Search Browse On This Day Timeline Research Remembered About Contact
☶ Go up a page

Timeline: July

July 1876

  • Robert Gant arrives in Wellington (Wellington). Gant emigrates from the United Kingdom

July 1908

  • Katherine Mansfield leaves for England (Wellington). Mansfield leaves shortly after her father reads Leves Amores. Links: GayNZ.net, Te Ara

July 1967

  • Lord Cobham declines an invitation to be patron of the Wolfenden Association (New Zealand). Lord Cobham replied that "these people are mentally sick."

July 1972

  • The Broadsheet publication begins (Auckland). It was New Zealand's first feminist magazine

July 1977

  • The National Gay Rights Coalition is formerly established (New Zealand). The coalition comes out of discussions held during the fifth National Gay and Lesbian Conference held in Wellington in October 1976. Link: Salient

July 1980

  • Mayor Michael Fowler stops a lesbian community notice being displayed on Wellington City Council buses (Wellington). Fowler objects to the notice that invites lesbians to "contact your local community"
  • The Gay Information Centre opens (Christchurch)

July 1987

  • Trevor Barnard stands as an openly gay candidate for the NZ Democratic party in Eastern Hutt (Lower Hutt)

July 1993

  • The first Waikato University Gay Pride Week takes place (Waikato region). Link: NZ.com

July 1994

  • The first Stonewall Ball is held (New Plymouth). Links: Queer History NZ, NZ.com
  • The second Waikato University Gay Pride Week takes place (Waikato region). Link: NZ.com
  • Gaytime FM begins broadcasting on Fresh FM (Tasman region). The radio programme broadcasts every Sunday morning at 11am. Links: NZ.com (1), NZ.com (2)

July 1998

  • Camp Mother (a.k.a. Lynda Topp) announces that she will run for Mayor of Auckland (Auckland). Topp decides to run against Les Mills who was against the HERO festival. She withdraws two weeks before the election
  • The Defacto Property Bill is introduced (New Zealand). It aims to standardise disposal of property on death or separation of unmarried couples (but not same-sex ones)
  • The Labour Relations Bill is introduced, granting same-sex partners leave for partners' sickness (New Zealand)

1 July 1934

  • Ernst Roehm, an early Nazi leader and co-founder of the Sturmabteilung (SA) is executed (Germany). Links: Wikipedia, Papers Past

1 July 1973

1 July 1977

  • Gay Pride Week activities are organised throughout the country (New Zealand)

1 July 1995

  • A day-long seminar takes placed called Exceptional Lesbian and Gay Lives (Christchurch). The seminar is advertised as a "one day affirming seminar" and features Robin Duff, Kathleen Quinlivan, Brent Skerten, Ross Palmer, Andrew Carstairs McCarthy, Linda James, Sue Lovelock Marshall, Jo Drayton and Jane Ferrier. It takes place in the Elizabeth Kelly Room above Annies Wine Bar in the City Arts Centre. Link: NZ.com
  • The second annual Stonewall Ball is held (New Plymouth). The ball is to celebrate "gay, lesbian, bisexual and transpeople pride." It will be held at The Mill, 2 Powderham Street in New Plymouth. Link: NZ.com

1 July 2012

  • The Topp Twins first ever museum exhibition opens at the Waikato Coalfields Museum in Huntly (New Zealand). The exhibition, called Six Strings and Politics, opened with a concert featuring the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band and the Cultural Performance Group from Huntly College

2 July 1979

  • Television: homosexual employees of the Defence Department will be discharged (New Zealand). ref: TZP1031. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

2 July 1980

3 July 1985

3 July 1986

  • Television news report: MPs may have another opportunity to consider the age of consent for homosexual activity (New Zealand). 6.30 news, ref F58069. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

4 July 1975

4 July 1983

  • Television: Gay rights activist urges homosexual men to continue donating blood (New Zealand). ref: TZP126004. Auckland gay rights activist urges gay men to keep donating blood until legal prohibitions on homosexuality are relaxed. . Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

4 July 1992

  • Radio Gay Nelson begins broadcasting (Nelson). The programme broadcasts on the local community radio station (later called Fresh FM). In 1994 the programme changed its name to Gaytime FM. Link: NZ.com

4 July 2008

  • Mates and Lovers, a History of Gay New Zealand by Chris Brickell is launched (New Zealand). Link: GayNZ.com

