1927 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,450,400
• Increase since previous 31 December 1926: 20,700
• Males per 100 females: 104.3

  Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of state – George V
• Governor-General – General Sir Charles Fergusson Bt GCMG KCB DSO MVO

  Government

• Speaker of the House – Charles Statham
• Prime Minister – Gordon Coates
• Minister of Finance – William Downie Stewart
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – William Nosworthy
• Attorney-General – Frank Rolleston
• Chief Justice – Sir Charles Skerrett

  Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Harry Holland.

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – George Baildon
• Mayor of Hamilton – John Robert Fow
• Mayor of Wellington – Charles Norwood, succeeded by George Troup
• Mayor of Christchurch – John Archer
• Mayor of Dunedin – Harold Livingstone Tapley, succeeded by William Burgoyne Taverner

  Events

• 22 February – 22 March: Royal tour by the Duke and Duchess of York

  Arts and literature

Music

Radio

Film

• Carbine's Heritage
• The Te Kooti Trail
• Under the Southern Cross

Sport

Badminton

• The New Zealand Badminton Federation, now Badminton New Zealand, is founded and the first National Championships are held, at Wanganui.
• *Men's singles: R. Creed-Meredith
• *Women's singles: E. Hetley
• *Men's doubles: R. Creed-Meredith and M. Fell
• *Women's doubles: E. Hetley and N. Wanklyn
• *Mixed doubles: R. Creed-Meredith and E. Hetley

  Chess

Golf

• The 17th New Zealand Open championship was won by Ernie Moss.
• The 31st National Amateur Championships were held in Hamilton
• * Men: Sloan Morpeth – 2nd title
• * Women: Mrs ? Collinson

  Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Kohara
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Ahuriri

  Thoroughbred racing

• New Zealand Cup – Rapier
• Avondale Gold Cup – Te Kara
• Auckland Cup – Rapier
• Wellington Cup – Rapier
• New Zealand Derby – Agrion

  Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – H.C. Clarke
• Men's pair champions – A. Brakebush, M. Walker
• Men's fours champions – J. McMillan, H. Rowling, J.F. Wright, A.H. Benefield

  Rugby

• 1926–27 New Zealand Māori rugby union tour

  Rugby league

Soccer

• 1927 Chatham Cup won by Ponsonby
• Canada toured New Zealand, playing a series of four internationals which they won 2–1.
• * 25 June, Dunedin: Draw 2–2
• * 2 July, Christchurch: NZ 1–2 Canada
• * 9 July, Wellington: NZ 1–0 Canada
• * 23 July, Auckland: NZ 1–4 Canada
• Provincial league champions:
• * Auckland: Thistle
• * Canterbury: Nomads
• * Hawke's Bay: Napier Rangers
• * Nelson: Athletic
• * Otago: Northern
• * South Canterbury: Rangers
• * Southland: Corinthians
• * Taranaki: Caledonian
• * Waikato: Waihou
• * Wanganui: Eastbrooke
• * Wellington: YMCA

  Births

January

• 4 January – Patrick Hanan, historian of Chinese literature
• 7 January – Mary Batchelor, politician
• 8 January – Sidney Moko Mead, anthropologist, historian, Māori leader
• 9 January – Ken English, rugby league player
• 11 January
• * Johnny Hayes, cricketer
• * John Tanner, rugby union player
• 12 January
• * Maurice Marshall, athlete
• * Emily Schuster, master weaver
• 14 January – Vera Burt, cricketer
• 20 January – Cyril Paskell, rugby league player
• 22 January – Jack Doms, swimmer

  February

• 2 February – Whatumoana Paki, Kīngitanga elder
• 3 February – Graham Mexted, rugby union player
• 6 February – Thomas Wells, cricketer, schoolteacher
• 9 February – Walter Brown, actor
• 12 February – John Todd, businessman, philanthropist
• 18 February – Hugh Kawharu, academic, Ngāti Whātua leader
• 20 February – Allan Wild, architect, academic
• 27 February – Peter Whittle, mathematician, statistician

  March

• 2 March – Ray Farman, cricketer
• 13 March
• * Thea Muldoon, wife of Robert Muldoon
• * Albert Putt, cricketer
• 14 March – Tim Besley, civil engineer, businessman, public servant
• 17 March – Christopher Small, sociomusicologist
• 24 March – John Head, schoolteacher, anti-landmine campaigner
• 31 March – Pat Hond, police officer, teacher, soldier, community worker

  April

• 5 April – Neil Anderson, naval officer
• 6 April – Barney Clarke, boxer
• 9 April – Tiny Hill, rugby union player and selector
• 13 April – George Chapman, accountant, businessman, politician
• 14 April – Alan MacDiarmid, Nobel laureate chemist
• 18 April – Stanley Callagher, rowing coxswain
• 20 April – Douglas J. Martin, Mormon leader
• 21 April – Tom Logan, water polo player, swimmer, surf lifesaver, dentist, naval officer

  May

• 1 May
• * Pat Downey, lawyer and public servant
• * Duncan McMullin, jurist
• 9 May – Gerry Clark, sailor, writer and ornithologist
• 17 May – Jacqueline Sturm, poet and short-story writer
• 20 May – Donald Coleman, cricketer
• 22 May – Eric Petrie, cricketer
• 23 May – Jack Cropp, sailor
• 25 May – Helen Smith, politician
• 26 May – John Worrall, cricketer

