1958 in New Zealand

1958 in New Zealand
The following lists events that happened during 1958 in New Zealand.
Population
Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,316,000.
Increase since 31 December 1957: 53,200 (2.35%).
Males per 100 females: 101.3.
Incumbents
Regal and viceregal
Head of State – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – The Viscount Cobham GCMG TD.
Government
The 32nd New Zealand Parliament commenced. In power was the newly elected Labour government led by Walter Nash.
Speaker of the House – Robert Macfarlane.
Prime Minister – Walter Nash.
Deputy Prime Minister – Jerry Skinner.
Minister of Finance – Arnold Nordmeyer.
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Walter Nash.
Attorney-General – Rex Mason.
Chief Justice — Sir Harold Barrowclough
Parliamentary opposition
Leader of the Opposition – Keith Holyoake (National).
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland – Keith Buttle
Mayor of Hamilton – Roderick Braithwaite
Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
Mayor of Christchurch – Robert Macfarlane then George Manning
Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright
Events
26 June – 'Black Budget', raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol and petrol, passed by second Labour government.
June – New Zealand's first supermarket, Foodtown, opens at Ōtāhuhu.
3 September – Brian Barratt-Boyes performs New Zealand's first open heart surgery at Auckland's Green Lane Hospital.
29 September – The emergency number 111 for fire, police and ambulance is introduced; initially only in Masterton and Carterton.
19 October - A march of over six thousand people is held in Paraparaumu to mark the construction of the Our Lady of Lourdes statue.
United States base for Operation Deep Freeze is established at Christchurch Airport.
The Wairakei Power Station is commissioned. It is New Zealand's first geothermal power station, and only the second large-scale geothermal power station in the world.
Arts and literature
The Robert Burns Fellowship is established to honour the bicentenary of the poet's birth.
See 1958 in art, 1958 in literature, Robert Burns Fellowship, :Category:1958 books
Music
See: 1958 in music
Radio
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand
Film
See: :Category:1958 film awards, 1958 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :Category:1958 films
Sport
Athletics
Ray Puckett wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:37:28 in Lower Hutt.
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Chess
The 65th National Chess Championship was held in Christchurch, and was won by J.R. Phillips of Auckland.
Horse racing
Harness racing
New Zealand Trotting Cup – False Step
Auckland Trotting Cup – Macklin
Lawn bowls
The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Christchurch.
Men's singles champion – Phil Skoglund (Northern Bowling Club)
Men's pair champions – C.J. Rogers, James Pirret (skip) (Tuakau Bowling Club)
Men's fours champions – W.H. Woods, L.G. Donaldson, A. Connew, Pete Skoglund (skip) (Carlton Bowling Club)
Rugby union
The All Blacks played three Test matches against the touring Australian side, retaining the Bledisloe Cup:
23 August, Athletic Park (Wellington), Wellington: New Zealand 25 – 3 Australia
6 September, Lancaster Park, Christchurch: New Zealand 3 – 6 Australia
20 September, Epsom Showgrounds, Auckland: New Zealand 17 – 8 Australia
Soccer
The national men's team played seven matches including five internationals:
16 August, Wellington: NZ 2 – 3 Australia
23 August, Auckland: NZ 2 – 2 Australia
26 August, Hamilton: NZ 3 – 0 Waikato XI
31 August, Nouméa: NZ 2 – 1 New Caledonia
7 September, Nouméa: NZ 5 – 1 New Caledonia
14 September, Nouméa: NZ 2 – 1 New Caledonia
18 September, Auckland: NZ 1 – 1 Auckland
The Chatham Cup was won by Seatoun for the second consecutive year. They beat Christchurch city 7–1 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: Spartans
Nelson: Settlers
Northland: Marlin Rovers
Otago: Northern AFC
Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
South Canterbury: West End
Southland: Brigadiers
Taranaki: City
Waikato: Hamilton Technical OB
Wairarapa: Masterton Athletic
Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
Wellington: Seatoun AFC
Births
1 January: Lesley Murdoch, cricketer
7 February: Simon Upton, politician
30 March: Peter Ellis, convicted for child abuse
15 April: John Bracewell, cricket player and coach
16 May (in the U.S.A.): Thomas "Tab" Baldwin, basketball coach
27 May: Neil Finn, singer, songwriter
14 September: Jeff Crowe, cricketer
27 September: Mitch Shirra, motorcycle speedway rider
17 November:
Frank van Hattum, soccer player
Glenn Dods, soccer player
23 November: Martin Snedden, cricketer and sports administrator
30 November: Barry Cooper, cricketer
2 December: Roger Sowry, politician
A J Hackett, extreme sports entrepreneur
(in Zambia): Vicky Jones, children's author
Pio Terei, actor, singer and comedian
Jools and Lynda Topp (the Topp Twins), entertainers
Jane Wrightson, chief censor
:Category:1958 births
Deaths
12 March – Bill Barnard, politician, 10th Speaker of the House of Representatives
1 June – Fred Baker, soldier
2 June – Robert William Smith, politician
17 July – William Taverner, MP and mayor of Dunedin
27 July – William Montgomery Jr., politician
9 October – Merton Hodge, playwright
25 October – James Chapman-Taylor, architect
:Category:1958 deaths
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
Years of the 20th century in New Zealand