1934 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,558,400.
• Increase since previous 31 December 1933: 11,300.
• Males per 100 females: 103.3.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – George V
• Governor-General – The Lord Bledisloe GCMG KBE PC

Government

• Speaker of the House – Charles Statham
• Prime Minister – George Forbes
• Minister of Finance – Gordon Coates
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – George Forbes
• Attorney-General – George Forbes
• Chief Justice — Sir Michael Myers

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Michael Joseph Savage.

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – George Hutchison
• Mayor of Wellington – Thomas Hislop
• Mayor of Christchurch – Dan Sullivan
• Mayor of Dunedin – '''Edwin Thomas Cox'''

Events

• 6 February: Treaty house and grounds at Waitangi dedicated as a national reserve.
• 5 March: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Pahiatua, Manawatu-Wanganui, at 11.46pm.
• 28 June: Third session of the 24th Parliament commences.
• 10 November: Third session of the 24th Parliament concludes.
• Banknotes issued by the new Reserve Bank replace those issued by the Trading Banks, see New Zealand pound.
• Charles Ulm, in Faith in Australia, flies the first official airmail from New Zealand to Australia.

Arts and literature

Music

Radio

Film

Sport

British Empire Games

Chess

• The 43rd National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by John Dunlop, of Dunedin, his fourth title.

Golf

• The 24th New Zealand Open championship was won by Andrew Shaw, his 6th title.
• The 38th National Amateur Championships were held in Wanganui
• * Men: B. M. Silk
• * Women: Miss B. Gaisford – her second title.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Indianapolis
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Roi L'Or

Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – W. Carswell
• Men's pair champions – J. McPherson, J. Veitch
• Men's fours champions – G. Dickson, F. Redpath, H.F. Gibson, H. Wilson

Rugby

• the Bledisloe Cup was won by Australia, with one win and one draw.
• The Ranfurly Shield changed hands twice: Canterbury lost their first defence to Hawkes Bay 0–9. Hawkes Bay defended the shield against Wanganui 39–16 and Taranaki 23–8 before losing it to Auckland 14–18.

Rugby league

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Auckland Thistle who beat Christchurch Thistle 2–1 in the final.Provincial league champions:
• * Auckland: Thistle
• * Canterbury: Thistle
• * Hawke's Bay: Napier YMCA
• * Nelson: YMCA
• * Otago: King Edward Technical College Old Boys
• * Southland: Southern
• * Taranaki: Stratford
• * Waikato: Huntly Starr Utd
• * Wanganui: Thistle
• * Wellington: Marist

Births

January

• 3 January – Bob Elliott, paediatrician
• 6 January – Harry M. Miller, entertainment promoter and publicist
• 11 January – Barrie West, naval officer
• 22 January – Graham Kerr, television cook
• 26 January – Rex Percy, rugby union and rugby league player

February

• 4 February – Donal Smith, athlete
• 6 February – Barry Magee, athlete
• 7 February – Ossie Butt, rugby league player
• 10 February – Fleur Adcock, poet and editor
• 26 February – Kara Puketapu, public servant and Maori leader

March

• 3 March – Lindsay Townsend, rugby union player
• 15 March – Wally Hughes, association football player and coach
• 16 March
• * Ian McLean, politician
• * Des Townson, yacht designer
• 17 March – Ian Barker, jurist
• 20 March
• * Graeme Hansen, equestrian
• * Ralph Maxwell, politician
• 26 March
• * Harle Freeman-Greene, diplomat
• * Matiu Rata, politician
• 31 March – Randall Carrington, cricketer

April

• 3 April – Pamela Allen, children's writer and illustrator
• 9 April – Bill Birch, politician
• 14 April – Duncan MacRae, rugby league player
• 21 April – Martin Horton, cricket player and coach
• 30 April – Tom Coughlan, rugby union player

