1956 In New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1956 in New Zealand.

Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,209,200.
* Increase since 31 December 1955: 44,400 (2.05%).
* Males per 100 females: 101.2.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

* Head of State – Elizabeth II
*Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Norrie GCMG GCVO CB DSO MC.

Government

The 31st New Zealand Parliament continued. In power was the New Zealand National Party, National government under Sidney Holland.

*Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, Speaker of the House – Mathew OramLambert & Palenski: ''The New Zealand Almanac'', 1982.
*Prime Minister of New Zealand, Prime Minister – Sidney Holland.
*Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, Deputy Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake.
*Minister of Finance (New Zealand), Minister of Finance – Jack Watts (politician), Jack Watts.
*Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand), Minister of Foreign Affairs – Tom Macdonald (politician), Tom Macdonald.
*Attorney-General (New Zealand), Attorney-General – Jack Marshall.
*Chief Justice of New Zealand, Chief Justice — Sir Harold Barrowclough

Parliamentary opposition

* Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand), Leader of the Opposition – Walter Nash (New Zealand Labour Party, Labour).

Main centre leaders

*Mayor of Auckland – John Luxford, followed by Thomas Ashby (mayor), Thomas Ashby
*Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand, Mayor of Hamilton – Roderick Braithwaite
*Mayor of Wellington – Robert Macalister, followed by Frank Kitts
*Mayor of Christchurch – Robert M. Macfarlane
*Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright

Events

* 8 March: Opo the Dolphin, Opo the friendly Dolphin dies in the Hokianga.
* 13 March – After 26 years playing international cricket the New Zealand cricket team, New Zealand wins its first ever test victory against the West Indies cricket team, West Indies at Eden Park.
* New Zealand troops are sent to Malayan Emergency, Malaya.
* Roxburgh Dam is opened.
* Temperzone manufacturing is founded.

Arts and literature

See 1956 in art, 1956 in literature

Music

See: 1956 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: :1956 film awards, 1956 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :1956 films

Sport

Athletics

*Albert Richards (athlete), Albert Richards wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:31:46 in Christchurch.

Chess

* The 63rd National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by F.A. Foulds of Auckland.

Horse racing

Harness racing

* New Zealand Trotting Cup – Thunder
* Auckland Trotting Cup – Unite

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin.
* Men's singles champion – G.G. Littlejohn (Hutt Bowling Club)
* Men's pair champions – L.J. Hughes, E.H. Ravenwood (skip) (North-East Valley Bowling Club)
* Men's fours champions – P.C.F. Barrat, C.E. Tomlinson, L.J. Buckingham, Robbie Robson (skip) (Mangakino Bowling Club)

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics

Winter Olympics

* New Zealand did not participate in the 1956 Winter Olympics.

Soccer

* The 1956 Chatham Cup, Chatham Cup is won by Stop Out (Lower Hutt) who beat Shamrock (soccer) of Christchurch 4–1 in the final.
* Provincial league champions:
** Auckland: Onehunga
** Bay of Plenty: Rangers
** Buller: Millerton Thistle
** Canterbury: Western A.F.C., Western
** Hawke's Bay: Napier Athletic
** Manawatu: Kiwi United
** Marlborough: Blenheim B
** Nelson: Settlers
** Northland: Kamo Swifts
** Otago: Northern AFC
** Poverty Bay: Gisborne City, Eastern Union
** South Canterbury: West End
** Southland: Brigadiers
** Taranaki: Moturoa AFC, Moturoa
** Waikato: Huntly Thistle
** Wairarapa: No competition
** Wanganui: Technical College Old Boys
** Wellington: Stop Out

Births

* 3 January: Judith Tizard, politician
* 6 January: Stephen Cox (cyclist), Stephen Cox, cyclist
* 16 January: Mark Burton (politician), Mark Burton, politician
* 4 February: Gerry Brownlee, politician
* 16 February: Vincent Ward (director), Vincent Ward, film director
* 1 March: Mark Todd (equestrian), Mark Todd, equestrian eventer
* 3 March: John Fulton Reid, John F. Reid, cricketer
* 13 April: Peter 'Possum' Bourne, rally driver
* 17 April: Jaynie Parkhouse, freestyle swimmer
* 26 April: Tinks Pottinger, equestrian eventer
* 8 May: Richard Wilson (soccer), Richard Wilson, soccer player
* 10 May: Chris Kuggeleijn, cricket player and coach
* 23 May: Mark Shaw (rugby player), Mark Shaw, rugby union footballer and selector
* 18 August: Andrew Bennie, equestrian eventer
* 29 September: Jenny Morris (musician), Jenny Morris, singer
* 8 November: Richard Curtis, screenwriter
* 23 November: Bruce Edgar, cricketer
* 12 December: Barry Pickering, soccer player
* 16 December: Rodney Hide, politician
* Chris Finlayson, politician
* James Belich (historian), James Belich, historian
* (in Paris, France) Christopher Marshall (composer), Christopher Marshall, composer
* Douglas Wright (New Zealand dancer), Douglas Wright, dancer and choreographer

Deaths

* 17 April: Alexander Young (New Zealand politician), Sir Alexander Young, politician.
* 22 May: John Christopher Rolleston, politician.
* 29 May: Charlie Seeling, rugby footballer.
* 17 June: Charles Boswell, politician.
* 19 June: Bernard Martin (New Zealand politician), Bernard Martin, politician.
* 12 September: George A. Gillett, George Gillett, rugby player.
* 21 November: Jim Thorn, labour leader and politician.Te Ara
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References

See also

*List of years in New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand history
*History of New Zealand
*Military history of New Zealand
*Timeline of the New Zealand environment
*Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

{{DEFAULTSORT:1956 in New Zealand
1956 in New Zealand,
Years of the 20th century in New Zealand