Regal and viceregal
Head of State — Queen Victoria
Governor — The Marquess of Normanby
Government and law
The 1875 general election begins on 29 December but does not finish until 4 January the following year. The election marks the end of the 5th New Zealand Parliament.
Speaker of the House — The sitting Speaker, Sir Francis Dillon Bell, does not stand in the 1875 election at the end of the year. He will be replaced by Sir William Fitzherbet in 1876.
Premier — Daniel Pollen becomes Premier on 6 July replacing Julius Vogel.
Minister of Finance — Harry Atkinson takes over from Julius Vogel on 6 July.
Chief Justice — Hon Sir George Arney retires and is replaced on 1 April by Hon Sir James Prendergast
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland — Frederick Prime followed by Benjamin Tonks
Mayor of Christchurch — Fred Hobbs
Mayor of Dunedin — Andrew Mercer followed by Keith Ramsay
Mayor of Wellington — William Sefton Moorhouse
Rimutaka Incline railway opens using the Fell system.
The first club in the country, the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club, holds its first meeting.
The Wellington Cricket Association is formed.
New Zealand Cup winner: Nectar
New Zealand Derby winner: Daniel O’Rourke
Auckland Cup winner: Kingfisher
Wellington Cup winner: Tambourini
see also Category:Horse races in New Zealand.
Rugby union begins in Timaru, Temuka, Blenheim, Picton, Greymouth (with the formation of new clubs) and Napier where the club formed in 1874 adopted rugby rules.
A combined Auckland clubs team toured Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson and New Plymouth. They lost all matches, despite some of their opposition having only learned rugby rules for a few weeks in preparation for the tour — the Christchurch and Dunedin clubs had primarily been playing football (soccer).
Ballinger Belt: Lieutenant Skinner (Auckland)
19 January: Ethel Benjamin, first female lawyer in NZ.
William Polson, politician.
John Robertson, politician.
Alexander Young, politician.
8 August: William Tolmie, Member of parliament