4 July 2017

  • Sportsperson Cory McLennan reveals to the NZ Herald that he almost gave up on the sport due to fears about coming out as gay (New Zealand). Aged 19, McLeannan was the youngest person to sail solo from Port Taranaki, New Zealand to Mooloolaba, Australia. He came out in 2015. In 2017 he launched the Rainbow Racing project to promote a message of acceptance and inclusiveness. Link: NZ Herald

5 July 1920

  • Eugenia Falleni (a.k.a Harry Crawford) is arrested over the death of wife Annie Birkett (Sydney, Australia). Links: Wikipedia, Papers Past

5 July 1931

5 July 1936

5 July 1973

  • Television news report: review of Gay Liberation week (Auckland). On Camera, ref TZP126533. This item has been digitised and an online viewing copy can be requested from the archive. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

5 July 1996

  • The Presbyterian Church rules that lesbian and gay people may not be licensed or ordained as elders or ministers or put in positions of leadership (New Zealand). The decision was to be reviewed again in 1998

5 July 2010

  • Television current affairs: where is the support for people living with AIDS in Papua New Guinea? Native Affairs, ref F200347. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

5 July 2017

  • Creative New Zealand announces writer Paul Diamond is the latest recipient of the Berlin Writers Residency (New Zealand). Diamond will spend up to 11 months in Berlin researching and writing a book about former Whanganui mayor, Charles Mackay, who was killed in Berlin in 1929 while working as a journalist. Link: Creative New Zealand

6 July 1981

6 July 1996

  • The Gays and Lesbians Everywhere in Education (GLEE) National conference is held (Wellington). The theme of the conference is: empowering lesbians and gays in education. Links: NZ.com (1), NZ.com (2)

6 July 2016

  • The rainbow flag is flown for the first time at Parliament (Wellington). The rainbow flag is flown for the first time on the forecourt of Parliament to mark the 30th anniversary of Homosexual Law Reform

6 July 2017

  • Parliament apologies for the hurt and stigma caused by the historic criminalisation of consensual homosexual activity (New Zealand). During the first reading of the Criminal Records (Expungement of Convictions for Historical Homosexual Offences) Bill, Justice Minister Amy Adams read the following apology "Today we are putting on the record that this house deeply regrets the hurt and stigma suffered by the many hundreds of New Zealand men who were turned into criminals by a law that was profoundly wrong, and for that, we are sorry.". Links: PrideNZ.com, Parliament.nz
  • The first reading of the Criminal Records (Expungement of Convictions for Historical Homosexual Offences) Bill takes place in Parliament (New Zealand). The Bill unanimously passes its first reading. Links: PrideNZ.com, Parliament.nz

6 July 2018

  • Australian police charge Pastor Logan Robertson after allegedly harassing worshippers at two Brisbane mosques (Australia). Robertson faces deportation back to New Zealand. In July 2017 the Pastor called for gay people to be shot through the head. Link: RNZ

7 July 1977

  • The Human Rights Commission Bill Committee reports back to Parliament (New Zealand). Between 23 February and 8 June 1977 the Committee held 13 meetings and received 127 submissions (oral and written). The Committee was asked to include, among other things, sexual orientation in the list of prohibited forms of discrimination. However all of these new grounds were rejected by the Committee who instead wanted the new Human Rights Commission to recommend additions to the Act. Link: Hansard

7 July 1980

  • Lesbians and gays again picket the Russian embassy in protest at oppression in the USSR (Wellington)

7 July 1984

  • MP Fran Wilde meets with members of the gay community to discuss law reform options (Wellington). Link: LAGANZ

7 July 1991

7 July 2003

  • Television news reports: AIDS in Uganda and a potential split in the Anglican church (New Zealand). Contains a story about AIDS in Uganda and an openly gay Anglican clergyman not accepting a position of Bishop because of the potential to split the church. TV3 news, ref F58930. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

7 July 2012

  • Hui Putahi is held at Tapu te Ranga Marae (Wellington). The hui runs from 7-10 July. Link: PrideNZ.com

8 July 1943

  • Vice Squad Detective Trevor Morley is born Link: PrideNZ.com

8 July 1982

  • Television: profile of the Topp Twins as they busk on Queen Street, and at their Auckland home (Auckland). ref: TZP358684. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