May

• 1 May
• * Nev MacEwan, rugby union player
• * Apirana Mahuika, Ngāti Porou leader
• 8 May
• * Graeme Lowans, cricketer
• * Gordon Ogilvie, historian and biographer
• 12 May – Peter Bland, poet, actor
• 15 May – Frank McAtamney, rugby union player
• 16 May – Roy Kerr, mathematician
• 21 May – Guy Henderson, oboist
• 28 May – Bill Baillie, athlete
• 30 May
• * Mel Cooke, rugby league player
• * Peter Dronke, medievalist

June

• 5 June
• * Ashley Lawrence, conductor
• * Margaret Stuart, athlete
• 8 June – David Abbott, cricket umpire
• 11 June – John da Silva, wrestler, boxer
• 13 June – Mel Brieseman, public health official, missionary
• 19 June – Arthur Candy, cyclist

July

• 12 July – Tuna Scanlan, boxer
• 15 July – Noel Hobson, field hockey player
• 19 July – Tessa Birnie, concert pianist
• 22 July
• * Sam Chaffey, alpine skier, businessman
• * Neville Denton, rugby league player and coach
• 25 July – Peter Skelton, cricketer
• 27 July – Robin Leamy, Roman Catholic bishop
• 31 July – Roger Urbahn, rugby union player, cricketer, sports journalist

August

• 1 August – John Beck, cricketer
• 6 August – Dave Gillespie, rugby union player
• 9 August – Kevin Laidlaw, rugby union player
• 20 August – Patricia Buckfield, paediatrician and neonatologist
• 21 August – Ruth Butterworth, political scientist
• 24 August
• * Tony Campbell, biblical scholar
• * John Waddingham, cricketer
• 29 August – John Guy, cricketer

September

• 2 September
• * Leslie Butler, cricketer
• * Colin Knight, educationalist
• 6 September – Alison Roxburgh, women's rights advocate, community leader
• 8 September – Ross Brown, rugby union player
• 9 September
• * Eugene Paykel, psychiatrist
• * John Wallace, jurist
• * Roy Williams, decathlete
• 10 September
• * John Abrams, field hockey player
• * Des Webb, rugby union player
• 11 September – Evon Dickson, cricketer
• 14 September – Paul Little, rugby union player
• 19 September – Austin Mitchell, journalist, politician
• 25 September – Allan Potts, athlete, athletics coach and administrator
• 29 September – Bob Parker, rower

October

• 1 October – Teupoko'ina Utanga Morgan, teacher, politician, author
• 4 October – Joe Williams, physician, politician
• 8 October – Jean Coulston, cricketer
• 12 October – Maurice Langdon, cricketer
• 18 October – Allan Wilson, biochemist
• 20 October – Leo Close, Paralympic sportsman and sports organiser
• 22 October – Donald McIntyre, opera singer
• 28 October – Brian Davis, Anglican archbishop
• 29 October – George Cuthill, association footballer
• 31 October – Don Aickin, obstetrician and gynaecologist

November

• 1 November – Les Mills, athlete, politician
• 11 November – Peter Snow, physician
• 12 November – Peter Wilkinson, politician
• 13 November – Peter Arnett, TV journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner

December

• 1 December – Peter Williams, lawyer, penal reform advocate
• 6 December – Johnny Hanks, boxer
• 11 December
• * Tom Hadfield, rugby league player
• * Ross McNabb, mycologist
• 16 December – Mel Dunne, rugby union player, cricketer, civil engineer
• 25 December – John Shrapnell, journalist, actor, singer
• 26 December – Don Hunn, diplomat and public servant
• 27 December – Ron Ackland, rugby league player and coach
• 28 December – Bob Skelton, jockey
• 30 December
• * Barry Briggs, speedway rider
• * Eddie Tonks, rugby union administrator

Undated

• Gillian Cowlishaw, anthropologist
• James Flynn, intelligence researcher, politician
• Gil Hanly, artist
• Olaf Keil, musician
• Leo McKendry, politician
• Norma Restieaux, cardiologist
• Tepaeru Tereora, artist, Cook Islands Māori language advocate
• Ted Thomas, jurist
• Ann Verdcourt, potter

