List of occasions when the New Zealand Flag has been directed to fly at half-mast since 2005.
The flying of the NZ Flag at half-mast is covered by section 10 of the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981 and the New Zealand Flag Notice 1986. The directive to lower the flags at half-mast on Government buildings is generally issued on the direction of Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage.
|
Year |
Name and title of person |
Date half-masted |
Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
Saturday 10 April, Tuesday 13 April, Saturday 17 April, the day of the funeral and Wednesday 21 April, the day of the NZ Memorial Service |
To mark the death and funeral |
| 2021 | HE Dr John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, President of Tanzania | Friday 26 March | To mark the death |
| 2021 | Canterbury earthquake | Monday 22 February | To mark the 10th anniversary |
| 2020 | Whakaari/White Island volcanic eruption | Wednesday 9 December | To mark the 1st anniversary |
| 2020 |
Pike River Mine |
Thursday 19 November | To mark the 10th anniversary |
| 2020 |
Sir Toke Talagi KNZM,former Niue Premier |
Tuesday 28 July | To mark the State Funeral |
| 2020 | Constable Matthew Hunt, New Zealand Police | Thursday 9 July | To mark the funeral of police officer killed in line of duty |
| 2020 | Weekend of Saturday 14 – Sunday 15 March | To mark the first anniversary of the March 15 Christchurch mosque attacks | |
| 2020 |
Former Prime Minister Rt Hon Michael Kenneth Moore ONZ AO PC |
Monday 3 February and on the day of his funeral, Friday 14 February | To mark the death and funeral |
| 2020 |
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, Sultan of Oman |
Monday 13 January | To mark the death |
| 2019 |
Monday 10 December to Monday 16 December |
As a mark of mourning and respect for the victims of the Whakaari/White Island volcanic eruption | |
| 2019 | Hon. Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga |
Thursday 19 September
|
To mark the funeral
|
| 2019 |
Friday 15 March to Friday 29 March
|
As a mark of mourning and respect for the victims of the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre terror attacks
|
|
| 2018 |
HE Mr Tran Dai Quang, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
|
Thursday 27 September | To mark the funeral |
| 2017 |
HE Womtelo Reverend Baldwin Lonsdale, the Head of State of the Republic of Vanuatu
|
Wednesday 21 June | To mark the funeral |
| 2016 |
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Head of State of the Kingdom of Thailand |
Friday 14 October | To mark the funeral |
|
2015 |
|
Tuesday 17 November |
As a mark of a respect following the terrorist attacks in Paris, France |
|
2015 |
|
Sunday 29 March |
To mark the death |
|
2015 |
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, King of Saudi Arabia |
Monday 26 January |
To mark the death |
|
2014 |
President of the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency, Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata |
Tuesday 11 November |
To mark the funeral |
|
2014 |
|
Monday 4 August |
To mark the beginning of the centenary of the First World War for New Zealand |
|
2013 |
President of Venezuela, Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías |
Saturday 9 March |
To mark the funeral |
|
2012 |
Corporal Jacinta Baker, Corporal Luke Tamatea & Private Richard Harris |
Saturday 25 August |
To mark the memorial service |
|
2012 |
|
Monday 20 August |
To mark the death of three soldiers of the New Zealand Defence Force, killed in Afghanistan
|
|
2012 |
Lance Corporal Pralii Durrer & Lance Corporal Rory Malone |
Saturday 11 August |
To mark the funerals |
|
2012 |
|
Monday 6 August |
To mark the death of two soldiers of the New Zealand Defence Force, killed in Afghanistan |
|
2012 |
Corporal Douglas Charles Hughes |
Thursday 12 April |
To mark the final day of the tangi for Corporal Douglas Charles Hughes of the New Zealand Army who died in Afghanistan |
