Today in History

Anti-Springbok protestors derail Hamilton match

25/7/1981 - Anti-Springbok protestors derail Hamilton match

350 anti-tour demonstrators invaded the rugby pitch at Hamilton, forcing the Springboks-Waikato match to be abandoned. There were violent scenes as rugby supporters pelted the protestors with bottles and physical scuffles broke out.

Kiwi of the Week

  • yvette-williams-jump.biog.jpg

    Yvette Williams

    The sports writer Peter Heidenstrom rated Yvette Williams as his 'New Zealand Athlete of the Century'. There is no doubt that she was one of our greatest-ever athletes - and probably the most versatile. 

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Jul

1

Bastion Point land returned

1988 Bastion Point land returned

The government announced that it had agreed to the Waitangi Tribunal's recommendation that Bastion Point in Auckland be returned to Ngati Whatua ownership. more...

Jul

2

Electric trains come to Wellington

1938 Electric trains come to Wellington

Opened on 2 July 1938, the Johnsonville suburban line was the first in the country to be served by electric multiple units. 

more...

Jul

3

DC-3 crashes in Kaimai Range

1963 DC-3 crashes in Kaimai Range

In what is still New Zealand's worst internal civil aviation accident, all 23  passengers and crew were killed. Helicopters were used for the first time in the search and rescue operation that followed. more...

Jul

4

NZ Boxing Association formed at Christchurch

1902 NZ Boxing Association formed at Christchurch

The New Zealand Boxing Association was formed to promote and foster amateur boxing in this country. Having drawn up the rules for fighting, the Association staged the inaugural New Zealand championships at Christchurch later in 1902. more...

Te Kooti escapes from the Chathams

1868 Te Kooti escapes from the Chathams

Te Kooti and 300 of his followers captured the schooner Rifleman and sailed for New Zealand, eventually landing at Whareongaonga, near Gisborne, nearly a week later. more...

Jul

5

Poll tax imposed on Chinese

1881 Poll tax imposed on Chinese

The Chinese Immigrants Act of 1881 introduced a ‘poll tax’ of £10. Ships arriving in New Zealand were also a restricted to one Chinese passenger per 10 tons of cargo.

more...

Jul

6

Main trunk express train disaster

1923 Main trunk express train disaster

In the early hours of the morning the express crashed into a landslip at Ongarue in the King Country. With 17 fatalities, this was the first major loss of life on New Zealand railways. more...

Jul

7

'Tom Watson' wins bronze for New Zealand

1924 'Tom Watson' wins bronze for New Zealand

The character in the Academy Award-winning film Chariots of Fire (1981) was based on Arthur Porritt, who won a bronze medal for New Zealand in the 100 metres at the 1924 Paris Olympics.

more...

NZ Labour Party founded

1916 NZ Labour Party founded

This country's oldest existing political party, the New Zealand Labour Party emerged from a joint conference of the United Federation of Labour and the Social Democratic Party at Wellington.
more...

Jul

8

NZ Racing Conference established

1893 NZ Racing Conference established

The New Zealand Racing Conference was formed to control the thoroughbred horseracing industry in this country.

more...

Jul

11

New Zealand’s first woman graduate

1877 New Zealand’s first woman graduate

Kate Edger became the first woman in New Zealand to gain a university degree and the first woman in the British Empire to earn a BA. more...

Jul

12

New Zealander wins Tour de France stage

2001 New Zealander wins Tour de France stage

The only stage win by a New Zealander in the Tour de France was a team time trial. Although Chris Jenner didn't finish with the core of his Credit Agricole team, he is still credited as sharing the stage win - he got to stand on the podium that day. more...

British forces invade the Waikato

1863 British forces invade the Waikato

Lieutenant-General Cameron's force crossed the Mangatawhiri stream. This was the first act of war in the Waikato campaign, which had been planned in part to gain land for European settlement. more...

Jul

13

First New Zealander obtains pilot's certificate

1916 First New Zealander obtains pilot's certificate

Vivian Walsh became the first New Zealander to obtain an aviator's certificate, following the establishment in October 1915 of the New Zealand Flying School at Orakei. 
more...

Jul

14

NZ's first general election begins

1853 NZ's first general election begins

The first member of New Zealand's inaugural Parliament was elected unopposed at Russell in the Bay of Islands. It would take a further two and a half months to elect the remaining 36 members of the House of Representatives.

more...

Death of Sir Apirana Ngata

1950 Death of Sir Apirana Ngata

Ngata contributed hugely to the revival of the Maori people in the early 20th century. His intelligence, tact, persistence and political skill helped him to promote Maori culture and identity. more...

Jul

15

Lovelock smashes world mile record

1933 Lovelock smashes world mile record

Jack Lovelock's run at Princeton University beat the old record by almost two seconds and was dubbed the 'greatest mile of all time'. He went on to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. more...

