1883 in New Zealand

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Queen Victoria
• Governor – Lieutenant-General Sir William Jervois begins his term on 20 January.

  Government and law

• Speaker of the House – Maurice O'Rorke.
• Premier – Frederick Whitaker is replaced by Harry Atkinson on 25 September
• Minister of Finance – Harry Atkinson
• Chief Justice – Hon Sir James Prendergast

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – James Clark followed by William Waddel
• Mayor of Christchurch – George Ruddenklau
• Mayor of Dunedin – James Bryce Thomson followed by William Parker Street
• Mayor of Wellington – George Fisher

  Events

• 1 March - A telephone exchange is opened in Wellington.
• The Hokitika Guardian and Hokitika Evening Star merge to form the Hokitika Guardian and Star.
• September: The Waikato Mail ceases publication. The Cambridge newspaper started in 1880.
• 19 February: Pacifist leaders Te Whiti o Rongomai and To hu are released from prison, where they had been held without trial since November 1881.
• July: The Waikato Gazette & Thames Valley Recorder begins publishing. It was absorbed by the Cambridge News in 1889.
• the New Zealand Shipping Company was formed in Christchurch.

  Sport

Cricket

• 1882–83 New Zealand cricket season
• 1883–84 New Zealand cricket season

  Horse racing

• New Zealand Cup winner: Tasman
• New Zealand Derby winner: Oudeis
• Auckland Cup winner: Salvage
• Wellington Cup winner: Mischief

  Rugby

Shooting

Births

• 14 May – Charlie Seeling, rugby footballer.
• 31 October – Anthony Wilding, tennis player

  Deaths

• 30 March: Edward Graham McMinn, politician.
• 30 June: William Cutten, politician.