1938 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,618,500.
• Increase since 31 December 1937: 16,500.
• Males per 100 females: 103.2.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – George VI
• Governor-General – The Viscount Galway GCMG DSO OBE PC

Government

• Speaker of the House – Bill Barnard
• Prime Minister – Michael Joseph Savage
• Minister of Finance – Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Michael Joseph Savage
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason
• Chief Justice – Sir Michael Myers

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Adam Hamilton.

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Ernest Davis
• Mayor of Wellington – Thomas Hislop
• Mayor of Christchurch – John Beanland then Robert M. Macfarlane
• Mayor of Dunedin – Edwin Thomas Cox then '''Andrew Henson Allen'''

Events

• 19 February: 21 people working on the Wairoa-Gisborne railway are drowned when a flash flood hits a works camp at Kopuawhara near Mahia.
• The Times, formerly The Gisborne Times, is purchased by its opposition, The Poverty Bay Herald, which the following year becomes The Gisborne Herald.

Arts and literature

Music

Radio

• 10 October – Radio station 2ZA launches in Palmerston North on 1400 kHz.

Film

• New Zealand Review no.5, Mountain Holiday,

Sport

Basketball

• Interpovincial Champions – Men: Otago

British Empire Games

Chess

• The 47th National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by S. Hindin of Christchurch.

Golf

• The 28th New Zealand Open championship was won by A.D. Locke.
• The 42nd National Amateur Championships were held in Otago
• * Men: JP.G.F. Smith
• * Women – matchplay: Miss S. Collins
• * Women – strokeplay: Mrs R. Fullerton-Smith

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Morello
• Auckland Trotting Cup –Navy Blue

Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – W.D. Bennett
• Men's pair champions – R.B. Clarke, C.E. Tyrrell
• Men's fours champions – Stanley Snedden, F. Redpath, P. Munn, H. Wilson

Rugby

• Ranfurly Shield

Rugby league

Shooting

• Ballinger Belt –
• * Robert Bodley
• * Douglas Roots, second, top New Zealander

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Waterside who beat Mosgiel 4–0 in the final.Provincial league champions:
• * Auckland: North Shore United
• * Canterbury: Nomads United
• * Hawke's Bay: Napier United
• * Nelson: YMCA
• * Otago: Mosgiel
• * South Canterbury: Northern
• * Southland: Invercargill Thistle
• * Taranaki: Waitara
• * Waikato: Hamilton Wanderers
• * Wanganui: Marist
• * Wellington: Waterside Karori

Births

• 21 January: Jim Anderton, politician..
• 11 February: Bevan Congdon, cricketer..
• 15 February: Russell Marshall, politician.
• 24 February: Murray Hudson, soldier, winner of the George Cross..
• 26 May: Pauline Parker, convicted murderer.
• 11 July: Ron Sang, architect and art collector..
• 12 July: Stan Meads, rugby player.
• 24 July: John Sparling, cricketer.
• 29 July: Millie Khan, lawn bowler..
• 28 August: Aroha Reriti-Crofts, politician and community activist..
• 10 September: Colin Beyer, lawyer and businessman..
• 11 October: William Taylor, children's writer and politician..
• 12 October: Geoff Murphy, film director.
• 28 October : Anne Perry, convicted murderer.
• 29 October: Douglas Myers, businessman..
• 15 November: Peter Sinclair, radio and television host..
• 24 November: Wynne Bradburn, cricketer..
• 1 December: Bill Playle, cricketer..
• 2 December, Jonathan Hunt, politician and diplomat..
• 17 December: Sir Peter Snell, athlete..
• 18 December: Syd Jackson, political activist..
• 23 December: Sir Michael Hill, entrepreneur.

Deaths

• 10 February: Sir Frederic Truby King, director of child welfare.
• 22 February: Lindsay Buick, historian, journalist, politician.
• 1 April: William Blomfield, cartoonist.
• 12 July: Isabella Foster Rogers Kells, teacher, postmistress and community leader
• 30 July: Alfred Brandon, Mayor of Wellington.
• 15 December: James Whyte Kelly, politician.

Full date unknown