Jul

16

NZ artillery opens fire in Vietnam

1965 NZ artillery opens fire in Vietnam

The 161 Battery, stationed at Bien Hoa air base near Saigon, opened fire on a Viet Cong position in support of the American 173rd Airborne Brigade. more...

Jul

17

Death of Paddy the Wanderer

1939 Death of Paddy the Wanderer

Paddy, a ginger and brown Airedale terrier, achieved national celebrity status due to his exploits on the Wellington waterfront (and beyond) during the 1930s. He was remembered as a 'little light in the dark days of the Depression'. more...

Jul

18

NZ's first postage stamps go on sale

1855 NZ's first postage stamps go on sale

These adhesive, non-perforated stamps for the prepayment of postage were the famous 'Full Face' or 'Chalon Head', portraying a full-face likeness of Queen Victoria in her coronation robes. more...

Death of Ferdinand von Hochstetter

1884 Death of Ferdinand von Hochstetter

The Austrian-born geologist von Hochstetter was the first to describe and interpret many features of New Zealand geology. He established a tradition of systematic geological mapping. more...

Jul

19

Privy Council rules on Samoan citizenship

1982 Privy Council rules on Samoan citizenship

The Privy Council granted New Zealand citizenship to Western Samoans born after 1924. The government challenged this ruling, leading to accusations of betrayal and racism.

more...

Jul

20

Riots rock Mt Eden prison

1965 Riots rock Mt Eden prison

The disturbance followed a botched escape attempt by two prisoners and lasted into the next day. Several warders were taken hostage and part of the prison was gutted by fire. more...

Jul

21

Capture of Weraroa pa

1865 Capture of Weraroa pa

Governor George Grey himself led a small force that 'took' the Pai Marire (Hauhau) pa at  Weraroa, Waitotara. But it had long lost its strategic significance, and the small garrison had indicated a willingness to surrender. more...

Jul

22

Lotto goes on sale for first time

1987 Lotto goes on sale for first time

Outlets opened to long queues with the first division prize of the inaugural draw amounting to $360,000. In the first year Kiwis 'invested' nearly $249 million in the new lottery, which was based on a weekly draw of six numbers. more...

Jul

24

New Zealand soldier killed  in Timor-Leste

2000 New Zealand soldier killed in Timor-Leste

Private Leonard Manning became New Zealand's first combat death since the Vietnam War. Manning was part of New Zealand's contribution to a United Nations peacekeeping force in the fledgling nation of Timor-Leste (East Timor). more...

Jul

25

Anti-Springbok protestors derail Hamilton match

1981 Anti-Springbok protestors derail Hamilton match

350 anti-tour demonstrators invaded the rugby pitch at Hamilton, forcing the Springboks-Waikato match to be abandoned. There were violent scenes as rugby supporters pelted the protestors with bottles and physical scuffles broke out. more...

Jul

26

Kiwi boxer fights for world heavyweight title

1928 Kiwi boxer fights for world heavyweight title

In the midst of boxing's golden age, Gisborne-born Tom Heeney took on Gene Tunney in front of 46,000 spectators at Yankee Stadium, New York. Although he was defeated, his title bid aroused tremendous interest in both New Zealand and the US. more...

Parliament moves to Wellington

1865 Parliament moves to Wellington

The capital moved from Auckland to the more central Wellington on the recommendation of an Australian commission. The old Wellington Provincial Council chamber became the new home for Parliament. more...

Jul

27

Pioneer aviator George Bolt dies

1963 Pioneer aviator George Bolt dies

Bolt was an outstanding figure in the development of commercial aviation in this country. He achieved a number of aviation firsts, taking New Zealand's first aerial photographs in 1912 and delivering its first official airmail in 1919. 

more...

Jul

28

Women's suffrage petition presented

1893 Women's suffrage petition presented

This massive suffrage petition − signed by nearly 32,000 women, almost a quarter of the entire adult European female population − helped pave the way for the passage of New Zealand's world-leading Electoral Act in September 1893. more...

Jul

29

Police baton anti-tour protestors near Parliament

1981 Police baton anti-tour protestors near Parliament

Up to 2000 anti-Springbok tour protestors were confronted by police who used batons to stop them marching up Molesworth Street to the home of South Africa's Consul to New Zealand. more...

Jul

30

Carless days introduced

1979 Carless days introduced

Carless days for motor vehicles were introduced to combat the second oil shock. They did little to reduce petrol consumption and were scrapped in May 1980. more...

Jul

31

John Walker wins gold in Montreal

1976 John Walker wins gold in Montreal

Following in the footsteps of Jack Lovelock and Peter Snell, Walker won gold in the Olympic 1500 metres. Black African nations boycotted the games in protest over the All Blacks tour to South Africa. more...