← 1901 1900 1899 1902 in New Zealand → 1903 1904 1905
Decades:	1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

The following lists events that happened during 1902 in New Zealand.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Edward VII
• Governor – The Earl of Ranfurly GCMG ^[1]

Government

The Liberal Party was re-elected and formed the 15th New Zealand Parliament.

• Speaker of the House – Maurice O'Rorke
• Prime Minister – Richard Seddon
• Minister of Finance – Richard Seddon
• Chief Justice – Sir Robert Stout

The number of members of the House of Representatives is increased from 74 to 80.^[2]

Parliamentary opposition

Leader of the Opposition – no recognised leader in 1902.^[3]

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Alfred Kidd
• Mayor of Wellington – John Aitken
• Mayor of Christchurch – Arthur Rhodes then Henry Wigram
• Mayor of Dunedin – George Denniston then James Park

Events

• 28 October – The SS Ventnor sinks off the coast of Hokianga with the loss of 13 lives. The ship was carrying the remains of 499 Chinese men, most of whom had been involved in the Otago Gold Rush, back to China.

Arts and literature

See 1902 in art, 1902 in literature

Music

See: 1902 in music

Sport

Boxing

The New Zealand Boxing Association is formed to control and promote amateur boxing. The first national championships are held, in four weight divisions, in Christchurch.^[4]

National amateur champions

• Heavyweight – J. Fitzsimmons (Timaru)
• Middleweight – F. Nash (Christchurch)
• Lightweight – P. Oliver (Christchurch)
• Featherweight – A. Jones (Christchurch)

Chess

National Champion: R.J. Barnes of Wellington.^[5]

Golf

The 10th National Amateur Championships were held in Christchurch^[6]

• Men: S.H. Gollan (Napier)
• Women: Mrs ? Bidwell

Horse racing

Harness racing

• Auckland Trotting Cup: Van Dieman ^[7]

Rugby

• The NZRFU decides upon a challenge format for the Ranfurly Cup competition. When the trophy arrives from Britain it turns out to in fact be a shield.
• 13 September – The Ranfurly Shield is first awarded to Auckland in recognition of their unbeaten record for the season.

Soccer

Provincial league champions:^[8]

• Auckland: North Shore
• Otago: Roslyn Dunedin
• Wellington: Wellington St. John's

Births

• 1 May: Geoffrey Michael William Hodgkins, naturalist.^[9]
• 8 May: Curly Page, cricketer.
• 13 June: Gordon Minhinnick, cartoonist.
• 16 June: Clarence Beeby, educationalist.
• 3 July: Jack Newman, cricketer.
• 23 July: Arthur Lindo Patterson, physicist.
• 8 September: Bryan Todd, businessman.
• Fred Hackett, politician.
• (in Paris): Louise Henderson, painter.
• Trevor Henry, supreme court judge.

Deaths

• 30 January: Alfred Renall, politician and mayor.
• 27 February: James Gordon Stuart Grant, a local eccentric in Dunedin.
• 26 June: William Garden Cowie, Bishop of Auckland and Anglican Primate of New Zealand
• 15 July: John McLean, politician and farmer.
• 18 October: Theodore Haultain, politician.
• 3 December: Robert Lawson, architect