1876 in New Zealand

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Queen Victoria
• Governor – The Marquess of Normanby

  Government and law

• Speaker of the House – Sir William Fitzherbet replaces Sir Francis Dillon Bell who did not stand for election at the end of 1875
• Premier – Daniel Pollen resigns on 15 February. Julius Vogel takes over until retiring on 1 September and is in turn replaced by Harry Atkinson.
• Minister of Finance – Julius Vogel takes over as Treasurer from Harry Atkinson when he becomes Premier on 15 February. When Vogel retires on 1 September Atkinson resumes the position.
• Chief Justice – Hon Sir James Prendergast

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland City – Benjamin Tonks followed by William Hurst
• Mayor of Christchurch – Fred Hobbs
• Mayor of Dunedin – Keith Ramsay followed by Henry John Walter
• Mayor of Wellington – William Hutchison

  Events

• 18 February: The first trans-Tasman submarine communications cable is completed, allowing telegraph communications with the rest of the world.
• 4 April: Speight's is first brewed in Dunedin.
• 30 December: The Daily Southern Cross publishes its last issue, and merges with The New Zealand Herald. The Auckland-based newspaper began publishing as The Southern Cross in 1843.

  Sport

Cricket

Horse racing

Major race winners

• New Zealand Cup – Guy Fawkes
• New Zealand Derby – Songster
• Auckland Cup – Ariel
• Wellington Cup – Korari

  Lawn bowls

Rugby union

• Rugby clubs were founded in Marton, Bulls, and Sanson, Oamaru, Hawera, Patea, Invercargill, Otautau, Riverton, Greytown, Masterton, Rangiora, Waimate, Kaiapoi and Te Awamutu.
• A combined side from Canterbury toured Nelson, Wellington, and Auckland

  Shooting

Births

• 21 January: Tom Cross, rugby union and rugby league player.
• 24 February: Ernie Booth, rugby union player.
• 23 March: Sally Low, social reformer and peace campaigner.
• 6 April: Harold Williams, linguist.
• 11 April Michael Reardon, political activist
• 7 June: Albert Samuel, politician

  Deaths

• 26 August: Henry Balneavis, soldier
• 22 November: Charles Flinders Hursthouse, author and settler.