← 1882 1881 1880 1883 in New Zealand → 1884 1885 1886
Decades:	1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

The following lists events that happened during 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

The 8th New Zealand Parliament continues.

• 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 fourth in New Zealand).
• The Hokitika Guardian and Hokitika Evening Star merge to form the Hokitika Guardian and Star.^[1]
• September: The Waikato Mail ceases publication. The Cambridge newspaper started in 1880.^[2]
• 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.^[3]
• July: The Waikato Gazette & Thames Valley Recorder begins publishing.^[4] It was absorbed by the Cambridge News in 1889.
• the New Zealand Shipping Company was formed in Christchurch.^[5]

Sport

Cricket

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

Horse racing

The New Zealand Cup is so-named, the race having been run under another name since 1865.^[6]

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

see also Category:Horse races in New Zealand.

Rugby

The Auckland Rugby Union is formed.^[6]

Provincial club rugby champions include:

see also Category:Rugby union in New Zealand

Shooting

Ballinger Belt: Sergeant Kennedy (Dunedin)

Births

• 14 May – Charlie Seeling (died 1956), rugby (league and union) footballer
• 4 August – Sydney Smith (died 1969), forensic pathologist
• 31 October – Anthony Wilding (died 1915), tennis player

Full date unknown

• Ngapipi Reweti, land negotiator (died 1957)^[7]

Deaths

• 30 March – Edward Graham McMinn (born 1843), politician
• 30 June – William Cutten (born 1822), politician