Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Edward VII
• Governor – The Lord Plunket GCMG KCVO^[1]

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – William Massey, (Independent).^[2]

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Arthur Myers
• Mayor of Wellington – Thomas Hislop
• Mayor of Christchurch – George Payling then Charles Allison
• Mayor of Dunedin – John Loudon then John McDonald

January

February

March

April

• 8 April – The Invercargill Tragedy occurs, in which James Reid Baxter kills his family and then himself.

June

July

August

• 7 August: First through passenger train on the North Island Main Trunk railway, over temporary track north of Taonui, the 11-car Parliamentary Special carrying the Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward and other parliamentarians north to see the American Great White Fleet at Auckland (9 to 15 August).

September

October

November

• 6 November: The North Island Main Trunk railway linking Wellington and Auckland is completed, with the last spike driven in by Prime Minister Joseph Ward at Manganui-o-te-Ao and commemorated by the Last Spike Monument.
• 9 November: A two-day NIMT rail passenger service starts, with an overnight stop at Ohakune.

December

• 2 December: Dunedin Public Library opens, aided by a grant from Andrew Carnegie.
• Late December: Wanganui (population 9000) became the first provincial town to introduce trams^[3]

Undated

• Blackball, New Zealand coal miners strike for 11 weeks, an important step in the formation of the New Zealand Labour Party.
• Auckland. Three cultivars of the Feijoa are introduced into New Zealand.^[4]

Books

• The first Edmonds Cookery Book is published.

Music

See: 1908 in music

Film

See: 1908 in film, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1908 films

Boxing

The welterweight division is included in the national championships for the first time.

National amateur champions

• Heavyweight – M. Ryan (Invercargill)
• Middleweight – J. Smith (Auckland)
• Welterweight – R. Mayze (Christchurch)
• Lightweight – T. Metcalfe (Auckland)
• Featherweight – W. Elliott (Timaru)
• Bantamweight – J. Parker (Christchurch)

Billiards

The Auckland Sports Club, the national representative to the British Billiards Association, holds the first national championship.^[5]

• National Champion: J. Ryan (Auckland)

Chess

• The 21st National Chess Championship was held in Wellington, and was won by of A.W.O. Davies of Wellington, his second title.^[6]

Golf

• The second New Zealand Open championship was held at Balmacewen golf club and was won by 19-year-old professional J.A. Clements^[7]
• The 16th National Amateur Championships were held in Otago^[8]
  • Men: H.C. Smith (Otago)
  • Women: Miss ? Christie

Horse racing

Olympic Games

• New Zealanders compete at the Olympic Games for the first time, as part of the Australasian team. Harry Kerr becomes the first New Zealander to win an Olympic medal.

Rugby league

• New Zealand national rugby league team tour of Great Britain:
  • lost to Wales, 9–8
  • 1st test: lost to Great Britain 8–5 at Cheltenham
  • 2nd test: beat Great Britain 18–6 at Chelsea
  • 3rd test: beat Great Britain 14–6 at leeds

Rugby union

• Auckland defend the Ranfurly Shield against Marlborough (32–0), Wellington (24–3), Taranaki (9–0) and Otago (11–5)

Soccer

Provincial league champions:^[11]

• Auckland: Auckland Corinthians
• Canterbury: Christchurch Club
• Otago: Northern Dunedin
• Southland: Murihiku
• Taranaki: Hawera
• Wellington: Diamond Wellington

Tennis

• Anthony Wilding pairs with Australian Norman Brookes, as the Australasian team, to win the Davis Cup, beating the United States 3–2. The final is held in Melbourne.
• Anthony Wilding, partnered with Norman Brookes, wins the men's doubles at the Wimbledon Championship