Regal and viceregal
Head of State - George V
Governor-General - The Earl of Liverpool
The 19th New Zealand Parliament concludes. The election held in November sees the Reform Party returned with an increased majority (47 of the 80 seats). Women are eligible to stand for Parliament for the first time.
Speaker of the House - Frederic Lang (Reform Party)
Prime Minister - William Massey (Reform Party)
Minister of Finance - Joseph Ward until 21 August, then James Allen
Leader of the Opposition - Joseph Ward (Liberal Party).
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland – James Gunson
Mayor of Hamilton –- John Robert Fow then Percy Harold Watts
Mayor of Wellington – John Luke
Mayor of Christchurch – Henry Holland then Henry Thacker
Mayor of Dunedin – James John Clark then William Begg
January: George Bolt ascends to a record height of 6,500 feet (2,000 m).
1 February: Cecil McKenzie Hill, chief instructor for the Canterbury Aviation Company, is killed in an air accident while flying over Riccarton Racecourse. This is the first aircraft fatality in New Zealand.
4 February: New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool's Own) disbanded.
31 May: George Bolt flies from Auckland to Russell in a Boeing and Westervelt floatplane. The distance of 233 kilometres (145 mi) is a record for a flight in New Zealand.
16 December: George Bolt makes the first experimental airmail flight in New Zealand. He flies from Auckland to Dargaville and back again on the same day, a total distance of approximately 320 kilometres (200 mi).
December: Ministry of External Affairs established. James Allen is the first Minister.
Arts and literature
See 1919 in art, 1919 in literature, Category:1919 books
See: 1919 in music
See: Category:1919 film awards, 1919 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1919 films
See: 1919 in sports, Category:1919 in sports
The National Chess championship was not held (the influenza epidemic was still subsiding at its traditional new year dates).
Plunket Shield: 25–29 December, Hagley Oval, Christchurch: Canterbury defeated Wellington by 7 wickets. See 1920 in New Zealand#Cricket for remaining matches in this Plunket Shield competition.
The ninth New Zealand Open championship was won by Ted Douglas after a playoff against Sloan Morpeth (his third victory).
The 23rd National Amateur Championships were held in Napier Men: H.E. Crosse (Napier) - 2nd title
Women: Miss N.E. Wright
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Trix Pointer
Auckland Trotting Cup: Creina
Wellington successfully defended the Ranfurly Shield against six challengers; Canterbury (21-8), Taranaki (18-10), Canterbury (in Christchurch)(23-9), Auckland (24-3), and Wanganui (30-3).
Provincial league champions:
Auckland: North Shore
Canterbury: Linwood, Excelsior (shared)
Hawke's Bay: Waipukurau
Otago: Northern
Southland: No competition
Wanganui: Eastbrooke
Wellington: YMCA
New Zealand national rugby league team
