Lieutenant James Cook in command of HMS Endeavour lands at Kaiti Beach (near Gisborne) with a party of sailors and Royal Marines.

Captain Hobson arrives in the Bay of Islands aboard the frigate HMS Herald, commanded by Captain Joseph Nias RN. After consultation, Hobson drafts the English language version of the Treaty of Waitangi to be signed 6 February, 1840.

Governor Hobson established a permanent naval presence at Devonport. Lieutenant Snow, a member of Hobson’s staff was given charge. He took up residence in a raupō whare.

Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward offers to the Royal Navy the gift of a battlecruiser to be named HMS New Zealand.

HMS New Zealand commissioned.

HMS New Zealand makes her first visit to New Zealand. By tour’s end over 500,000 people (almost half New Zealand’s population in 1912) visit the ship at the ports she visits.

Government passes the Naval Defence Act establishing the New Zealand Naval Forces – on paper only, there were no ships.

HMS Philomel was commissioned for New Zealand service at Wellington. Her commanding officer Captain Hall-Thompson was appointed Naval Advisor to New Zealand.

HMS Philomel was placed under Admiralty operational control and escorts New Zealand occupational force to Samoa.

Battle of Heliogoland Bight – HMS New Zealand participates in the battle and sinks the German cruiser Köln using her torpedoes.

Battle of Dogger Bank – HMS New Zealand participates in the battle. Her gunfire cripples the German heavy cruiser Blücher.

Battle of Jutland – HMS New Zealand participates in the battle. She is hit only once in her aft turret with no loss of life and no major damage.

HMS Prize encounters U-93. William Sanders is awarded the Victoria Cross and is promoted to Lieutenant Commander for his actions. He is killed in action later in 1917.

Chief Petty officer Roy Alexander wins a Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) serving aboard a motor launch during the raid on Zeebrugge. He died of wounds sustained during the action after returning from the raid.

HMS Chatham arrives in New Zealand. She is to be the flagship for the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy.

By Order-In-Council the New Zealand Naval Board is constituted for the overall direction and administration of the Navy. The New Zealand Naval Forces were renamed the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy.

Battle of the River Plate – German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee is taken on by HMS Exeter, Ajax and Achilles. Find out more. 

HMS Leander sinks the German Raider Ramb I.

HMS Neptune, sister ship to HMNZS Leander and Achilles, is sunk by mines off Tripoli and 150 New Zealanders are lost. Read more. 

The Women’s Royal New Zealand Naval Service (WRNZNS) known as the Wrens, was approved by the War Cabinet.

Corvettes HMNZS Kiwi and Moa, on patrol off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands fight a successful action against the large Japanese Submarine – I1. Read about the action. 

Battle of Kolombangara – HMNZS Leander was struck by a Japanese torpedo killing 28 crew and injuring a further 15.

Operation Struggle – Lieutenant William ‘Kiwi’ Smith XO of the midget submarine XE-3 sinks the Japanese cruiser Takao by laying mines underneath her in Singapore Harbour. His two crewmates win the VC for their actions.

HMNZS Gambia represents New Zealand at the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Harbour.

Loch-Class frigates HMNZS Tutira and pukaki leave Auckland for duty off South Korea – all six Loch-Class frigates would be deployed to Korea during 1950-53.

HMNZS Rotoiti puts a landing party ashore at Sogon-Ni Point that engages with North Korean Forces. Two North Korean soldiers are captured by RNZN personnel involved in the raid.

The Naval Wireless Telegraphy Station established at Waiouru is commissioned as HMNZS Irirangi.

HMNZS Taupō with USS Endicott stops an attempted North Korean landing on Yang-Do Island.

HMNZS Black Prince represents New Zealand at the Coronation Review for Queen Elizabeth II.

Operation Grapple begins – first test off Malden Island. HMNZS Pukaki and Rotoiti observe as weather ships.

HMNZS Pukaki is present for the final test in the Grapple series of British nuclear tests.

The New Zealand Naval Board becomes part of the Ministry of Defence.

HMNZS Hickleton fires the last shots (fired in anger) to date during the Indonesian Confrontation.

The Leander Class fridate HMNZS Waikato is commissioned into RNZN service. This is the first use of helicopters on RNZN ships – WASP helicopter is standard with frigates.

Royal Assent for the White New Zealand Ensign was granted to the Royal New Zealand Navy. It replaced the cross of St George with the four stars of the Southern Cross.

HMNZS Otago sails to Mururoa Atoll under orders from the Government, to protest the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons by France.

HMNZS Otago arrives at Mururoa and observes the first test.

HMNZS Otago is replaced on station by HMNZS Canterbury who observes the second test.

Women’s Royal New Zealand Naval Service is formally disbanded.

HMNZS Tui leaves to observe Operation Valerian – French nuclear tests in the Pacific.

The first ANZAC-Class frigate HMNZS Te Kaha is commissioned.

Te Mana – Anzac Class Frigate is commissioned into RNZN.

Multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury enters service with RNZN.

Pukaki is delivered to the Ministry of Defence and commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Taupo is the last of the four IPVs that was delivered to the Ministry of Defence and commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Aotearoa RNZNs new Polar Class support vessel built in Korea arrives in Auckland.