2015 in New Zealand

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Decades:
  • 1990s
  • 2000s
  • 2010s
  • 2020s
See also:
  • Other events of 2015
  • Timeline of New Zealand history

The following lists events that happened during 2015 in New Zealand.

Population[]

National

Estimated populations as at 30 June.[1]

  • New Zealand total – 4,596,700
  • North Island – 3,519,800
  • South Island – 1,076,300
Main urban areas

Estimated populations as at 30 June.[1]

  • Auckland – 1,454,300
  • Blenheim – 30,600
  • Christchurch – 381,800
  • Dunedin – 117,400
  • Gisborne – 35,700
  • Hamilton – 224,000
  • Invercargill – 50,300
  • Kapiti – 41,300
  • Napier-Hastings – 129,700
  • Nelson – 64,800
  • New Plymouth – 56,300
  • Palmerston North – 83,500
  • Rotorua – 56,800
  • Tauranga – 130,800
  • Wellington – 398,300
  • Whanganui – 39,400
  • Whangarei – 55,400

Incumbents[]

Regal and vice-regal[]

  • Elizabeth II

  • Jerry Mateparae

Government[]

2015 is the first full year of the 51st Parliament, which first sat on 21 October 2014.

The Fifth National Government, first elected in 2008, continues.

  • David Carter

  • John Key

  • Bill English

  • Gerry Brownlee

  • Murray McCully

Other party leaders[]

  • Andrew Little

  • Russel Norman

  • James Shaw

  • Metiria Turei

  • Winston Peters

  • Te Ururoa Flavell

  • Marama Fox

  • David Seymour

  • Peter Dunne

Judiciary[]

  • Sian Elias

Main centre leaders[]

  • Len Brown

  • Stuart Crosby

  • Julie Hardaker

  • Celia Wade-Brown

  • Lianne Dalziell

  • Dave Cull

Arts and literature[]

Performing arts[]

Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Johnny Devlin.

Events[]

January[]

  • 1 January – New Zealand begins its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, after being elected on the first ballot in the 2014 election.

February[]

  • 14 February – The 2015 Cricket World Cup, jointly hosted between Australia and New Zealand, began in Christchurch with New Zealand winning against Sri Lanka

March[]

  • 16 March – The remnants of Cyclone Pam move down the east coast of New Zealand causing evacuations, heavy flooding, and power outages.[3]
  • 28 March – A by-election was held in the Northland electorate to replace MP Mike Sabin of the National Party who resigned on 30 January. The electorate was regarded as a safe National seat, but was won by Winston Peters of New Zealand First.

April[]

May[]

June[]

July[]

August[]

September[]

October[]

November[]

December[]

The Lockwood silver fern flag selected in the first referendum on the New Zealand flag.

Holidays and observances[]

  • 6 February – Waitangi Day
  • 25 April – Anzac Day
  • 27 April – Anzac Day public holiday
  • 1 June – Queen's Birthday Monday
  • 26 October – Labour Day
  • 25 December – Christmas Day

Sport[]

Awards[]

  • Halberg Awards
    • Supreme Award – All Blacks (rugby)
    • Sportsman – Kane Williamson (cricket)
    • Sportswoman – Lydia Ko (golf)
    • Team – All Blacks (rugby)
    • Disabled Sportsperson – Sophie Pascoe (swimming)
    • Coach – Steve Hansen (rugby)
    • Emerging Talent – Eliza McCartney (athletics)

Basketball[]

Cricket[]

See also: 2015 Cricket World Cup
  • New Zealand, in conjunction with Australia, will host the 2015 Cricket World Cup between 14 February and 29 March.

Football[]

Rowing[]

Shooting[]

Births[]

Deaths[]

January[]

  • 10 January – John Angus, children's rights advocate (born 1948)
  • 11 January
    • Doriemus, thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 1990)
    • Chic Littlewood, television personality and actor (born 1930)
  • 13 January – Tony Ciprian, television sports news presenter and producer (born 1932)
  • 15 January – Harvey Sweetman, air force pilot (born 1921)
  • 16 January – Sir Ian Athfield, architect (born 1940)
  • 20 January – Lawrence Hogben, World War II naval officer, meteorologist (born 1916)
  • 29 January – Len Wyatt, cricketer (born 1919)

February[]

  • 1 February – Alby Duckmanton, cricket player and administrator (born 1933)
  • 9 February – Apirana Mahuika, Ngāti Porou leader (born 1934)
  • 11 February – Tama Huata, Māori performing arts leader (born 1950)
  • 12 February – Christopher Horton, businessman (born 1938)
  • 13 February – Kete Ioane, Cook Islands politician (born 1950)
  • 16 February
    • Robin Duff, teacher, education leader, gay rights activist (born 1947)
    • Celia Lashlie, prison officer, social justice advocate (born 1953)
  • 18 February – Doug Armstrong, cricketer, television sports presenter, politician (born 1931)
  • 24 February

