# 1948 in New Zealand

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive
The following lists events that happened during 1948 in New Zealand.

## Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,853,900.
* Increase since 31 December 1947: 36,400 (2.00%).
* Males per 100 females: 100.5.

## Incumbents
### Regal and viceregal

* Head of State – George VI
* Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg VC GCMG KCB KBE DSO

### Government

The 28th New Zealand Parliament continued, with the Labour Party in government.
* Speaker of the House – Robert McKeen (Labour)
* Prime Minister – Peter Fraser
* Minister of Finance – Walter Nash
* Minister of Foreign Affairs – Peter Fraser
* Attorney-General – Rex Mason
* Chief Justice – Sir Humphrey O'Leary

### Parliamentary opposition

* Leader of the Opposition – Sidney Holland (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

## Events

* 31 May – Tea rationing, introduced in June 1942, is abolished.
* 27 August – Sugar rationing, introduced in April 1942, is abolished.
* 6 September – New Zealand citizenship is established. Before this date, New Zealand residents were British citizens or subjects.
* 27 September – Meat rationing, introduced in March 1944, is abolished. Butter remains the sole food product still under rationing.
* 20 November – Two takahē are discovered after being declared extinct for 50 years.
* The Marlborough Press, which was founded in 1860, is taken over by The Marlborough Express.
* Italy establishes a consulate in Wellington.

## Arts and literature

See 1948 in art, 1948 in literature

### Music

See: 1948 in music

### Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

### Film

See: Category:1948 film awards, 1948 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1948 films

## Sport
### Archery

The national championships are held at a single venue for the first time replacing the previous postal shoot.
National Champions
* Open Men – H. Butel (Dunedin)
* Open Women – Doreen Johnston (Dunedin)

### Athletics

* Jack Clarke wins the national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:44:06 in Dunedin.

### Basketball

* Interpovincial Champions: Men – Palmerston North
* Interpovincial Champions: Women – Palmerston North

### Chess

* The 55th National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by R.G. Wade of Wellington (his 3rd win).

### Horse racing
#### Harness racing

* New Zealand Trotting Cup – Highland Fling (2nd win)
* Auckland Trotting Cup – Captain Sandy

### Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin.
* Men's singles champion – S. Marriott (Opawa Bowling Club)
* Men's pair champions – M.A. Marinovich, S. Garelja (skip) (Oratia Bowling Club)
* Men's fours champions – J.W.T. Macklow, Frank Livingstone, Alec Robertson, J.H. Mingins (skip) (Onehunga Bowling Club)

### Olympic Games

| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* New Zealand is represented by seven competitors in athletics, boxing, cycling, swimming and weightlifting. There are no medal successes.

### Rugby union

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

### Rugby league

New Zealand national rugby league team

### Shooting

* Ballinger Belt – William Masefield (Blenheim)

### Soccer

* The Chatham Cup is won by Technical Old Boys of Christchurch who beat Waterside of Wellington 2–0 in the final.
* An Australian side toured New Zealand, playing four internationals:
** 14 August, Wellington: NZ 0–6 Australia
** 28 August, Christchurch: NZ 0–7 Australia
** 4 September, Wellington: NZ 0–4 Australia
** 11 September, Auckland: NZ 1–8 Australia
* Provincial league champions:
** Auckland: Eastern Suburbs
** Canterbury: Western
** Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
** Nelson: Nelson United
** Otago: Mosgiel
** South Canterbury: Fisherman
** Southland: Invercargill United
** Taranaki: Stratford
** Waikato: Rotowaro
** Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
** Wellington: Waterside

## Births

* 6 January: Dayle Hadlee, cricketer.
* 16 January: Dalvanius Prime, entertainer.
* 17 January: Billy T. James, comedian.
* 7 February: Richard Prebble, politician.
* 27 February: Michael Baigent, author and conspiracy theorist.
* 2 April (in Scotland): Sam Malcolmson, soccer player.
* 25 May: Mac Price, diplomat.
* 3 July: Richard Worth, politician.
* 22 July: Kevin Ryan, long-distance runner.
* 29 July: John Clarke, actor, best known in New Zealand for Fred Dagg.
* 6 September: Kevin Towns, field hockey player and coach.
* 1 October: Peter Blake, yachtsman.
* 2 October: Robert Anderson, cricketer.
* 24 October: Ray Ahipene-Mercer, musician, politician.
* 4 November: Alexis Hunter, painter.
* 13 November: Lockwood Smith, politician.
* 15 November: David Caygill, politician.
* Sue Kedgley, politician.
* Bruce Lynch, musician.
* Grahame Sydney, painter.
* Sue Wood, politician.

## Deaths

* 16 May: John Gordon Eliott, former Reform MP
* 16 June: Lavinia Jane Kelsey, kindergarten founder and teacher
* 25 September: George Davidson, olympic sprinter.
* 9 October: Edmund Anscombe, architect.
* 20 December: Fanny Irvine-Smith, teacher and writer
* 21 December: Fred Bartram, former Labour MP