# 1954 in New Zealand

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive
The following lists events that happened during 1954 in New Zealand.

## Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,118,400.
* Increase since 31 December 1953: 43,700 (2.11%).
* Males per 100 females: 101.2.

## Incumbents
### Regal and viceregal

* Head of State – Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, from 6 February 1952
* Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Norrie GCMG GCVO CB DSO MC, from 1952 to 1957

### Government

The 30th New Zealand Parliament expired this year. The National Party was elected to a third term in office under Sidney Holland on 13 November.
* Speaker of the House – Matthew Oram from 1950 to 1957
* Prime Minister – Sidney Holland from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957.
* Deputy Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957.
* Minister of Finance – Sidney Holland until November, followed by Jack Watts
* Minister of Foreign Affairs – Clifton Webb from 19 September 1951 to 26 November 1954, followed by Tom Macdonald
* Chief Justice — Sir Harold Barrowclough

### Parliamentary opposition

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

### Main centre leaders

* Mayor of Auckland – John Luxford from 1953 to 1956
* Mayor of Hamilton – Roderick Braithwaite from 1953 to 1959
* Mayor of Wellington – Robert Macalister from 1950 to 1956
* Mayor of Christchurch – Robert M. Macfarlane from 1938 to 1941 and again from 1950 to 1958
* Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright from 1950 to 1959

## Events

* 12 January – 50,000 people mass in Wellington as Elizabeth II attends the state opening of Parliament.
* 30 January – The Royal tour by Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh concludes at Bluff as they depart on the SS Gothic.
* 22 May – A Douglas DC-3 crashes near Paraparaumu Airport after its wing hits a house. Three people died.
* 23 June – Teenagers Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme are arrested for the murder of Parker's mother.
* 20 September – the Mazengarb Report on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents is presented to Parliament.
* 8 November – eighteen-year-old golf amateur Bob Charles causes a sensation by beating a top international field to win the New Zealand Golf Open
* 13 November – the National Party wins re-election at a general election
* Hastings becomes the first town in New Zealand to fluoridate its water supply.

## Arts and literature

See 1954 in art, 1954 in literature

### Music

See: 1954 in music

### Radio

* 2 January – First radio episode of It's in the Bag, hosted by Selwyn Toogood
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

### Film

* The Seekers
See: Category:1954 film awards, 1954 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1954 films

## Sport
### Athletics

* 20 February: Yvette Williams breaks the world long jump record by jumping 20 feet 7+1⁄2 inches (6.287 metres) at Gisborne.
* Edwin Rye wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:35:45 on 6 March in Hamilton, New Zealand.

### British Empire and Commonwealth Games

| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 7 | 7 | 5 | 19 |

### Chess

* The 61st National Chess Championship is held in Wellington, and is won by Ortvin Sarapu of Auckland (his third successive title).

### Horse racing
#### Harness racing

* New Zealand Trotting Cup – Johnny Globe
* Auckland Trotting Cup – Caduceus

### Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Christchurch.
* Men's singles champion – Robin Andrew (Onehunga Bowling Club)
* Men's pair champions – N.A. McNabb, C.L. Spearman (skip) (Christchurch RSA Bowling Club)
* Men's fours champions – J. Rothwell, H.L. Rule, W. O'Neill, Pete Skoglund (skip) (Otahuhu Bowling Club)

### Rugby union

* The All Blacks played four Test Matches on a tour of Europe:
** 9 January, Lansdowne Road, Dublin: New Zealand 14 – 3 Ireland
** 30 January, Twickenham, London: New Zealand 5 – 0 England
** 13 February, Murrayfield, Edinburgh New Zealand 3 – 0 Scotland
** 27 February, Stade Colombes, Paris: New Zealand 0 – 3 France

### Soccer

* The national men's team undertook a 10-match tour of Australia, which included 3 internationals. They played one warm-up match prior to the tour.
** 31 July, Wellington: NZ 6 – 0 Wellington
** 3 August, Adelaide: NZ 3 – 2 South Australia
** 7 August, Adelaide: NZ 3 – 1 Australian XI
** 11 August, Melbourne: NZ 1 – 2 Victoria
** 14 August, Melbourne: NZ 2 – 1 Australia
** 18 August, Granville: NZ 0 – 3 Granville
** 21 August, Sydney: NZ 4 – 1 New South Wales Benge (2), Charlton, Olley
** 25 August, Brisbane: NZ 2 – 2 Queensland Smith, Steele
** 28 August, Brisbane: NZ 1 – 4 Australia'
** 29 August, Newcastle: NZ 1 – 1 Northern Districts Smith
** 4 September, Sydney: NZ 1 – 4 Australia
** 5 September, Bulli: NZ 4 – 4 South Coast
* The Chatham Cup is won by Onehunga who beat Western of Christchurch 1–0 in the final.
* Provincial league champions:
** Auckland: North Shore United
** Bay of Plenty: Mangakino Utd
** Buller: Millerton Thistle
** Canterbury: Western
** Hawke's Bay: Hastings Wanderers
** Manawatu: Palmerston North United
** Nelson: Settlers
** Northland: Otangarei United
** Otago: Northern
** Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
** South Canterbury: Northern Hearts
** Southland: Brigadiers
** Taranaki: Old Boys
** Waikato: Huntly Thistle
** Wanganui: New Settlers
** Wellington: Stop Out

## Births

* 17 February: Brian Houston, New Zealand-born Australian pastor.
* 17 March: Peter Dunne, politician
* 30 April: Jane Campion, film director.
* 11 May: Murray Haszard, technology entrepreneur.
* 20 May: Julie Brougham, Olympic equestrian (died 2021)
* 15 June: Larry Ross, motorcycle speedway rider.
* 17 June: Trevor Mallard, politician
* 5 July: John Wright, cricket player and coach
* 24 October: Tu Wyllie, politician
* 18 November: Evan Gray, cricketer
* 24 December: Graham Sligo, field hockey player
Category:1954 births

## Deaths

* 7 May: Cyril Brownlie, rugby union player.
* 26 May: Frederick Doidge, former cabinet minister and New Zealand High Commissioner (London)
* 1 June: Charles E. Major, politician.
* 5 June: Alexander Stuart, politician
* 1 August: Arthur Stallworthy, politician.
* 7 December: George William Smith, athlete, rugby union and league player.
* John Buckland Wright, engraver.