March[]

  • 3 March –
  • 7 March – Brian Sutton-Smith, writer and play theorist (born 1924)
  • 11 March – Keith Roberts, rugby league player (born 1932)
  • 12 March – Alan Wilkinson, association footballer (born 1924)
  • 14 March – Graham Avery, track cyclist (born 1929)
  • 18 March – Sir Don Rowlands, rower and businessman (born 1926)
  • 20 March – Sir Russell Pettigrew, businessman, sports administrator (born 1920)
  • 24 March
    • Bryan Bartley, engineer (born 1928)
    • Peter Stichbury, potter (born 1924)
  • 27 March – Neville Denton, rugby league player (born 1934)
  • 29 March – Mike Watt, sport shooter (born 1936)
  • 31 March – Trevor Laurence, field hockey player (born 1952)

April[]

  • 1 April – Sir John Ingram, engineer and businessman (born 1924)
  • 2 April
    • Mick Brown, jurist (born 1937)
    • Bill Lean, Paralympic athlete (born 1941)
  • 5 April – Steve Rickard, professional wrestler (born 1929)
  • 10 April
    • Desmond Digby, stage designer, children's book illustrator and painter (born 1933)
    • Dorothy Jelicich, politician (born 1928)
  • 16 April – Ron Bailey, politician (born 1926)
  • 18 April – Bill Schultz, rugby league player (born 1938)
  • 20 April – Gary Brain, timpanist and orchestral conductor (born 1943)
  • 23 April – Frana Cardno, politician (born 1941)

May[]

  • 2 May – Rex Percy, rugby league player (born 1934)
  • 8 May –
    • Juan Schwanner, association football player and manager (born 1921)
    • Phil Skoglund, lawn bowls player (born 1937)
  • 9 May – Buddy Corlett, softball and basketball player (born 1921)
  • 10 May – Jack Body, composer (born 1944)
  • 19 May – Sir Thomas Gault, jurist (born 1938)
  • 21 May – Roland Avery, rugby league referee (born 1927)
  • 26 May – John Pinder, comedy producer and festival director (born 1945)
  • 29 May – Chris Kohlhase, softball player and coach (born 1967)
  • 31 May – Iain Campbell, cricketer (born 1928)

June[]

  • 5 June
  • 7 June – Peter Petherick, cricketer (born 1942)[8]
  • 9 June – Sir Peter Williams, lawyer and penal reform advocate (born 1934)
  • 10 June – Bonecrusher, Thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 1982)
  • 13 June – Mike Shrimpton, cricket player and coach (born 1940)
  • 17 June – John Lasher, rugby league player
  • 18 June – Sir Patrick Moore, otolaryngologist (born 1918)
  • 20 June – Ian Bradley, naval officer and politician (born 1937)
  • 22 June – Norm Berryman, rugby union player (born 1973)[9]
  • 25 June – Ross Hynds, Paralympic athlete (born 1947)
  • 27 June – Eric Dunn, cricketer (born 1929)

July[]

  • 2 July – Sir Ronald Davison, jurist, Chief Justice (1978–89) (born 1920)
  • 7 July – Craig Norgate, accountant and business leader (born 1965)
  • 13 July
    • Sir John Buchanan, scientist and businessman (born 1943)[10]
    • Campbell Smith, wood engraver, playwright and poet (born 1925)
  • 18 July
    • Tim Beaglehole, historian and university administrator (born 1933)
    • Lou Gardiner, military officer, Chief of Army (2006–09) (born 1952)
  • 20 July – Stuart Jones, cricketer (born 1929)
  • 23 July – Doug Rowe, musician and singer (born 1945)
  • 27 July – Joan Mattingley, clinical chemist (born 1926)
  • 29 July – Sir John Todd, businessman and philanthropist (born 1927)
  • 30 July – Jimmy Edwards, rugby league player (born 1926)

August[]

  • 4 August – Les Munro, World War II pilot, last survivor of Operation Chastise (born 1919)[11]
  • 6 August – Geoff Mardon, speedway rider (born 1927)
  • 7 August – Trevor Barber, cricketer (born 1925)
  • 9 August – Gordon Vette, pilot, TE-901 crash researcher (born 1933)
  • 16 August – Jon Craig, architect (born c.1942)
  • 17 August – George Gair, politician and diplomat (born 1926)
  • 20 August – Paul Kibblewhite, pulp and paper scientist (born 1941)
  • 21 August – Colin Beyer, lawyer and businessman (born 1938)[12]
  • 28 August – Jan Anderson, plant biologist
  • 30 August – John Hotop, rugby union player (born 1929)

