← 1893 1892 1891 1894 in New Zealand → 1895 1896 1897
Decades:	1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

The following lists events that happened during 1894 in New Zealand.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Queen Victoria
• Governor – David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow

Government and law

The 12th New Zealand Parliament continues with the Liberal Party in power.

• Speaker of the House – Sir Maurice O'Rorke becomes Speaker for the second time, replacing William Steward
• Prime Minister – Richard Seddon
• Minister of Finance – Joseph Ward
• Chief Justice – Hon Sir James Prendergast

Parliamentary opposition

Leader of the Opposition – William Russell.^[1]

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – James Holland
• Mayor of Christchurch – Eden George followed by Thomas Gapes
• Mayor of Dunedin – Henry Fish
• Mayor of Wellington – Alfred Brandon

Events

• 30 October: Luxury steamer SS Wairarapa, carrying 230 passengers from Sydney bound for Auckland, is wrecked on Great Barrier Island with the loss of 135 lives.^[2]

Undated

• American balloonist Leila Adair tours New Zealand.^[3] She is possibly the first woman to fly in New Zealand.

• New Zealand enacts the world's first national minimum wage law, by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.

Arts and literature

Music

Sport

Leonard Cuff is appointed a Founding Member of the International Olympic Committee. He remains the member for both New Zealand and Australia until 1905.

Athletics

National Champions, Men

• 100 yards – Jack Hempton (Wellington)
• 250 yards – H. Reeves (Canterbury)
• 440 yards – W. Low (Otago)
• 880 yards – W. Low (Otago)
• 1 mile – C. Morpeth (Otago)
• 3 miles – C. Morpeth (Otago)
• 120 yards hurdles – Harold Batger (Wellington)
• 440 yards hurdles – Harold Batger (Wellington)
• Long jump – Wallingford Mendelson (South Canterbury)
• High jump – H. Bailey (Wellington)
• Pole vault –H. Kingsley (Wanganui)
• Shot put – O. McCormack (Wellington)
• Hammer throw – O. McCormack (Wellington)

Chess

National Champion: J. Edwards, of Wellington.^[4]

Cricket

Golf

• The 2nd National Amateur Championships were held in Christchurch^[5]
  • Men: H. Macneil (Otago)
  • Women : Mrs C. Wilder

Horse racing

Harness racing

• Auckland Trotting Cup (over 3 miles) is won by Tom Hicks^[6]

Thoroughbred racing

• New Zealand Cup – Impulse
• New Zealand Derby – Blue Fire
• Auckland Cup – Lottie
• Wellington Cup – Vogengang

Season leaders (1893/94)

• Top New Zealand stakes earner – Blue Fire
• Leading flat jockey – J. Connop

Lawn Bowls

The pairs championship is held for the first time. National Champions^[7]

• Singles – T. Sneddon (Kaituna)
• Pairs – T. Sneddon and H. Reid (skip) (Kaituna)
• Fours – J. Davidson, A. Owen, J. Wedderspoon and J. Evans (skip) (Caledonian)

Polo

• Savile Cup winners – Rangitikei

Rowing

National Champions (Men)

• Single sculls – M. Keefe (Auckland)
• Double sculls – Union, Christchurch
• Coxless pairs – Union, Christchurch
• Coxed fours – Lyttelton

Rugby union

Provincial club rugby champions include:

Shooting

Ballinger Belt – Captain E. Smith (Dunedin City Guards)

Soccer

Provincial Champions:^[8]

• Auckland: Alliance United
• Wellington: Wellington Rovers
• Otago: Roslyn Dunedin

Swimming

National Champions (Men)

• 100 yards freestyle – T. Needham (New South Wales, Australia)
• 220 yards freestyle – W. Gormley (New South Wales, Australia)
• 440 yards freestyle – W. Gormley (New South Wales, Australia)
• 880 yards freestyle – W. Gormley (New South Wales, Australia)

Tennis

National championships

• Men's singles – M. Fenwicke
• Women's singles – M. Spiers
• Men's doubles – J. Marshall and P. Marshall
• Women's doubles – P. Chapman and M. Nicholson

Births

• 2 February – Rongowhakaata Pere Halbert, Māori leader, historian, interpreter, genealogist
• 24 February – Victor Spencer, soldier executed in World War I, pardoned in 2000
• 1 June – Paraire Karaka Paikea, politician
• 14 July: – Paddy Kearins, politician.
• 21 July – Toko Rātana, Rātana church leader and politician
• 13 August: – Fintan Patrick Walsh, trade unionist.
• 10 November: – Andrew Davidson, educationalist

Deaths

• 5 June: Vincent Pyke, politician
• 16 September: Robert Hart, politician.