8 July 1985

8 July 1996

9 July 1974

  • Television report: the Prime Minister Norman Kirk will not support homosexual law reform (New Zealand). NZBC news, ref TZP86612. Kirk says he won't support any legislation that treats homosexuality as normal behaviour. This item has been digitised and an online viewing copy can be requested from the archive. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

9 July 1986

  • Part 1 of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill is narrowly passed by Parliament, 49 votes to 44 (New Zealand). Part 2 of the Bill dealing with anti-discrimination measures was lost on 16 April 1986. Link: Wikipedia
  • Television news report: the final vote for the Homosexual Law Reform Bill happens tonight (New Zealand). Interviewees include, Fran Wilde, Norman Jones and George Gair. Eyewitness news, ref F58077. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

9 July 2004

  • Television news report: New Zealand ranked worst in OECD for its small contribution to the global fight against HIV/AIDS (New Zealand). Interviewees include Bruce Waldin and Marian Hobbs. One news, ref F83489. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

9 July 2006

  • Television news report: 20th anniversary of homosexual law reform (New Zealand). Interviewees include David Hindley, Fran Wilde and Metiria Turei. One news, ref F93717. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

9 July 2017

  • In a radio interview National MP Chester Borrows says he has changed his mind on same-sex marriage (New Zealand). The departing Member of Parliament talks about how, after voting against Marriage Equality, now supports it. As celebrant he has married a gay couple. Link: RNZ

10 July 1895

  • Miles Radcliffe is born (Wellington). Radcliffe was later killed, aged 50, on 5 February 1946

10 July 1981

  • Wellington Mayor Michael Fowler is picketed (San Francisco, United States of America). A Chamber of Commerce dinner honouring Michael Fowler is picketed. Fowler had earlier stopped lesbian support notices being placed in Wellington City Council buses. Links: Bay Area Reporter (1), Bay Area Reporter (2)

10 July 1986

  • Television news report: the Coalition of Concerned Citizens continues its battle against homosexual law reform (New Zealand). 6.30 news, ref F58082. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

10 July 1987

  • Television news report: AIDS impacts on New York arts community (New Zealand). Eyewitness news ,ref F93026. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

10 July 1991

  • Television news report: Air New Zealand trains Eve Van Grafhorst as a flight attendant (New Zealand). Holmes, ref F105317. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

10 July 1998

  • Presbyterian General Assembly bans ordination of practising gay men or lesbians for one year (New Zealand)

10 July 2009

  • Ferdinand Ambach is convicted of the manslaughter of Ronald Brown (Auckland). Ambach is initially charged with murder, but the charge is downgraded after Ambach's lawyer successfully argued the provocation (gay panic) defence. Ambach is sentenced to twelve years imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of eight years. Links: Stuff, Nga Taonga

11 July 1976

11 July 1985

  • Television news report: Accidental Phantasies - a new play on the issue of pornography (Wellington). ref: TZP13372. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

11 July 1986

  • Television news report: 35 year old man sleeps with a 15 year old male (New Zealand). 6.30 news, ref F91974. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision
  • Television news report: two MPs wavered in their vote on homosexual law reform (New Zealand). 6.30 news, ref F91974. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision
  • Television talkback on the passing of homosexual law reform (New Zealand). Guest - Peter Wall. Newsline, ref F58083. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision
  • The Burnett Clinic is opened by Health Minister Dr Michael Bassett (Auckland). The Burnett Clinic is named after Bruce Burnett and is the first HIV/AIDS clinic in New Zealand
  • The Homosexual Law Reform Act (1986) is signed into law by the Governor General (New Zealand). Links: LAGANZ, Queer History

12 July 2004

  • Television news report: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan warns Asian leaders about the explosion of AIDS in the region (New Zealand). One news, ref F81995. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

12 July 2017

  • Alison Mau is announced as a finalist in the Women of Influence awards (New Zealand). Established in 2012, the awards are run by Fairfax Media. Link: Stuff

13 July 1986

  • Television news report: passing of homosexual law reform (New Zealand). Interviewees include MP John Banks and Fran Wilde. Sunday, ref F91980. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