September[]

  • 2 September
    • Avinash Deobhakta, lawyer and jurist (born 1936)
    • Manos Nathan, ceramicist (born 1948)
  • 4 September – Graham Brazier, musician and songwriter (born 1952)
  • 6 September – Allen Roberts, cricketer (born 1922)
  • 8 September – Robert Wylie, cricketer (born 1948)
  • 10 September – Colleen Waata-Urlich, ceramicist (born 1939)
  • 13 September – Sir James Belich, politician, Mayor of Wellington (1986–92) (born 1927)
  • 15 September – Ian Uttley, rugby union player (born 1941)
  • 16 September
    • Terry McCavana, association footballer (born 1922)
    • Peter Molan, biochemist (born 1943)
    • Bill Oliver, historian and poet (born 1925)
  • 17 September – Daniel Keighley, music festival promoter and band manager (born 1953)
  • 20 September – Dorothy Butler, children's author, bookseller and reading advocate (born 1925)
  • 25 September – Zabeel, Thoroughbred racehorse and sire (foaled 1986)
  • 30 September – Neil Graham, businessman and philanthropist (born 1943)

October[]

  • 3 October – William Taylor, children's writer and politician (born 1938)
  • 5 October – Michael Dean, television presenter (born 1933)
  • 6 October – Frankie Boardman, musician (born c.1933)
  • 7 October – Arthur Woods, rugby union player (born 1929)
  • 9 October – David Benney, applied mathematician (born 1930)
  • 20 October – Sir John Scott, medical researcher (born 1931)
  • 29 October – Bruce Gregory, politician (born 1937)
  • 31 October – Colin Nicholson, lawyer and jurist (born 1938)[13]

November[]

  • 1 November – Bill Ballantine, marine biologist (born 1937)
  • 10 November – Laurent Vidal, French triathlete who lived half the time in New Zealand (fiancé of Andrea Hewitt) (born 1984)
  • 12 November – Peter McLeavey, art dealer (born 1936)
  • 13 November – John Gray, Anglican bishop (born 1947)
  • 17 November – Donald Brian, cricketer (born 1925)
  • 18 November – Jonah Lomu, rugby union player (born 1975)
  • 19 November
    • Rex Cunningham, rugby league player (born 1924)
    • John Hall-Jones, historian, otolaryngologist and outdoorsman (born 1927)
  • 21 November – Vern Bakalich, rugby league player (born 1929)
  • 30 November
    • Jack Fagan, rugby league player (born 1933)
    • David Simmons, ethnologist and historian (born 1930)

December[]

  • 3 December – Michael Wilson, cricketer (born 1940)
  • 7 December – Betty Bourke, health administrator (born 1924)
  • 10 December – Maurice Graham, rugby union player (born 1931)
  • 12 December – Jon Gadsby, writer and comedian (born 1953)
  • 19 December – Stephen Jelicich, architect and historian (born 1923)
  • 23 December – Bill Subritzky, property developer and evangelist (born 1925)

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2015 (provisional)". Statistics New Zealand. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015. For urban areas, "Infoshare; Group: Population Estimates – DPE; Table: Estimated Resident Population for Urban Areas, at 30 June (1996+) (Annual-Jun)". Statistics New Zealand. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  2. ^ "Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae". Governor-General of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  3. ^ "Cyclone Pam: 'Never seen anything like it'". New Zealand Herald. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. ^ Anderson, Ian (28 March 2015). "Hamilton Boys' High School defend Maadi Cup title in dramatic fashion". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  5. ^ Crayton-Brown, Blake (21 January 2015). "Geange claims the Ballinger Belt". Upper Hutt Leader. p. 47.
  6. ^ "Ex-All Black Jerry Collins killed in car accident in France". The New Zealand Herald. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  7. ^ Savage, Jared; Weekes, John (5 June 2015). "Euthanasia case: Lecretia Seales dies hours after family received judge's decision". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Former New Zealand spinner Peter Petherick dies at 72". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  9. ^ Norman Berryman dies of heart attack aged 42
  10. ^ Cramb, Gordon (14 July 2015). "Sir John Buchanan, scientist and finance chief, 1943–2015". Financial Times. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  11. ^ Thomas, Rachel; Wilson, Libby (4 August 2015). "New Zealand loses a 'remarkable man' with death of Les Munro; John Key says". Stuff. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Colin Andrew Nielsen BEYER". The New Zealand Herald. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  13. ^ Bruton, Vanessa (1 November 2015). "Hon Colin Maurice Nicholson CNZM, QC 1936–2015". New Zealand Law Society. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
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