Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

• Head of State Queen Victoria
• Governor Colonel Thomas Gore Browne

Government and law

The 2nd Parliament continues.

• Speaker of the House Sir Charles Clifford
• Premier Edward Stafford.
• Minister of Finance William Richmond is briefly replaced by Henry Sewell between 25 February and 26 April.
• Chief Justice Hon George Arney

Events

• 10 January: Pencarrow Head Lighthouse becomes the first permanent lighthouse in New Zealand. Its first keeper is Mary Jane Bennett, the only woman to hold the position.^[1]
• 13 April: The New Zealand Advertiser starts publishing in Wellington. In 1867 it is incorporated into the New Zealand Times, but it is restored for six months in 1868.^[2]

• 3 October: The Auckland Independent begins publishing. It barely survives into the following year.^[3]

Undated

The first wharf is built at Onehunga.^[4]

Arts and literature

Music

Appointments and awards

• Primate of New Zealand George Selwyn (Bishop of New Zealand)
• Bishop of Christchurch Henry Harper
• Bishop of Nelson Edmund Hobhouse
• Bishop of Waiapu William Williams
• Bishop of Wellington Charles Abraham

Sport

Cricket

Horse racing

Births

• 1 January (in England): John Dumbell, rugby union player.

Unknown date

• Thomas Field, politician.

Deaths

See also

• 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

For world events and topics in 1859 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1859

References

External links