1948 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,853,900.
• Increase since 31 December 1947: 36,400.
• 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

• Speaker of the House – Robert McKeen
• 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.

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.
• 6 September – New Zealand citizenship is established. Before this date, New Zealand residents were British citizens or subjects.
• 27 September – Meat rationing, introduced in March 1944, is abolished. Butter remains the sole food product still under rationing.
• 20 November – Two takahē are discovered after being declared extinct for 50 years.The Marlborough Press, which was founded in 1860, is taken over by The Marlborough Express.
• Italy establishes a consulate in Wellington.

Arts and literature

Music

Radio

Film

Sport

Archery

• Open Men – H. Butel
• Open Women – Doreen Johnston

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.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Highland Fling
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Captain Sandy

Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – S. Marriott
• Men's pair champions – M.A. Marinovich, S. Garelja
• Men's fours champions – J.W.T. Macklow, Frank Livingstone, Alec Robertson, J.H. Mingins

Olympic Games

• New Zealand is represented by seven competitors in athletics, boxing, cycling, swimming and weightlifting. There are no medal successes.

Rugby union

• Ranfurly Shield

Rugby league

Shooting

• Ballinger Belt – William Masefield

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 AustraliaProvincial 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 : 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