events

April – The first Caudron^[4] biplane purchased by Henry Wigram for the Canterbury Aviation Company arrives.^[5]
1 May – The New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool's Own) is formed as the 3rd Brigade of the New Zealand Division, part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
7 May – Cecil McKenzie Hill makes the first flight for the Canterbury Aviation Company.^[5]
June – Pilot training by the Canterbury Aviation Company commences at Sockburn.^[6]
24 September – Ten New Zealand soldiers are killed in England in the Bere Ferrers rail accident.
20 October – 850 New Zealand soldiers are killed in the Second Battle of Passchendaele, the greatest loss of life in a single day in the military history of New Zealand.
1 December – Six o’clock closing of hotel bars is introduced as a wartime measure.^[7]

Undated

"Extraordinary and continuous rainfall" throughout the year causes "enormous damage to roads and bridges", and "the country became waterlogged", according to the Public Works Statement.^[8]
The West Coast Times, established in 1865, is merged into the Hokitika Guardian and Star.^[9]

Arts and literature

See 1917 in art, 1917 in literature, Category:1917 books

Music

See: 1917 in music

Film

See: Category:1917 film awards, 1917 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1917 films

Sport

Golf

The New Zealand Open championship and National Amateur Championships are not held due to the war.^[10]

Horse racing

Harness racing

New Zealand Trotting Cup – Adelaide Direct^[11]
Auckland Trotting Cup – Steel Bell (2nd win)^[12]

Thoroughbred racing

New Zealand Cup – Meelaus^[13]
Auckland Cup – Fiery Cross^[13]
Wellington Cup – Bunting^[13]
New Zealand Derby – Estland^[13]

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Wellington.^[14]

Men's singles champion – C.R. Ingram (Wellington Bowling Club)
Men's pair champions – A. Sawyer, J.J. Martin (skip) (Turanganui Bowling Club)
Men's fours champions – J.S. Ryrie, A.R. Coltman, W. Coltman, G.S. Osmond (skip) (Auckland 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:^[15]
- Auckland – Brotherhood
- Canterbury – Linwood
- Hawke's Bay – Waipukurau
- Otago – Northern
- Southland – No competition
- Wanganui – No competition
- Wellington – No competition

Births

January

13 January – Doris Strachan, athlete
19 January – Agnes Ell, cricketer
20 January – Emily Carpenter, home science academic, adult educationalist, consumer advocate
25 January – Rosalie Gascoigne, sculptor
27 January – John Pattison, World War II pilot
28 January – Jack Hatchard, association footballer
31 January
- Erich Geiringer, writer, doctor, anti-nuclear weapons activist
- Frank Gill, air force officer, politician

February

19 February
- Morrie McHugh, boxer, rugby union player
- Peg Taylor, cricketer
26 February – Clyde Jeffery, politician, mayor of Napier (1974–83)

March

1 March – Bill Sutton, artist
9 March – Clarrie Gordon, boxer
10 March – Tom Pritchard, cricketer
20 March – Haddon Donald, soldier, politician, sports shooter
22 March – Phil Holloway, politician
26 March – Ruth Gilbert, poet

April

13 April – Bruce Ferguson, soldier
18 April – Brian Mason, geochemistry, mineralogist, meteoriticist

May

6 May – Roy Scott, cricketer
21 May – Margaret Milne, potter
22 May – Charlie Munro, jazz musician

June

10 June – Jack Henry, industrialist
11 June – Tom Davis, Cook Islands politician
25 June – Nora Crawford, police officer

July

1 July – Maurice Carter, property developer, politician, philanthropist
6 July – Arthur Lydiard, runner, athletics coach
7 July – John Crichton, furniture and interior designer
13 July – Frank Carpay, ceramics, textile and graphic designer
14 July – Doug Zohrab, public servant, diplomat
19 July – Lewis Johnston, cricket umpire
21 July – Jock Newall, association footballer
23 July – Douglas Goodfellow, businessman, philanthropist
27 July – Ron Meek. economist and social scientist
31 July – Derek Ward, World War II pilot

August

1 August – Esme Tombleson, politician
3 August – Eddie Isbey, politician
7 August – Arthur Cresswell, cricketer
24 August – Ruth Park, writer

September

2 September – Jack Scholes, sailor
6 September – Cecil Hight, World War II pilot
7 September – Ewen Solon, actor
16 September – David Lewis, sailor, Polynesian scholar
23 September – Wiremu Te Tau Huata, Anglican priest, military chaplain
26 September – James Coe, artist, art teacher, industrial designer, ergonomist
30 September – Denis Rogers, politician, mayor of Hamilton (1959–68)

October

2 October – Rosaleen Norton, artist, occultist
17 October
- Martin Donnelly, cricketer, rugby union player
- John Oswald Sanders, missionary
18 October – Roy White, rugby union player
31 October – Evan Mackie, World War II pilot

November

6 November – Henry Walters, cricketer
17 November – Tom Larkin, public servant, diplomat
25 November – Paul Beadle, sculptor, medallist

December

2 December – Betty Batham, marine biologist
7 December – Bert Roth, librarian, historian
8 December – Alan Stewart, rugby union player, university administrator
11 December – Owen Snedden, Roman Catholic bishop
12 December – Alan Deere, military pilot, author
13 December – Keith Hay, construction company founder, politician, conservative activist
24 December – Ronald Triner, road cyclist

Deaths

January–February

3 February – Robert McNab, politician (born 1864)
17 February
- Graham Gow, government trade representative (born 1850)
- Sir George McLean, politician (born 1834)
22 February – Hugh Murray-Aynsley, politician (born 1828)

