2015 in New Zealand

Population

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

• 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

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Jerry Mateparae

  Government

• Speaker of the House – David Carter
• Prime Minister – John Key
• Deputy Prime Minister – Bill English
• Leader of the House – Gerry Brownlee
• Minister of Finance – Bill English
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Murray McCully

  Other party leaders

• Labour – Andrew Little
• Green – Russel Norman until 30 May then James Shaw, and Metiria Turei
• New Zealand First – Winston Peters
• Māori Party – Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox
• ACT New Zealand – David Seymour
• United Future – Peter Dunne

  Judiciary

• Chief Justice — Sian Elias

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Len Brown
• Mayor of Tauranga – Stuart Crosby
• Mayor of Hamilton – Julie Hardaker
• Mayor of Wellington – Celia Wade-Brown
• Mayor of Christchurch – Lianne Dalziel
• Mayor of Dunedin – Dave Cull

  Arts and literature

Performing arts

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.
• 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

• A temporary ban on the 2013 book Into the River creates controversy.
• 1 September – The Flag Consideration Panel releases the short list of flag options

  October

November

December

• 11 December – Voting closes on the first referendum on the New Zealand flag closes, with the black and blue variant of the Lockwood silver fern flag advancing to the second referendum.

  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
• * Sportsman – Kane Williamson
• * Sportswoman – Lydia Ko
• * Team – All Blacks
• * Disabled Sportsperson – Sophie Pascoe
• * Coach – Steve Hansen
• * Emerging Talent – Eliza McCartney

  Basketball

Cricket

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

  Football

• New Zealand will host the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup between 30 May and 20 June.

  Rowing

• New Zealand Secondary School Championships
• * Maadi Cup – Hamilton Boys' High School
• * Levin 75th Jubilee Cup – St Margaret's College
• * Star Trophy – Hamilton Boys' High School

  Shooting

• Ballinger Belt – Ross Geange

  Deaths

January

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

  February

• 1 February – Alby Duckmanton, cricket player and administrator
• 9 February – Apirana Mahuika, Ngāti Porou leader
• 11 February – Tama Huata, Māori performing arts leader
• 12 February – Christopher Horton, businessman
• 13 February – Kete Ioane, Cook Islands politician
• 16 February
• * Robin Duff, teacher, education leader, gay rights activist
• * Celia Lashlie, prison officer, social justice advocate
• 18 February – Doug Armstrong, cricketer, television sports presenter, politician
• 24 February
• * Dame Thea Muldoon, wife of Sir Robert Muldoon
• * Tony Small, diplomat

  March

• 3 March –
• * Kerry Ashby, rower
• * Peter Yaxley, rugby league player, referee and administrator
• 7 March – Brian Sutton-Smith, writer and play theorist
• 11 March – Keith Roberts, rugby league player
• 12 March – Alan Wilkinson, association footballer
• 14 March – Graham Avery, track cyclist
• 18 March – Sir Don Rowlands, rower and businessman
• 20 March – Sir Russell Pettigrew, businessman, sports administrator
• 24 March
• * Bryan Bartley, engineer
• * Peter Stichbury, potter
• 27 March – Neville Denton, rugby league player
• 29 March – Mike Watt, sport shooter
• 31 March – Trevor Laurence, field hockey player

  April

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

  May

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

  June

• 5 June
• * Jerry Collins, rugby union player
• * Te Uruhina McGarvey, Tūhoe kuia
• * Lecretia Seales, lawyer and right to die campaigner
• 7 June – Peter Petherick, cricketer
• 9 June – Sir Peter Williams, lawyer and penal reform advocate
• 10 June – Bonecrusher, Thoroughbred racehorse
• 13 June – Mike Shrimpton, cricket player and coach
• 17 June – John Lasher, rugby league player
• 18 June – Sir Patrick Moore, otolaryngologist
• 20 June – Ian Bradley, naval officer and politician
• 22 June – Norm Berryman, rugby union player
• 25 June – Ross Hynds, Paralympic athlete
• 27 June – Eric Dunn, cricketer

  July

• 2 July – Sir Ronald Davison, jurist, Chief Justice
• 7 July – Craig Norgate, accountant and business leader
• 13 July
• * Sir John Buchanan, scientist and businessman
• * Campbell Smith, wood engraver, playwright and poet
• 18 July
• * Tim Beaglehole, historian and university administrator
• * Lou Gardiner, military officer, Chief of Army
• 23 July – Doug Rowe, musician and singer
• 29 July – Sir John Todd, businessman and philanthropist
• 30 July – Jimmy Edwards, rugby league player

  August

• 4 August – Les Munro, World War II pilot, last survivor of Operation Chastise
• 6 August – Geoff Mardon, speedway rider
• 7 August – Trevor Barber, cricketer
• 9 August – Gordon Vette, pilot, TE-901 crash researcher
• 16 August – Jon Craig, architect
• 17 August – George Gair, politician and diplomat
• 20 August – Paul Kibblewhite, pulp and paper scientist
• 21 August – Colin Beyer, lawyer and businessman
• 28 August – Jan Anderson, plant biologist
• 30 August – John Hotop, rugby union player

  September

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

  October

• 3 October – William Taylor, children's writer and politician
• 5 October – Michael Dean, television presenter
• 6 October – Frankie Boardman, musician
• 7 October – Arthur Woods, rugby union player
• 9 October – David Benney, applied mathematician
• 20 October – Sir John Scott, medical researcher
• 29 October – Bruce Gregory, politician
• 31 October – Colin Nicholson, lawyer and jurist

  November

• 1 November – Bill Ballantine, marine biologist
• 10 November – Laurent Vidal, French triathlete who lived half the time in New Zealand
• 12 November – Peter McLeavey, art dealer
• 13 November – John Gray, Anglican bishop
• 17 November – Donald Brian, cricketer
• 18 November – Jonah Lomu, rugby union player
• 19 November
• * Rex Cunningham, rugby league player
• * John Hall-Jones, historian, otolaryngologist and outdoorsman
• 21 November – Vern Bakalich, rugby league player
• 30 November
• * Jack Fagan, rugby league player
• * David Simmons, ethnologist and historian

  December

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