Deaths

January–February

• 6 January – Hikapuhi, Ngāti Pikiao tohunga
• 7 January – Alfred West, rugby union player
• 9 January – George Smailes, politician, clergyman
• 10 January – Lawrence Grace, politician
• 18 January – Jessie Aitken, community worker, political activist
• 20 January – Joseph Lawton, cricket player and coach
• 27 January – Spencer Gollan, rower, golfer
• 31 January – Duncan Sommerville, mathematician and astronomer
• 8 February– Herbert Izard, Anglican clergyman
• 15 February – John Fletcher, businessman, politician
• 22 February
• * Rosetta Baume, feminist, community leader
• * George Witters, conservationist

March–April

• 5 March – Sir Arthur Dobson, surveyor, engineer, explorer
• 12 March – Fanny Osborne, botanical illustrator
• 31 March – James Mackintosh Bell, geologist, writer
• 5 April – Thomas Davey, politician
• 9 April – John Charles Thomson, politician
• 11 April
• * Harry Beswick, politician
• * Sir Edwin Mitchelson, politician
• * Alexander Peebles, politician
• 29 April – Bert Pither, cyclist, aviation experimenter
• 30 April – James Testro, cricketer

May–June

• 5 May – Ann O'Donnell, hotel proprietor
• 6 May
• * William McGirr, cricketer
• * Sir Henry Wigram, businessman, politician, aviation pioneer
• 14 May – George Fowler, cricketer
• 26 May – John Anderson, rugby union player, engineer, politician
• 2 June – David Ashby, cricketer
• 7 June
• * William Vorrath, cricketer, rugby league player
• * George Webbe, cricketer
• 9 June – John Joseph Woods, composer of "God Defend New Zealand"
• 13 June – Guy Thornton, army chaplain
• 14 June – Walter Empson, schoolteacher
• 15 July – George Anson, cricketer, physician
• 17 June – William Triggs, journalist, newspaper editor, politician
• 27 June – Harry Ell, politician, conservationist

July–August

• 1 July – Frederick William Ward, journalist and newspaper editor
• 2 July – Arthur Plugge, army officer
• 6 July – Thomas Pettit, businessman, politician
• 8 July – Leonard Cockayne, botanist
• 10 July – Andrew Walker, politician
• 13 July – Kate Sheppard, suffragist
• 16 July
• * Walter Bennett, politician
• * Carlo Bergamini, sculptor
• 18 July – Herbert Fenwick, cricketer
• 20 July – William Alfred Bayly, convicted murderer
• 3 August – Allan Johnson, Anglican clergyman
• 10 August – Sally Low, social reformer and peace campaigner
• 11 August – William Collins, surgeon, politician, rugby union player, cricketer
• 12 August – James Glasgow, cricketer
• 17 August – Sir George Fowlds, politician

September–October

• 2 September – James Allan, rugby union player
• 4 September – Tini Taiaroa, community worker
• 5 September – John Joseph Dougall, politician
• 13 September – Sir John Roberts, businessman, politician
• 14 September – Robert Loughnan, journalist, politician
• 21 September – Hugh Stewart, soldier, historian
• 30 September – Joseph Butler, timber merchant
• 9 October – Roderick McKenzie, politician
• 20 October – Arthur Blacklock, cricketer

November–December

• 2 November – Alexander Don, Presbyterian missionary
• 8 November – Arthur Eastwood, jockey, rowing coxswain
• 19 November – Charles Wilson, politician
• 25 November – Eliza Anscombe, painter
• 2 December – Horace Packe, Anglican clergyman
• 8 December – Robert Brown, cricketer
• 10 December – Margaret Stoddart, botanical artist
• 22 December – Robert Davenport, cricketer
• 29 December – Sir Arthur Fell, politician