The following lists events that happened during 1946 in New Zealand.

Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,781,200 * Increase since 31 December 1945: 53,400 (3.09%) * Males per 100 females: 100.2

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

* Head of State – George VI *

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

– Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Cyril Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM, succeeded same year by Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg VC GCMG KCB

KBE KBE may refer to: * Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, post-nominal letters * Knowledge-based engineering Knowledge-based engineering (KBE) is the application of knowledge-based systems technology to the domain o ...

DSO

Government

The

27th New Zealand Parliament The 27th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament. It was elected at the 1943 general election in September of that year. 1943 general election The 1943 general election was held on Friday, 24 September in the Māori el ...

concluded, with the Labour Party in government. Labour was re-elected for a fourth term in the election in November, but with a smaller majority. *

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hunger ...

– Bill Schramm (Labour) * Prime Minister – Peter Fraser * Minister of Finance – Walter Nash * Minister of Foreign Affairs – Peter Fraser * Attorney-General – Rex Mason * Chief Justice – Sir Michael Myers (until 7 August), Sir Humphrey O'Leary (starting 12 August)

Parliamentary opposition

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

–

Sidney Holland Sir Sidney George Holland (18 October 1893 – 5 August 1961) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 25th prime minister of New Zealand from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957. He was instrumental in the creation and consolidation o ...

( National Party).

Main centre leaders

* Mayor of Auckland – John Allum * Mayor of Hamilton – Harold Caro * Mayor of Wellington – Will Appleton * Mayor of Christchurch – Ernest Andrews * Mayor of Dunedin –

Donald Cameron Donald Cameron may refer to: Scottish Clan Cameron * Donald Cameron of Lochiel (c. 1695 or 1700–1748), 19th Chief, and his descendants: ** Donald Cameron, 22nd Lochiel (1769–1832), 22nd Chief ** Donald Cameron of Lochiel (1835–1905), Scott ...

Events

* Family benefit of £1 per week becomes universal. *

Bank of New Zealand Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) is one of New Zealand's Big Four (banking), big four banks and has been operating in the country since the first office was opened in Auckland in October 1861 followed shortly after by the first branch in Dunedin in D ...

nationalised.

Arts and literature

See

1946 in art Events from the year 1946 in art. Events * March – Art collector Peggy Guggenheim publishes the first edition of her autobiographical ''Out of This Century'' in the United States. * April 2 – Jackson Pollock's third solo exhibition opens in ...

1946 in literature Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

Music

See:

1946 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1946. Specific locations *1946 in British music * 1946 in Norwegian music Specific genres * 1946 in country music * 1946 in jazz Events *January 5 – Cincinnati – Poli ...

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: :1946 film awards,

1946 in film The year 1946 in film involved some significant events. Top-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1946 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Events *February 14 - Charles Vidor's ''Gilda'' starring Rita Hayworth ...

List of New Zealand feature films This is a list of feature films and pre 1910 short films produced or filmed in New Zealand, ordered by year of release. Key * * = Funded in part by the New Zealand Film Commission. * † = Year given is date of principal photography rather th ...

, Cinema of New Zealand, :1946 films

Sport

Archery

National Champions (Postal Shoot) *Open: W. Burton ( Gisborne) *Women: P. Bryan ( Auckland)

Athletics

* Lionel Fox wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:40:00 in Wanganui.

Basketball

National Associations are formed for both men and women (now combined as Basketball New Zealand) and the first championship for men under the control of their association is held.Todd, S. (1976) ''Sporting Records of New Zealand.'' Auckland: Moa Publications. (see

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

and

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

) * Interprovincial champions: Men – (tie) Auckland, Wellington, Otago

Chess

* The 53rd National Chess Championship was held in Christchurch, and was won by T. Lepviikman of Wellington.

Cricket

Horse racing

Harness racing

* New Zealand Trotting Cup – Integrity * Auckland Trotting Cup – Loyal Nurse

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Christchurch. * Men's singles champion – J.S. Martin (Edgeware Bowling Club) * Men's pair champions – G.C. Batchelor, S.C.K. Smith (skip) (North End Bowling Club, Invercargill) * Men's fours champions – W. Hillhouse, J. Gourley, J. Armstrong, F. White (skip) (Runanga Bowling Club)

Rugby union

:Rugby union in New Zealand, :All Blacks * Ranfurly Shield

Rugby league

New Zealand national rugby league team

Soccer

* 14 September: A New Zealand team played a single game against Wellington, which they won 5–2 * The Chatham Cup is won by Wellington Marist who beat Technical Old Boys of Christchurch 2–1 in the final. * Provincial league champions: ** Auckland: Metro College ** Canterbury: Western ** Hawke's Bay:

Napier Rovers Napier City Rovers is a football team based in Napier, New Zealand, competing in the Central Premier League. Club history The team was founded in 1973 via a merger of Napier Rovers and Napier City. Napier City Rovers have won New Zealand's p ...

