Regal and viceregal
Head of State - George V
Governor - The Earl of Liverpool
The 19th New Zealand Parliament continued as a grand coalition led by the Reform Party
Speaker of the House - Frederic Lang (Reform Party)
Prime Minister - William Massey (Reform Party)
Minister of Finance - Joseph Ward
Leader of the Opposition - Joseph Ward (Liberal Party) Ward retained that title even though he was part of the coalition government.
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland – James Gunson
Mayor of Hamilton – John Edwin Hammond then John Robert Fow
Mayor of Wellington – TBD
Mayor of Christchurch – Henry Holland
Mayor of Dunedin – TBD
January: While in Egypt the New Zealand Expeditionary Force becomes the New Zealand Division.
April: The New Zealand Division leaves Egypt and travels via Marseilles to northern France arriving during the same month.
12 May: First patrol by New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade in the Sinai desert.
13 May: New Zealand Division moves into front-line trenches at Armentières.
7 July: New Zealand Labour Party founded in Wellington.
13 July: Vivian Walsh is the first New Zealander to obtain a pilot's licence while resident in New Zealand.
15 September: First major action by New Zealand Division in France, at Flers. In the following 23 days 1560 New Zealanders are killed and 5440 wounded.
20 September: The Canterbury (NZ) Aviation Company is established in Christchurch. Henry Wigram is the main instigator. The Company's aims are to train pilot's for the war, promote local aviation defence and pioneer commercial aviation.
15 October: The sixteenth national census of the Dominion was taken.
October: The Canterbury (NZ) Aviation Company purchases land at Sockburn near Christchurch. The first planes do not arrive until the following year.
undated: William Jolliffe is appointed New Zealand's first censor
Arts and literature
See 1916 in art, 1916 in literature, Category:1916 books
See: 1916 in music
The Mutiny of the Bounty
See: Category:1916 film awards, 1916 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1916 films
The New Zealand Open championship and National Amateur Championships were not held due to the war.
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Cathedral Chimes
Auckland Trotting Cup: Admiral Wood
The Ranfurly Shield (held by Wellington) is not contested as interprovincial matches are cancelled due to the war.
Provincial league champions:
Auckland: North Shore
Canterbury: Christchurch Rangers
Hawke's Bay: Waipukurau
Otago: Mornington
Southland: No competition
Wanganui: No competition
Wellington: No competition