March–April

6 March
- Tame Parata, politician (born c.1837)
- William Salmond, Presbyterian minister, theologian (born 1835)
11 March – William Hosking, doctor (born 1841)
13 March – Percy Dix, vaudeville company manager (born 1866)
27 March – Joseph Braithwaite, bookseller, politician, mayor of Dunedin (1905–06) (born 1848)
30 March – Ferdinand Holm, mariner, ship owner (born 1844)
23 April – Robert Bruce, politician, conservationist (born 1843)

May–June

2 May – Alfred Lee Smith, politician (born 1838)
7 June
- Bill Bussell, rugby league player (born 1887)
- George Sellars, rugby union player (born 1886)
8 June
- George Bollinger, soldier, diarist (born 1890)
- Charles Henry Brown, military leader (born 1872)
- Thomas Culling, World War I flying ace (born 1896)
20 June – Reg Taylor, rugby union player (born 1889)
22 June – John Lecky, rugby union player (born 1863)

July–August

8 July – Alexander McKay, geologist (born 1841)
14 July
- Robert Batley, storekeeper, sheep farmer (born 1849)
- Alexander Bruce, politician (born c.1839)
15 July – Bill Mackrell, rugby union and rugby league player (born 1881)
23 July – James Gore, politician, mayor of Dunedin (1881–82) (born 1834)
27 July – Arthur Brown, Mayor of Wellington
30 July – William Baldwin, politician (born 1836)
31 July – William Henry Dillon Bell, politician (born 1884)
4 August
- Purakau Maika, newspaper editor and publisher (born c.1852)
- Cecil Perry, cricketer (born 1846)
5 August – Don Buck, gum digger (born c.1869)
6 August – Charles James, rugby league player (born 1891)
7 August – Francis Earl Johnston, army officer (born 1871)
14 August – William Sanders, naval officer, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1883)
24 August – Alfred Kidd, politician, mayor of Auckland (1901–03) (born 1851)
26 August – William Lane, journalist, utopian (born 1861)

September–October

4 October – Dave Gallaher. rugby union player (born 1873)
6 October – John Davies Ormond, politician (born 1831)
12 October
- Henry Du Vall, rugby league player (born 1886)
- George Augustus King, military officer (born 1885)
20 October – Elise Kemp, nurse (born 1881)
22 October – Bob Fitzsimmons, boxer (born 1863)
27 October – William Beehan, politician (born 1853)

November–December

10 November – Charles King, cricketer (born 1847)
13 November – Cecil Fitzroy, politician, mayor of Hastings (1894–99) (born 1844)
15 November – Frank Twisleton, soldier, writer (born 1873)
29 November – Ellen Greenwood, schoolteacher, social worker (born 1837)
12 December – Sir Charles Bowen, politician (born 1830)
14 December – George Wilson, cricketer (born 1887)
23 December – Clive Franklyn Collett, World War I flying ace (born 1886)

References

^ The office of Governor was renamed Governor-General by Letters Patent of 28 June 1917
^ Statistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
^ "Elections NZ – Leaders of the Opposition". Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
^ Most likely a Caudron G.2, predecessor of the G.3
^ ^a ^b Dictionary of New Zealand Biography – Henry Wigram
^ Rendel, David (1975) Civil Aviation in New Zealand: An Illustrated History. Wellington. A.H. & A.W.Reed. ISBN 0-589-00905-2
^ "Six o'clock closing of hotels". Hastings Standard. Vol. VII, no. 332. 1 December 1917. p. 6. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
^ Noonan, Rosslyn J. (1975). By Design: A brief history of the Public Works Department Ministry of Works 1870–1970. Wellington: Crown copyright. p. 87.
^ "West Coast Times". National Library of New Zealand.
^ "PGA European – Holden New Zealand Open". The Sports Network. 2005. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
^ "List of NZ Trotting cup winners". Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
^ Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz Archived 17 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Lambert, Max; Palenski, Ron, eds. (1982). The Air New Zealand Almanac. Moa Almanac Press. pp. 448–454. ISBN 0-908570-55-4.
^ McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Bowls, men's outdoor—tournament winners". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
^ "New Zealand: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 1999.

[1] The office of Governor was renamed Governor-General by Letters Patent of 28 June 1917

[2] Statistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52

[3] "Elections NZ – Leaders of the Opposition". Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2008.

[4] Most likely a Caudron G.2, predecessor of the G.3

[DNZBWigram-5] Dictionary of New Zealand Biography – Henry Wigram

[CAiNZ-6] Rendel, David (1975) Civil Aviation in New Zealand: An Illustrated History. Wellington. A.H. & A.W.Reed. ISBN 0-589-00905-2

[7] "Six o'clock closing of hotels". Hastings Standard. Vol. VII, no. 332. 1 December 1917. p. 6. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

[8] Noonan, Rosslyn J. (1975). By Design: A brief history of the Public Works Department Ministry of Works 1870–1970. Wellington: Crown copyright. p. 87.

[9] "West Coast Times". National Library of New Zealand.

[10] "PGA European – Holden New Zealand Open". The Sports Network. 2005. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2009.

[11] "List of NZ Trotting cup winners". Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2009.

[12] Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz Archived 17 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine

[NZA-13] Lambert, Max; Palenski, Ron, eds. (1982). The Air New Zealand Almanac. Moa Almanac Press. pp. 448–454. ISBN 0-908570-55-4.

[14] McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Bowls, men's outdoor—tournament winners". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 6 June 2018.

[15] "New Zealand: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 1999.

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