13 July 1987

  • Television news report: first anniversary of homosexual law reform (New Zealand). Interviewees include Fran Wilde, Keith Hay, Norman Jones, Dick Johnstone, Barry Reed and Peter Wall. Eyewitness news, ref F93071. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

13 July 2004

  • Television news report: China faces a growing AIDS epidemic (New Zealand). TV3 news, ref F82001. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision
  • Television news report: the 15th International AIDS Conference is held in Bangkok (New Zealand). Interviewees include Dr Kathleen Cravero, Helen Leslie and Rachael Le Mesurier. One news, ref F82000. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

14 July 1983

  • Television: Fund to support men charged with homosexual offences set up in Wellington (Wellington). ref: TZP19316. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

14 July 1985

  • Artist Theo Schoon dies

14 July 2004

  • Television news report: AIDS in India (New Zealand). TV3 news, ref F82004. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision
  • Television news report: Asian and Pacific Island leaders warned about the growing issue of AIDS in the region (New Zealand). Interviewees include Eileen Kelly, Gill Greer and Maire Bopp Dupont. One news, ref F82003. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

15 July 2004

  • Television news report: HIV rates increase sharply in New Zealand (New Zealand). Interviewees include Rachael Le Mesurier and Tim Barnett. One news, ref F82005. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

16 July 1925

  • A report into Mental Defectives and Sexual Offenders is tabled in Parliament (New Zealand). Links: Hansard, Report

16 July 1985

  • Television news report: Former MP Marilyn Waring presents a seminar Women, Politics and Power (Dunedin). ref: TZP125107. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision
  • Television news report: new AIDS blood screening programme delayed (New Zealand). ref: TZP125111. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

17 July 1867

  • Hon Major Richardson introduces the Offences Against the Person Bill (1867) (New Zealand). The Bill states that a person convicted of sodomy can be imprisoned for life and anyone convicted of attempted buggery or an indecent assault on a male can serve up to ten years imprisonment (Offences Against the Person Act 1867 / Unnatural Offences, 58-60). Links: Early NZ Statutes, Hansard

17 July 1917

  • Dr Hjelmar von Dannevill is released from Matiu Somes Island after suffering a severe nervous breakdown (Wellington region). Links: Papers Past, The Spin Off

17 July 1982

  • Eve van Grafhorst is born (New South Wales, Australia). Link: Wikipedia

17 July 1992

  • Lawyer and social reformer Frank Haigh dies Among other things Haigh was prominent in the cause of homosexual law reform

18 July 1996

  • Singer Shona Laing comes out as bisexual during a concert performance (New Zealand). Laing's coming out was reported in Express magazine. Link: Wikipedia

18 July 2017

  • Johnny Lumsden admits in court to endangering the health of three men by criminal nuisance (Christchurch). After lying about his HIV status, Lumsden has unprotected sex with three men he met through social media. Link: Stuff

20 July 1985

20 July 2003

  • David McNee, an interior designer and former television host is killed (Auckland). The provocation defence was later successfully used by Phillip Layton Edwards who was found guilty of manslaughter. Edwards was sentenced to nine years imprisonment. He was due for release in April 2012

21 July 1980

  • Enzo Francone attempts to chain himself to the railings in front of the Kremlin in Red Square (Moscow, Russia). Francone is protesting Article 121 of the Russian penal code, and for the release of two imprisoned gay men. He is beaten by police. Link: ILGA

22 July 1929

  • The Evening Post reports on a recent presentation entitled "The Adolescent Girl" (Christchurch). Speaking to members of the Christchurch branch of the Parents' National Education Union Dr Jessie Scott talks about how girls between 11 and 16 experience a homo-sexual period. They "showed great affection for members of their own sex, often for women much older than themselves". This is followed by the heterosexual stage. Link: Papers Past

22 July 1995

  • The Hawke's Bay Queer Event takes place (Napier). The event is advertised as "meeting, dancing, drinking and generally doing some wild stuff in Napier, at the Bay City Club from 9pm.". Link: NZ.com

23 July 2017

  • Auckland Pastor Logan Robertson calls for gay people to be shot (Auckland). During a sermon at the Westcity Bible Bapist Church, Past Robertson states he isn't against homosexuals getting married "as long as a bullet goes through their head the moment they kiss...that's what should happen". Excerpts of the video sermon are then uploaded to Youtube. Links: NZ Herald, PrideNZ

