1851 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1851 in New Zealand.

← 1850 1849 1848 1851 in New Zealand → 1852 1853 1854
Decades:	1830s 1840s 1850s 1860s 1870s
See also:	Other events of 1851 Timeline of New Zealand history

Population

The estimated population of New Zealand at the end of 1851 is 64,350 Māori and 26,707 non-Māori.[1]

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Queen Victoria
• Governor – Sir George Grey

Government and law

• Chief Justice — William Martin
• Lieutenant Governor, New Munster — Edward John Eyre
• Lieutenant Governor, New Ulster — George Dean Pitt until 8 January. Robert Henry Wynyard from 26 April.

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland — Archibald Clark

Events

• Governor Grey issues a charter creating the Borough of Auckland.[2] Archibald Clark becomes Mayor.[3] (see also 1852)
• 11 January: The Otago Witness begins publication. It publishes fortnightly until August, and then weekly until its demise in 1932.[4]
• 11 January: The Lyttelton Times begins publication. It will change its name to the Christchurch Times in 1929, and continue until 1935.[5]
• 1 November: First national census held in New Zealand, counting European dwellings and population only.[6]
• 24 December: The Governor Wynyard, the first steamer built in New Zealand, is launched at Freemans Bay, Auckland.[7][8]

Undated

• Wynyard Pier is the first wharf built on the Auckland waterfront.[9]

Births

• 31 March: Francis Bell, politician and 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand.
• 11 September: Henry Samuel Fitzherbert, lawyer and politician.

Deaths

• 8 January: George Dean Pitt, Lieutenant Governor of New Ulster
• 29 January: Wiremu Piti Pomare, tribal leader
• 28 October: Wiremu Hikairo, tribal leader

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

References

1. Statistics New Zealand has collated estimates from a number of sources (interpolating where necessary) at "Long-term data series". Archived from the original on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008., in particular "A1.1 Total population.xls". Archived from the original (Excel) on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
2. "History of Auckland City: Chapter 1". Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2008.
3. History of Auckland City: Mayors Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
4. "Otago Witness". National Library of New Zealand.
5. "Chapter 2: Early Statistical Sources – 19th Century" (PDF). Statistical publications 1840–2000. Statistics New Zealand. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2007.
6. "Census timeline 1840–1859". Statistics New Zealand. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
7. Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand - Shipbuilding
8. "DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 December 1851. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
9. New Zealand Electronic Text Centre: Some Interesting Occurrences in Early Auckland