# 1956 in New Zealand

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive
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 National government under Sidney Holland.
* Speaker of the House – Mathew Oram
* Prime Minister – Sidney Holland.
* Deputy Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake.
* Minister of Finance – Jack Watts.
* Minister of Foreign Affairs – Tom Macdonald.
* Attorney-General – Jack Marshall.
* Chief Justice — Sir Harold Barrowclough

### Parliamentary opposition

* Leader of the Opposition – Walter Nash (Labour).

### Main centre leaders

* Mayor of Auckland – John Luxford, followed by Thomas Ashby
* 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 friendly Dolphin dies in the Hokianga.
* 13 March – After 26 years playing international cricket the New Zealand wins its first ever test victory against the West Indies at Eden Park.
* New Zealand troops are sent to 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: Category:1956 film awards, 1956 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1956 films

## Sport
### Athletics

* 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

| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |

#### Winter Olympics

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

### Soccer

* The 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
** Hawke's Bay: Napier Athletic
** Manawatu: Kiwi United
** Marlborough: Blenheim B
** Nelson: Settlers
** Northland: Kamo Swifts
** Otago: Northern AFC
** Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
** South Canterbury: West End
** Southland: Brigadiers
** Taranaki: 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
* 16 January: Mark Burton, politician
* 4 February: Gerry Brownlee, politician
* 16 February: Vincent Ward, film director
* 1 March: Mark Todd, equestrian eventer
* 3 March: 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 player
* 10 May: Chris Kuggeleijn, cricket player and coach
* 23 May: Mark Shaw, rugby union footballer and selector
* 18 August: Andrew Bennie, equestrian eventer
* 29 September: 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
* (in Paris, France) Christopher Marshall, composer
* Douglas Wright, dancer and choreographer

## Deaths

* 17 April: 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, politician.
* 12 September: George Gillett, rugby player.
* 21 November: Jim Thorn, labour leader and politician.