← 1840 1839 1838 1841 in New Zealand → 1842 1843 1844
Decades:	1820s 1830s 1840s 1850s 1860s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

The following lists events that happened during 1841 in New Zealand.

Population

The estimated population of New Zealand at the end of 1841 is 78,400 Māori and 5000 non-Māori.^[1]

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Queen Victoria
• Governor of New South Wales – Sir George Gipps (overall responsibility for New Zealand until 3 May)
• Governor – Captain William Hobson (Lieutenant- Governor until 3 May then Governor)

Government and law

• Chief Justice – William Martin is appointed the first Chief Justice of New Zealand on 5 February but does not arrive in New Zealand until August.

Events

• 31 March: The William Bryan arrives at Taranaki from Plymouth bearing 148 settlers to found New Plymouth.^[2]
• March: Captain Rhodes builds the first wharf in Wellington, in front of his store on the Wellington waterfront.^[3][4][5]
• 3 May: In anticipation of the Great Charter coming into force, William Hobson is sworn in as Governor of New Zealand.
• 1 July: Colony of New Zealand comes into existence, a separate Crown colony from New South Wales.
• 10 July: The New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette begins publication. The newspaper lasts less than a year.^[6]
• 27 September: Foundation of a school for Catholic boys, the first school in Auckland.^[7][8][9]
• 29 October: the settler ship Brilliant arrives at Cornwallis, New Zealand from the British Isles, however the passengers find bare land at the promised location of the settlement.^[10][11]
• 8 November: The Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist begins publishing. It continues with some gaps until 1845.^[12]

Undated

• The Capital of New Zealand is moved from Okiato (Old Russell) to Auckland.
• The first recorded mining in New Zealand as outcrops of manganese are mined on the coast of Kawau Island.^[13]
• George Selwyn is created the first Anglican Bishop of New Zealand.

Sport

Horse racing

• January: A hurdle race is run in January at Te Aro Pā, Wellington.^[14]

Unknown date

• The Auckland Town Plate is contested at Epsom Downs.^[14] A committee of army officers and townspeople forms to control racing in Auckland (Epsom).^[14] (see also 1849).

Yachting

• January: The first sailing regatta in the country is held as part of Anniversary celebrations in Wellington.^[14]

Births

• 20 January (in England): William Steward, politician^[15]
• 28 February: John Duthie, politician and Mayor of Wellington
• 9 March (in Switzerland): Henry Suter, zoologist

Unknown date

• James McGowan, politician

Deaths

• 23 November: William Cornwallis Symonds, prominent early colonist