** Nelson: ** Otago: Mosgiel ** South Canterbury: Fisherman ** Southland: Invercargill Thistle ** Taranaki: Albion ** Waikato: Rotowaro ** Wanganui: Technical College Old Boys ** Wellington: Wellington Marist

Births

* 25 February:

Grahame Thorne Grahame Stuart Thorne (born 25 February 1946) is a former All Blacks, All Black rugby player, rugby union commentator, Member of Parliament and municipal councillor and TV cooking show host. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand. Rugby union A R ...

, rugby player, commentator and politician. * 28 February:

Graham Vivian Graham Ellery Vivian (born 28 February 1946) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in five Test matches and one One Day International (ODI) from 1965 to 1972. He made his Test match debut without previously playing in a first-class matc ...

, cricketer. * 2 April:

Richard Collinge Richard Owen Collinge (born 2 April 1946) is a former New Zealand cricketer, who played 35 Tests and 15 ODIs. He was New Zealand Cricket Almanack Player of the Year in 1971. Domestic career He played domestic cricket for three different sides. ...

, cricketer. * 15 May:

George Hawkins George Hawkins may refer to: * George C. Hawkins (1918–1991), Alabama state legislator * George Hawkins (athlete) (1883–1917), British Olympic athlete * George Hawkins (footballer) (1908–1979), Australian rules footballer * George Hawkins ( ...

, politician. * 24 May: Ian Kirkpatrick, rugby player. * 5 June (in Wales): John Bach, actor. * 8 June: Graham Henry, rugby coach. * 27 June: Bruce Cribb,

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only ...

rider. * 4 July: Sam Hunt, performance poet. * 22 July:

Christine McElwee Christine Clare McElwee (formerly La Varis, ; 22 July 1946 – 25 June 2022) was a New Zealand local politician, historian, author and teacher. She served as a member of the Taupō District Council from 1995 to 2010, including six years as depu ...

, politician, historian, non-fiction author and teacher (died 2022). * 4 August: Paul East, politician. * 1 September: Keith Quinn, broadcaster. * 14 September: John Luxton, politician. * 29 September: Neil Cherry, environmental scientist (died 2003). * 17 October: Ian Wedde, writer. * 30 November:

Ken Wadsworth Kenneth John Wadsworth (30 November 1946 – 19 August 1976) was a New Zealand cricketer who played 33 Tests and 13 One Day Internationals for New Zealand as a wicket-keeper. Wadsworth also played for Nelson in the Hawke Cup. Domestic ca ...

, cricketer (died 1976). * 2 December: **

John Banks John Banks or Bankes may refer to: Politics and law *Sir John Banks, 1st Baronet (1627–1699), English merchant and Member of Parliament * John Banks (American politician) (1793–1864), U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania *John Gray Banks (188 ...

, politician, radio host. ** Doug Cowie, cricket umpire. * 11 December:

Stewart Murray Wilson Stewart Murray Wilson (11 December 1946 – 11 October 2021) was a New Zealand sex offender. He was born and raised in Timaru, New Zealand. During his 20s, he lived in Sydney before moving to Blenheim, New Zealand. He was known for serious s ...

, sex offender (died 2021). * 27 December: Bill Manhire, poet. *''date unknown'' **

Frank Gibson, Jr. Frank Gibson Jr. (born 1946) is a New Zealand jazz drummer and drum tutor. His father, also Frank Gibson, was drummer and leader of the first rock’n’roll band in the country, Frank Gibson's Rock’n’Rollers. Before going to the UK in 197 ...

, jazz drummer. **

Richard Killeen Richard John Killeen (born 1946) is a significant New Zealand painter, sculptor and digital artist. Biography Killeen was educated at the Elam School of Fine Arts, where his lecturers included Colin McCahon, before graduating in 1966. He has wo ...

, artist.

Deaths

* 9 February Vincent Ward, politician. * 5 March: Sir Charles Statham, politician. * 26 September:

William Nosworthy Sir William Nosworthy (18 October 1867 – 26 September 1946) was a New Zealand politician. He briefly served as Minister of Finance and then Minister of External Affairs in the Reform Government. Biography Nosworthy stood in the el ...

, politician. * 10 November: Claude Weston, politician.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:1946 In New Zealand Years of the 20th century in New Zealand