1946 in New Zealand

← 1945 1944 1943 1946 in New Zealand → 1947 1948 1949
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
See also:	Other events of 1946 Timeline of New Zealand history

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,781,200 ^[1]
• Increase since 31/12/1945: 53,400 (3.09%)
• Males per 100 females: 100.2

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State - George VI
• Governor-General - Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Cyril Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM, succeeded same year by Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg VC GCMG KCB KBE DSO ^[2]

Government

The 27th New Zealand Parliament concluded, with the Labour Party in government. Labour was re-elected for a fourth term in the election in November, but with a smaller majority.

• Speaker of the House - Frederick Schramm (Labour)
• Prime Minister - Peter Fraser
• Minister of Finance - Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - Peter Fraser
• Attorney-General - Rex Mason

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition - Sidney Holland (National Party).^[3]

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

• Family benefit of £1 per week becomes universal.
• Bank of New Zealand nationalised.

Arts and literature

See 1946 in art, 1946 in literature, Category:1946 books

Music

See: 1946 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: Category:1946 film awards, 1946 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1946 films

Sport

Archery

National Champions (Postal Shoot) ^[4]

• Open: W. Burton (Gisborne)
• Women: P. Bryan (Auckland)

Athletics

• Lionel Fox wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:40:00 in Wanganui.

Basketball

National Associations are formed for both men and women (now combined as Basketball New Zealand) and the first championship for men under the control of their association is held.^[5] (see 1938 and 1939)

• Interprovincial champions: Men - (tie) Auckland, Wellington, Otago

Chess

• The 53rd National Chess Championship was held in Christchurch, and was won by T. Lepviikman of Wellington.^[6]

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Integrity ^[7]
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Loyal Nurse ^[8]

Rugby union

Category:Rugby union in New Zealand, Category:All Blacks

• Ranfurly Shield

Rugby league

New Zealand national rugby league team

Soccer

• 14 September: A New Zealand team played a single game against Wellington, which they won 5-2^[9]
• The Chatham Cup is won by Wellington Marist who beat Technical Old Boys of Christchurch 2—1 in the final.^[10]
• Provincial league champions: ^[11]
  • Auckland: Metro College
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier Rovers
  • Nelson:
  • Otago: Mosgiel
  • South Canterbury: Fisherman
  • Southland: Invercargill Thistle
  • Taranaki: Albion
  • Waikato: Rotowaro
  • Wanganui: Technical College Old Boys
  • Wellington: Wellington Marist

Births

• 25 February: Grahame Thorne, rugby player, commentator and politician.
• 28 February: Graham Vivian, cricketer.
• 2 April: Richard Collinge, cricketer.
• 24 May: Ian Kirkpatrick, rugby player.
• 5 June (in Wales): John Bach, actor.
• 8 June: Graham Henry, rugby coach.
• 13 June: Geoff Murphy, film director.
• 27 June: Bruce Cribb, motorcycle speedway rider.
• 4 July: Sam Hunt, performance poet.
• 4 August: Paul East, politician.
• 1 September: Keith Quinn, broadcaster.
• 14 September: John Luxton, politician.
• 29 September: Neil Cherry, environmental scientist.
• 17 October: Ian Wedde, writer.
• 30 November: Ken Wadsworth, cricketer.
• 2 December:
  • John Banks, politician, radio host.
  • Doug Cowie, cricket umpire.
• 27 December: Bill Manhire, poet.
• date unknown
  • Frank Gibson, Jr., jazz drummer.
  • George Hawkins, politician.
  • Richard Killeen, artist.
  • Bruce Lynch, musician.

Category:1946 births

Deaths

• 5 August: Sir Charles Statham, politician.
• William Nosworthy, politician.
• Vincent Ward, politician.

Category:1946 deaths

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

For world events and topics in 1946 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1946

References

External links

Media related to 1946 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons