The following lists events that happened during 1960 in New Zealand.

Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,403,600. * Increase since 31 December 1959: 43,900 (1.86%). * Males per 100 females: 101.0.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Head of State A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

–

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

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 ...

– The Viscount Cobham

GCMG The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

TD.

Government

The 32nd New Zealand Parliament continued. In power was the

Second Labour government The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds eac ...

under

Walter Nash Sir Walter Nash (12 February 1882 – 4 June 1968) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 27th prime minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960. He is noted for his long period of political service, havin ...

. The

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

saw the governing Labour Party defeated by a twelve-seat margin, and replaced by the Second National government. *

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 Hungerf ...

– Robert Macfarlane.Lambert & Palenski: ''The New Zealand Almanac'', 1982. *

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

–

then

Keith Holyoake Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake, (; 11 February 1904 – 8 December 1983) was the 26th prime minister of New Zealand, serving for a brief period in 1957 and then from 1960 to 1972, and also the 13th governor-general of New Zealand, serving from 1977 ...

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

–

Jerry Skinner Clarence Farrington Skinner (19 January 1900 – 26 April 1962), commonly known as Jerry or Gerry Skinner, was a Labour politician from New Zealand, the third deputy prime minister of New Zealand between 1957 and 1960, and a minister from 1943 ...

then

Jack Marshall Sir John Ross Marshall New Zealand Army Orders 1952/405 (5 March 1912 – 30 August 1988) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He entered Parliament in 1946 and was first promoted to Cabinet in 1951. After spending twelve years ...

. *

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

–

Arnold Nordmeyer Sir Arnold Henry Nordmeyer (born Heinrich Arnold Nordmeyer, 7 February 1901 – 2 February 1989) was a New Zealand politician. He served as Minister of Finance (1957–1960) and later as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition ...

then

Harry Lake Harry Robson Lake (29 September 1911 – 21 February 1967) was a New Zealand politician who served as Minister of Finance for six years in the second National government in the 1960s. He died of a heart attack when only 55 years old. Biograph ...

. *

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

–

then

. *

Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

–

Rex Mason Henry Greathead Rex Mason (3 June 1885 – 2 April 1975) was a New Zealand politician. He served as Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, and Minister of Native Affairs, and had a significant influence on the directi ...

, then

Ralph Hanan Josiah Ralph Hanan (13 June 1909 – 24 July 1969), known as Ralph Hanan, was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He was Mayor of Invercargill and then represented the electorate in Parliament, following in his uncle Josiah Hanan's ...

. * Chief Justice — Sir

Harold Barrowclough Major General Sir Harold Eric Barrowclough & Bar, (23 June 1894 – 4 March 1972) was a New Zealand military leader, lawyer and Chief Justice from 1953 to 1966. Born in Masterton, Barrowclough commenced legal studies in 1913 and joined the ...

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 ...

–

(

National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

) until 12 December, then

(

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

)

Main centre leaders

Mayor of Auckland The Mayor of Auckland is the directly elected head of the Auckland Council, the local government authority for the Auckland Region in New Zealand, which it controls as a unitary authority. The position exists since October 2010 after the amalga ...

–

Dove-Myer Robinson Sir Dove-Myer Robinson (15 June 1901 – 14 August 1989) was Mayor of Auckland City from 1959 to 1965 and from 1968 to 1980, the longest tenure of any holder of the office. He was a colourful character and became affectionately known across New ...

* Mayor of Hamilton –

Denis Rogers Denis Rogers (30 September 1917 – 7 December 1987) was a New Zealand doctor and local-body politician. Biography Rogers was born in Hamilton, New Zealand,

Mayor of Wellington The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of the City of Wellington. The mayor presides over the Wellington City Council. The mayor is directly elected using the Single Transferable Vote method of proportional representati ...

–

Frank Kitts Sir Francis Joseph Kitts (1 May 1912 – 16 March 1979) was a New Zealand politician. He was the longest-serving mayor of Wellington, holding the post from 1956 to 1974. He was the Labour Member of Parliament for between and 1960. Early life ...

Mayor of Christchurch The Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system. The current mayor, Phil ...

– George Manning *

Mayor of Dunedin The Mayor of Dunedin is the head of the local government, the city council of Dunedin, New Zealand. The Mayor's role is "to provide leadership to the other elected members of the territorial authority, be a leader in the community and perform c ...

–

Stuart Sidey Thomas Kay Stuart Sidey (8 October 1908 – 28 October 2007) was a former New Zealand politician who served as Mayor of Dunedin. Biography Early life and career Born in 1908, he was brought up in Corstorphine House. He was the only child of S ...

Events

* Passing of the

Waitangi Day Act 1960 There have been two Waitangi Day acts passed by the New Zealand Parliament: the Waitangi Day Act 1960 and the Waitangi Day Act 1976. Neither made 6 February (Waitangi Day) a public holiday; this was done by the New Zealand Day Act 1973. The fi ...

, first step towards a national day. * 26 November:

1960 New Zealand general election The 1960 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 33rd term. It saw the governing Labour Party defeated by the National Party, putting an end to the short second Labour government ...

Arts and literature

Maurice Duggan Maurice Noel Duggan (25 November 1922 - 11 December 1974) was a New Zealand writer of short fiction. Life Overview Born in Auckland and raised on the city’s North Shore, Duggan was mentored by Frank Sargeson and was friendly with many of the imp ...

wins the

Robert Burns Fellowship The Robert Burns Fellowship is a New Zealand literary residency. Established in 1958 to coincide with bicentennial celebrations of the birth of Robert Burns, it is often claimed to be New Zealand's premier literary residency. The list of past ...

. See

1960 in art Events from the year 1960 in art. Events * August 10 – The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art opens at Inverleith House in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. * December – The Huysman Gallery is founded in Los Angeles. * Launch of Nouv ...

1960 in literature This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1960. – Mervyn Griffith-Jones prosecuting in the ''Lady Chatterley's Lover'' case Events *February–October – ''Astounding'' magazine is renamed ''Analog''. * ...

Music

See:

1960 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1960. Specific locations *1960 in British music * 1960 in Norwegian music Specific genres * 1960 in country music *1960 in jazz Events *January – Stuart Sutcliffe joins ...

Radio and television

* 1 June: At 7.30 pm New Zealand's first official television transmission begins. For the first six weeks programs are limited to two hours a night and two nights a week. In mid-July this is extended to four nights a week. A

television licence A television licence or broadcast receiving licence is a payment required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts, or the possession of a television set where some broadcasts are funded in full or in part by the licence f ...

fee of £4 per year is introduced in August.

Film

See: :1960 film awards,

1960 in film The year 1960 in film involved some significant events. __TOC__ Top-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1960 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Top-grossing films by country The highest-grossing 1960 films i ...

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 Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking * ...

, :1960 films

Sport

* See:

1960 in sports 1960 in sports describes the year's events in world sport. Alpine skiing * The men's Olympic Gold Medal: ** Downhill: Jean Vuarnet, France ** Slalom: Ernst Hinterseer, Austria ** Giant Slalom: Roger Staub, Switzerland ** The women's Olympic ...

, :1960 in sports

Athletics

Ray Puckett Raymond Leslie Puckett (born 17 December 1935) is a former New Zealand distance runner, who represented his country at the Olympic Games in 1960 and 1964, and at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Coached by Arthur Lydiard, Puckett ...

wins his third national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:23:12.6 on 8 March in

Invercargill Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...

Chess

* The 67th National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by

Ortvin Sarapu Ortvin Sarapu (born Ortvin Sarapuu; 22 January 1924 – 13 April 1999), known in New Zealand as "Mr Chess", was an Estonian-born chess player who emigrated to New Zealand and won or shared the New Zealand Chess Championship 20 times from 1 ...

of Auckland.

Cricket

* The Australian team toured but games against the national side did not have

Test status Test cricket is a form of first-class cricket played at international level between teams representing full member countries of the International Cricket Council (ICC). A match consists of four innings (two per team) and is scheduled to last f ...

. *

Plunket Shield New Zealand has had a domestic first-class cricket championship since the 1906–07 season. Since the 2009–10 season it has been known by its original name of the Plunket Shield. History The Plunket Shield competition was instigated in Octob ...

was won by Canterbury ( 1959-1960 season)

Horse racing

Harness racing

New Zealand Trotting Cup The New Zealand Cup for standardbred horses, also known as either the New Zealand Trotting Cup or the New Zealand Pacing Cup is a Group One (G1) harness race held annually by the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in Chri ...

–

False Step False Step was a New Zealand Standardbred racehorse. He is notable in that he won three New Zealand Trotting Cup races, the richest harness race, and sometimes the richest horse race in New Zealand. False Step is one of three horses to win the N ...

(3rd win) *

Auckland Trotting Cup The Auckland Pacing Cup which is sometimes referred to as the Auckland Trotting Cup or merely the Auckland Cup is a race held at Alexandra Park in Auckland, New Zealand for Standardbred horses. It is one of the two major harness races, along with ...

– Damian

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin. * Men's singles champion – Stanley Snedden (Linwood Bowling Club) * Men's pair champions – E.H. Taylor, Pete Skoglund (skip) (Carlton Bowling Club) * Men's fours champions – H. Roy, J. Scott, B. Moore, Bill O'Neill (skip) (Carlton Bowling Club)

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics

* New Zealand enters 38 competitors in nine sports, winning two gold (

Peter Snell Sir Peter George Snell (17 December 1938 – 12 December 2019) was a New Zealand middle-distance runner. He won three Olympic gold medals, and is the only man since 1920 to have won the 800 and 1500 metres at the same Olympics, in 1964. Snell ...

– Athletics, Men's 800m,

Murray Halberg Sir Murray Gordon Halberg (7 July 1933 – 30 November 2022) was a New Zealand middle-distance runner who won the gold medal in the 5000 metres event at the 1960 Olympics. He also won gold medals in the 3 miles events at the 1958 and 1962 Com ...

– Athletics, Men's 5,000m) and one bronze (

Barry Magee Arthur Barry Magee (born 6 February 1934) is a retired New Zealand long-distance runner. He won a bronze medal in the marathon at the 1960 Olympics and in the 10,000 m event placed 26th at the 1960 and 23rd at the 1964 games.

– Athletics, Men's Marathon) medals.

Winter Olympics

* New Zealand enters the Winter Olympics for the second time, with a team of four competitors.

Rugby league

New Zealand national rugby league team The New Zealand national rugby league team (Māori: Tīma rīki motu Aotearoa) has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of ...

Rugby League World Cup The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league tournament contested by the top national men's representative teams. The tournament is administered by the International Rugby League and was first held in France in 1954, which was ...

Rugby union

* The

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

toured South Africa, losing the four-test series 2–1 with one game drawn. ** 25 June, Ellis Park, Johannesburg: New Zealand 0 – 13 South Africa ** 23 July,

Newlands Newlands may refer to: Places Australia * Newlands, Queensland, a locality in the Whitsunday Region New Zealand * Newlands, Wellington, a suburb of Wellington South Africa * Newlands, Cape Town, a suburb of Cape Town * Newlands, Johannesbur ...

, Cape Town: New Zealand 11 – 3 South Africa ** 13 Aug,

Free State Stadium The Free State Stadium ( af, Vrystaatstadion), currently known as the Toyota Stadium for sponsorship reasons and formerly known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and also sometimes for associa ...

, Blomfontein: New Zealand 11 – 11 South Africa ** 27 August, Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth: New Zealand 3 – 8 South *

Ranfurly Shield The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challeng ...

: Auckland managed successful defences against Thames Valley (22-6) and Counties (14-3) before losing to North Auckland, 17–11. North Auckland managed to defend the shield against Poverty Bay, (24-3) before losing 3–6 to Auckland. Auckland held the shield for the remainder of the season, beating Manawatu (31-8), Bay of Plenty (9-6), Wellington (22-9), Taranaki (25-6) and Canterbury (19-18).

Soccer

* The national men's team made a short tour to Tahiti. ** 5 September, Papeete: NZ 5 – 1 Tahiti ** 8 September, Papeete: NZ 8 – 0 Tahiti Juniors ** 12 September, Papeete: NZ 2 – 1 Tahiti *

Chatham Cup The Chatham Cup is New Zealand's premier knockout tournament in men's association football. It is held annually, with the final contested in September. The current champions of the Chatham Cup are 2022 winners Auckland City, who defeated Eastern ...

won by

North Shore United North Shore United Association Football Club is an amateur football club based in the North Shore, Auckland. They compete in the Northern League, where they last won the competition in 2019. Their home ground is Allen Hill Stadium, which is lo ...

, who beat Technical Old Boys (of Christchurch) 5–3 in the final. * Provincial league champions: ** Auckland:

** Bay of Plenty: Kahukura ** Buller: Waimangaroa United ** Canterbury:

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

** Franklin: Papatoetoe ** 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 ...

** Manawatu: Kiwi United ** Marlborough: Woodbourne ** Nelson: Athletic ** Northland: Otangarei United ** Otago:

Northern AFC Founded in 1888 Northern AFC is the oldest continually operating football club in the Southern Hemisphere. Based in North Dunedin, the club has 12 Senior teams playing in the Football South Federation region. The club also has a Junior footbal ...

** Poverty Bay:

Eastern Union Gisborne City AFC was an association football club in Gisborne, New Zealand. Founded in 1939 as Eastern Union, the club changed its name to Gisborne City after winning the Central Districts League at the first attempt in 1967. As Eastern Union, ...

** South Canterbury: Thistle ** Southland: Invercargill Thistle ** Taranaki:

Moturoa Moturoa is a coastal suburb of New Plymouth, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the west of the city centre, bordering Port Taranaki and the Sugar Loaf Islands. One of the islands, Moturoa, the largest, shares it ...

