← 1878 1877 1876 1879 in New Zealand → 1880 1881 1882
Decades:	1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

The following lists events that happened during 1879 in New Zealand.

• Head of State – Queen Victoria
• Governor – The term of The Marquess of Normanby ends on 21 February. Sir Hercules Robinson takes up the appointment on 27 March.

The general election is held between 15 August and 1 September; a law was passed to confirm the result in three electorates (Marsden, Northern Maori and Western Maori);^[1] and to clarify the law about electoral petitions (1880).^[2] The 7th New Zealand Parliament commences.

• Speaker of the House – Maurice O'Rorke becomes Speaker when his predecessor, Sir William Fitzherbert, is appointed to the Legislative Council.
• Premier – John Hall replaces Sir George Grey on 8 October.
• Minister of Finance – John Hall replaces Sir George Grey on 8 October. Grey had taken up the post on 10 July after John Ballance had resigned on 1 July.
• Chief Justice – Hon Sir James Prendergast

Voting rights are extended to all males.^[3]

The term of parliament is reduced from five years to three years.^[3]

• Mayor of Auckland – Thomas Peacock
• Mayor of Christchurch – Henry Thomson followed by Charles Thomas Ick
• Mayor of Dunedin – Henry John Walter
• Mayor of Wellington – Joseph Dransfield followed by George Allen followed by William Hutchison

• 21 February: An explosion in the coal mine at Kaitangata kills 34 men.^[4]
• 30 March: The Ross Guardian ceases publication. It began in 1866.^[5]
• Education (secular or denominational) was being debated. In two by-elections the winner was described as a Secularist: David Goldie in the 1879 City of Auckland West by-election and Acton Adams in the 1879 City of Nelson by-election. They opposed Curtis's bill before parliament.

• The first New Zealand Chess Championship is held and was won by H. Hookham (Christchurch)^[6]

• New Zealand Cup – Chancellor
• New Zealand Derby – Hornby
• Auckland Cup – Ariel
• Wellington Cup – Maritana

The first annual competition between clubs from different centres begins between Christchurch and Dunedin clubs.^[7]

• 26 July: The first union in New Zealand, Canterbury Rugby Football Union, is formed at Timaru, incorporating Christchurch, Christ's College, Temuka, North Canterbury, Eastern, South Canterbury, Ashburton, and Southbridge rugby clubs.^[8]
• 20 October: The Wellington Rugby Football Union is formed, initially consisting of the Wellington and Athletic clubs.^[8]

Ballinger Belt – Corporal W. Ballinger (Wellington)

• 18 January: Agnes Weston, politician (MLC).
• 25 May: Andrew Kennaway Henderson, illustrator, cartoonist and pacifist
• 30 August (in London): Maud Ruby "Daisy" Basham, radio personality.
• 15 June: Miriam Cummings (later Miriam Soljak), activist.
• 28 December: Claude Weston, politician.

• 2 February (in England): General Sir Thomas Pratt, commander British forces in NZ 1860–61.
• 3 March: Jerningham Wakefield, politician and pioneer settler.
• 24 April – John Munro, politician (b. 1798/99)
• 14 May: Henry Sewell, politician.
• 14 July: Thomas Outhwaite, first registrar of the Supreme Court.

• 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

General

• Romanos, J. (2001) New Zealand Sporting Records and Lists. Auckland: Hodder Moa Beckett. ISBN 1-86958-879-7

Specific

Media related to 1879 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons