1948 in New Zealand

1948 in New Zealand
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.
27 September – Meat rationing, introduced in March 1944, is abolished. Butter remains the sole food product still under rationing.
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 – D. Johnstone (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
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
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
See also
History of New Zealand
List of years in New Zealand
Military history of New Zealand
Timeline of New Zealand history
Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica
Timeline of the New Zealand environment
For world events and topics in 1948 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1948
References
External links
Years of the 20th century in New Zealand