|
2012 |
|
Wednesday 4 April |
To mark the death of the New Zealand soldier serving in Afghanistan |
|
2012 |
His Late Majesty King George Tupou V of Tonga |
Tuesday 27 March |
To mark the funeral |
|
2012 |
|
Wednesday 22 February |
To mark the first anniversary of the Christchurch Earthquake |
|
2011 |
Lance Corporal Leon Smith |
Thursday 6 October |
To mark the memorial service of Lance Corporal Leon Smith of the New Zealand Defence Force, killed in Afghanistan |
|
2011 |
|
Wednesday 28 September |
To mark the death of a soldier of the New Zealand Defence Force, killed in Afghanistan |
|
2011 |
Corporal Doug Grant |
Monday 29 August |
To mark the full military funeral of Corporal Doug Grant of the New Zealand Defence Force, killed in Afghanistan |
|
2011 |
|
For the remainder of today, Saturday 20 August and again on Monday 22 August |
To mark the death of a soldier of the New Zealand Defence Force, killed in Afghanistan |
|
2011 |
Sir Paul Reeves |
15 August and on the day of his funeral, Thursday 18 August
|
As a mark of respect for the former Governor-General |
|
2011 |
|
Friday 18 March
|
To mark the memorial service for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake |
|
2011 |
|
23 February to 12.51pm on 8 March |
As a mark of respect for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake |
|
2011 |
|
Wednesday 16 February |
To mark the death of a soldier of the New Zealand Defence Force, killed in Afghanistan |
|
2010 |
|
Thursday 2 December |
In recognition of the memorial service for the victims of the Pike River on mining tragedy on the day of the service |
|
2010 |
|
Thursday 25 November |
As a mark of respect for the victims of the Pike River mining tragedy |
|
2010 |
Lieutenant Tim O’Donnell |
Wednesday 11 August
|
To mark the funeral of Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell of the New Zealand Defence Force, killed in Afghanistan |
|
2010 |
|
4 August |
To mark the death of the soldier of the New Zealand Defence Force, killed in Afghanistan |
|
2009 |
|
Friday 9 October |
As a mark of respect for the Samoan National Burial and Memorial Service, in remembrance of all who perished in last week’s tsunami |
|
2008 |
Sir Edmund Hilary |
21 January & 22 January |
To mark the lying in state and funeral |
|
2008 |
Sir Edmund Hillary |
11 January 2008 and 12 January 2008 (until midnight), and the day of the funeral |
To mark the death |
|
2007 |
The Samoan Head of State Malietoa Tanumafili II |
14th May 2007 and Saturday 19th May 2007 (the day of the funeral) |
To mark the death |
|
2006 |
Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the Maori Queen |
16 August
|
To mark the death |
|
2006 |
Rod Donald, MP. |
Thursday 10 November (the day of the funeral)
|
To mark the death |
|
2006 |
His Majesty King Taufa’ahau Tupou, King of Tonga |
19 September |
To mark the funeral |
|
2006 |
His Majesty King Taufa’ahau Tupou, King of Tonga |
11,12,13 September |
To mark the death until 10am on 13 September when his coffin leaves New Zealand |
|
2005 |
Former Prime Minister Rt Hon David Russell Lange |
Wednesday 17 August (the day of the funeral) and Saturday 20 August 2005 (the day of the memorial service) |
To mark the death |
|
2005 |
His Majesty King Fahd of Saudi Arabia |
Tuesday 2nd August
|
To mark the death and funeral |
|
2005 |
|
Friday 8 July
|
As a mark of respect to and in remembrance of all who perished in yesterday’s terrorist bombings in London |
|
2005 |
His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III of Monaco |
Friday, 15 April
|
To mark the funeral |
|
2005 |
His Holiness Pope John Paul II |
Sunday 3 April 2005, Monday 4 April and on the day of the funeral) |
To mark the death and funeral |
|
2005 |
|
Friday 14th January 2005 to the end of the day on Sunday 16th January 2005 |
To remember victims of the Boxing Day Tsunami in Southern and South-East Asia.
|
Updated on 16th April 2021