It was also the first time New Zealand has beaten Australia in a major international competition.
New Zealand beat Australia 4-3 in the third round to get its first win at the world championship division 2, Group A, championship.
''It was awesome,'' coach Corey Down said.
''It was the second time we have played Australia in an international tournament and the first time we have beaten them.''
Kiri Langford of Gore scored New Zealand's first goal to tie the scores at the end of the first period.
New Zealand scored two goals early in the second period to lead 3-1 but its concentration lapsed as Australia came back into the game with two goals in the 34th minute.
Tara Tissink scored New Zealand's winner in the 50th minute, during the third period, to gain the MVP for the Ice Ferns.
''The girls were determined,'' Down said.
''They wanted to beat Australia.''
It was a heroic defensive display by the New Zealand team in the last five minutes to hold out a desperate Australia that threw everything into the attack. Goalie Grace Harrison again defended brilliantly as New Zealand tamed the firepower of the Australian strikers.
Harrison had 26 shots hit at her goal and conceded only three.
She is lying third on the goal keepers' list, behind Ines Confidenti (Slovenia) who has conceded only eight goals from 101 shots.
Kristy Bruske (Australia) is next, after conceding just five goals from 58 shots. Harrison has conceded 11 goals from 120 shots at goal.
''Grace has been our best player over the whole tournament,'' Down said.
''She is only 15 and has faced the best shooters.
''She is too young to realise how well she is playing. She just loves every minute she gets on the ice.''
The other key players in the win against Australia were Kiri Langford, and her Gore team mate Sheree Haselmore.
In other third-round games Italy beat Slovenia 3-1 and Hungary beat Poland 6-3.
Italy, the only unbeaten team after three of the five rounds, leads the competition on nine points. It is followed by Hungary 6, Poland 5, New Zealand 4 and Australia 3. Slovenia has yet to win a game.