23 July 2018

  • UniQ Victoria pride week takes place (Wellington)

24 July 1845

  • Mary Taylor arrives in New Zealand (New Zealand). Taylor is a life-long friend and some say lover of writer Charlotte Bronte. She returns to England in 1860. Links: Te Ara, GayNZ.net

24 July 1974

  • National MP Venn Young introduces the Crimes Amendment Bill 1974 (New Zealand). The Bill is the first parliamentary attempt at homosexual law reform in New Zealand. The age of consent is set at 21. Links: Hansard, NZ Legal Information Institute
  • Television news report: the Crimes Amendment Bill 1974 has been introduced to Parliament (New Zealand). The Bill seeks to legalise homosexual acts between consenting adults in private. The age-of-consent is set at 21. NZBC news, ref TZP86611. This item has been digitised and an online viewing copy can be requested from the archive. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

24 July 1976

  • Nine members of Gay Liberation Wellington picket the National Party conference (Rotorua). MP Venn Young tells one of the protesters, Alan Seymour, "You people are doing more harm than good to your cause. Why don't you just go away?" Seymour would later write an impassioned letter in Saliant magazine about the exchange: "No Mr Young we will not just go away, back into our closets to lead an oppressed existence. We refuse to put up with the humiliation of the pallid tokens of liberal tolerance any longer...". Link: Saliant

24 July 1977

24 July 1985

  • Television news report: the first locally contracted case of AIDS (disputed) (New Zealand). 6.30 news Top Half, ref F85012. Links: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision, University of Auckland
  • The media reports New Zealand's first locally-contracted case of AIDS (Wellington). The Health Department says the man from Wellington hadn't been overseas - but this is disputed by a Gay Task force spokesperson

24 July 1986

  • Newspaper report: Pia Coletta Rudowski from New Zealand wins third place in the Queen of the Orient contest (San Francisco). Link: Bay Area Reporter

24 July 1995

  • The third annual Waikato University Gay Pride Week takes place (Waikato region). The week is organised by the Waikato Student Union and Queers on Campus. Link: NZ.com

25 July 1865

  • James Miranda Steuart Barry dies (London, United Kingdom). Link: Wikipedia

26 July 1877

  • William Yate dies Link: Te Ara

26 July 2020

  • The web series Rūrangi has its world premiere (Auckland). The premiere takes place at the ASB Waterfront Theatre. Link: Rūrangi

27 July 1909

  • Writer and poet Charles Brasch is born (Dunedin). Link: Te Ara

27 July 1928

  • The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall is published (United Kingdom). The lesbian-themed novel is later judged obscene by a British court and banned. Links: Wikipedia, Papers Past

27 July 1985

27 July 2009

  • Author Chris Brickell wins the Best First Book Award for Non-fiction at the Montana Book Awards (Auckland). Brickell wins for Mates and Lovers, a History of Gay New Zealand. Link: Tararua District Library

28 July 1967

  • The Sexual Offences Act 1967 decriminalises homosexual acts in England and Wales (United Kingdom). The age of consent is set at 21

28 July 1970

  • The National Party's annual conference decides to seek liberalisation on the law relating to homosexuality (New Zealand). The decision was applauded by the Homosexual Law Reform Society - as noted in an Evening Post article on 28 July. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

28 July 1977

28 July 1982

28 July 1993

  • The Human Rights Bill is passed (New Zealand). Among other things, the Bill outlaws discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. The Government is exempt until 31 December 1999

29 July 1970

  • Television current affairs: a look at the "problem" of homosexuality (New Zealand). The South Tonight, ref TZP86813. This item has been digitised and an online viewing copy can be requested from the archive. Link: TVNZ

30 July 1981

  • Newspaper comment: San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt comments on the Wellington bus advertisement controversy (San Francisco, United States of America). Link: Bay Area Reporter

31 July 1915

  • Artist Theo Schoon is born (Java, Indonesia). Schoon was a notable figure in New Zealand art in the mid 20th century. He refused to separate art and craft and created in a range of media. He was interested in the integration of Maori and European art to produce a local modernism. Link: Te Ara

31 July 1985

31 July 1986

  • Newspaper report: Gay rights triumph in New Zealand (San Francisco, United States of America). Link: Bay Area Reporter
URL:http://www.pridenz.com/timeline/july.html