  June

• 1 June – John O'Brien, rower
• 4 June – William Fyfe, geochemist
• 5 June – Bill McLennan, rugby league player
• 8 June – Bob Walls, painter
• 15 June – Roland Avery, rugby league referee
• 16 June
• * Kate Harcourt, actor
• * Trevor Redmond, speedway rider
• 20 June – Bill Bradfield, amateur astronomer
• 27 June – Brian Brake, photographer

  July

• 9 July – Joyce Fenton, fencer
• 10 July – Ken Deas, cricketer
• 18 July – Zin Harris, cricketer
• 19 July – Ray Harper, rugby union player and administrator
• 20 July – Tom Lynch, rugby union and rugby league player
• 25 July – James Belich, politician, mayor of Wellington

  August

• 19 August – John Caselberg, writer
• 25 August – Keith Cumberpatch, field hockey player
• 26 August
• * Jill Amos, local-body politician, community leader
• * Bill McCaw, rugby union player
• 30 August – Humphrey Gould, rower, businessman
• 31 August – Reg King, association footballer

  September

• 9 September – John Hickman, meteorologist
• 14 September – John Hall-Jones, historian, otolaryngologist
• 22 September – Peter Burke, rugby union player, coach and administrator
• 27 September – Te Uruhina McGarvey-Tiakiwai, Māori cultural leader

  October

• 9 October
• * Bob Goslin, boxer
• * Ron Trotter, businessman
• 11 October – Leonard Watson, cricketer
• 22 October – Wally Clark, zoologist
• 24 October – Ian Monro, naval officer
• 30 October – Jill McDonald, children's writer and illustrator

  November

• 7 November – Brian Finlay, rugby union player
• 15 November – Wallace Rowling, politician, 30th Prime Minister of New Zealand
• 18 November
• * Giovanni Cataldo, fisherman, search and rescue organiser
• * Pat Creedy, rugby union and rugby league player
• 19 November – Thomas Engel, rower
• 21 November – Peter Mulgrew, mountaineer, sailor, businessman
• 24 November
• * Geoff Mardon, speedway rider
• * Kevin Skinner, rugby union player

  December

• 1 December – John Branthwaite, Anglican priest
• 2 December – Les Hunter, politician
• 4 December – Peter Hall, cricketer
• 6 December – Alan Gilbertson, cricketer
• 8 December
• * David Hay, cardiologist, anti-smoking campaigner
• * Hamish Hay, politician, mayor of Christchurch
• 10 December – Graham Gordon, general practitioner and surgeon
• 18 December – Rom Harré, philosopher, psychologist
• 19 December – Robert Couper, cricketer
• 23 December – Pat Sheahan, rugby union player, publican, publisher
• 30 December – John Pring, rugby union referee

  Exact date unknown

• Laurie Davidson, yacht designer
• Jim Edwards, politician
• Colin Franklin, electrical engineer
• Rusty Robertson, rowing coach
• Jack Sutherland, athlete
• Des White, rugby league player

  Deaths

January–March

• 4 January
• * Herbert Drewitt, World War I flying ace
• * Joseph Ward, astronomer
• 13 January
• * Frank Anthony, author
• * John Fisher, politician
• 21 January – Kiti Karaka Riwai, Māori tribal leader
• 26 January – Robert Wellwood, farmer, auctioneer, commission agent, politician
• 29 January – Sir Henry Brett, journalist, newspaper proprietor, writer, politician, mayor of Auckland
• 21 February – Thomas Ryan, rugby union player, artist, steamer captain
• 17 March – Bella MacCallum, botanist, mycologist
• 26 March – Edward Withy, shipbuilder, politician
• 31 March – David Guthrie, politician

  April–June

• April – T. T. Rawhiti, Kīngitanga secretary and administrator
• 4 April – Cuthbert Cowan, politician
• 6 April – Elsie Reeve, jeweller
• 8 April – John O'Donovan, police commissioner
• 14 April – James Wilson, politician
• 26 April – William Jolliffe, film censor
• 28 April – Sarah Featon, botanical artist
• 2 May – Eden George, photographer, politician, mayor of Christchurch
• 1 June
• * Thomas Andrew, cricketer
• * Sir Worley Edwards, jurist
• 11 June
• * John Ormsby, land negotiator and commissioner, politician
• * Hone Taare Tikao, Ngāi Tahu leader, scholar, politician
• 17 June – Lake Ayson, acclimatisation officer, fisheries inspector

  July–September

• 18 July – Eustace Ferguson, pathologist, entomologist
• 24 July – Arthur Harvey, doctor
• 27 July – Newton King, auctioneer, merchant, businessman
• 5 August – Thomas Groube, cricketer
• 7 August – Frank Mace, soldier
• 11 August – Edmond Slattery, swagger, rural labourer
• 25 August – Richard Bollard, politician
• 3 September – Bill Cunningham, rugby union player
• 30 September – Edmund Taylor, temperance advocate, politician

  October–December

• 9 October – Charles Mules, Anglican bishop
• 12 October – Louis Fowler, cricketer
• 12 November – John Aris, cricketer
• 17 November – Charlie Smyth, police officer, trade unionist, baker
• 21 November – Oscar Alpers, journalist, poet, lawyer, jurist
• 26 November – Percy Gates Morgan, geologist, science administrator
• 28 November – Charles Lewis, politician
• 8 December – Robert Allan, businessman, manufacturer
• 18 December – Hugh Finn, politician