** Waikato: Hamilton Technical OB ** Wairarapa: YMCA ** Wanganui: Blue Rovers ** Wellington: Railways ** West Coast: Cobden-Kohinoor

Births

* 21 January:

Phil Horne Philip Andrew Horne (born 21 January 1960) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in 4 Tests and 4 ODIs from 1987 to 1990. He also represented New Zealand in badminton at the 1986 Commonwealth Games. Horne was born in Upper Hutt on 21 Ja ...

, cricketer * 15 February: Michael James "Jock" Hobbs, rugby player and administrator * 6 April: Richard Loe, rugby player * 10 April – Rex Wilson, long-distance runner * 2 May – Rhys Jones, New Zealand Army officer * 14 May:

Frank Nobilo Frank Ivan Joseph Nobilo (born on 14 May 1960) is a professional golfer from New Zealand. Nobilo had a successful playing career, winning 14 pro tournaments around the world. He was at his peak during the mid-1990s when he also produced strong ...

, golfer * 7 June:

Lianne Dalziel Lianne Audrey Dalziel (; born 7 June 1960) is a New Zealand politician and former Mayor of Christchurch. Prior to this position, she was a member of the New Zealand Parliament for 23 years, serving as Minister of Immigration, Commerce, Minister ...

, politician * 15 July: Gary Robertson, cricketer * 9 September: Chris White, rower * 29 September:

Tau Henare Raymond Tau Henare (born 29 September 1960) is a former New Zealand Māori parliamentarian. In representing three different political parties in parliament—New Zealand First, Mauri Pacific and the National Party—Henare served as a Member o ...

, politician * 1 November:

Jenny Bornholdt Jennifer Mary Bornholdt (born 1 November 1960) is a New Zealand poet and anthologist. Biography Born in Lower Hutt, Bornholdt received a bachelor's degree in English Literature and a Diploma in Journalism. She studied poetry with Bill Manhire ...

, poet * 17 December: Steve Walsh, long jumper * 26 December:

Temuera Morrison Temuera Derek Morrison (born 26 December 1960) is a New Zealand actor and Singer who first gained recognition for his role as Dr. Hone Ropata on the soap opera ''Shortland Street''. He gained critical acclaim for his starring role as Jake "The ...

, actor

Deaths

* 17 January

Andrew Kennaway Henderson Andrew Kennaway Henderson (25 May 1879 – 17 January 1960) was a New Zealand clerk, illustrator, cartoonist, editor and pacifist. He was born in London, England. He was imprisoned twice as a conscientious objector in World War I Wor ...

, illustrator, cartoonist and pacifist. (b. 1879) * 1 June

Alfred Murdoch Alfred James (Fred) Murdoch (18 April 1877 – 1 June 1960) was a New Zealand politician, first as an Independent Liberal then of the United Party, and from 1943 the National Party. He was Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Mines from 19 ...

, politician. (b. 1877) * 25 July

Edgar Neale Edgar Rollo Neale (24 November 1889 – 25 July 1960), often called Gar Neale, was Mayor and Member of Parliament for Nelson, New Zealand, a strong supporter of the Nelson railway, and a representative cricketer. Background Gar Neale's ...

, politician. (b. 1889) * 10 September: Sir

Harold Gillies Sir Harold Delf Gillies (17 June 1882 – 10 September 1960) was a New Zealand otolaryngologist and father of modern plastic surgery. Early life Gillies was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, the son of Member of Parliament in Otago, Robert Gillies ...

, plastic surgery pioneer (b. 1882) * 8 October Sir

William Polson Sir William John Polson (6 June 1875 – 8 October 1960) was a New Zealand politician, first as an Independent and then in the National Party. He joined the National Party on its formation in 1936, and "later acted effectively as Holland's d ...

, politician. (b. 1875) * 29 November Sir

Andrew Hamilton Russell Major General Sir Andrew Hamilton Russell (23 February 1868 – 29 November 1960) was a senior officer of the New Zealand Military Forces who served during the First World War. Born in Napier, New Zealand, Russell spent most of his youth in Engl ...

, soldier. (b. 1868)

References

External links

1960s decade study (NZHistory website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:1960 in New Zealand Years of the 20th century in New Zealand

Population

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Government

Parliamentary opposition

Main centre leaders

Events

Arts and literature

Music

Radio and television

Film

Sport

Athletics

Chess

Cricket

Horse racing

Harness racing

Lawn bowls

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics

Winter Olympics

Rugby league

Rugby union

Soccer

Births

Deaths

See also

References

External links