1952 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,024,600.
• Increase since 31 December 1951: 54,100.
• Males per 100 females: 101.1.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – George VI followed by Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg VC, CGMG, KCB, Three Bars, KStJ followed by Lieutenant-General The Lord Norrie GCMG GCVO CB DSO MC

Government

• Speaker of the House – Mathew Oram
• Prime Minister – Sidney Holland
• Deputy Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake
• Minister of Finance – Sidney Holland
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Clifton Webb
• Chief Justice — Sir '''Humphrey O'Leary'''

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Walter Nash.

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – John Allum
• Mayor of Hamilton – Harold David Caro
• Mayor of Wellington – Robert Macalister
• Mayor of Christchurch – Robert Macfarlane
• Mayor of Dunedin – '''Leonard Morton Wright'''

Events

February

• 6 February – George VI dies and is succeeded by Elizabeth II as Queen of New Zealand

November

Arts and literature

Music

Radio

Film

• Broken Barrier

Sport

Athletics

• Jack Clarke wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:38:42 on 1 March in Wanganui.

Chess

• The 59th National Chess Championship was held in Napier, and was won by Ortvin Sarapu of Christchurch.

Cricket

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Mobile Globe
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Soangetaha

Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – Frank Livingstone
• Men's pair champions – R.K. Aitchison, E. Ravenwood
• Men's fours champions – N.M. Johnston, W.J. Ashton, M.J. Squire, K.S. Ewing

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics

Winter Olympics

• New Zealand sends a team to the Winter Olympics for the first time.

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup was shared by the finalists North Shore United and Western after the extra time score and all criteria for deciding a winner at that time were equal.
• The national men's soccer team toured to the Pacific, playing 10 matches, 5 of which were internationals:
• * 31 August, Suva: NZ 1 – 0 Suva
• * 3 September, Suva: NZ 8 – 3 Southern Districts
• * 7 September, Suva: NZ 2 – 0 Fiji
• * 9 September, Lautoka: NZ 0 – 0 Lautoka
• * 11 September, Lautoka: NZ 5 – 0 Northern Districts
• * 14 September, Lautoka: NZ 9 – 0 Fiji
• * 16 September, Suva: NZ 5 – 2 Fiji
• * 21 September, Papeete: NZ 2 – 2 Tahiti
• * 25 September, Fautaua: NZ 7 – 1 Chinese Selection
• * 28 September, Papeete NZ 5 – 3 TahitiProvincial league champions:
• * Auckland: Eastern Suburbs AFC
• * Canterbury: Technical OB
• * Hawke's Bay: West End
• * Manawatu: Palmerston North United
• * Nelson: Settlers
• * Northland: Otangarei United
• * Otago: Northern AFC
• * Poverty Bay: Thistle
• * South Canterbury: Thistle
• * Southland: Brigadiers
• * Taranaki: Overseas
• * Waikato: Pukemiro Junction
• * Wairarapa: Masterton B
• * Wanganui: Technical College Old Boys
• * Wellington: Petone

Births

• 12 January: John Walker, athlete.
• 4 February: Jenny Shipley Prime Minister.
• 14 February: Les Wilson, field hockey goalkeeper.Vincent Burke, NZ television producer.
• 19 March: Warren Lees, cricket player and coach.
• 22 March: Rod Millen, motor rally driver.
• 7 April: Alan Niven, songwriter, record producer, manager.
• 21 June: Jeremy Coney, cricket captain.
• 25 June: Tim Finn, singer, songwriter and musician.
• 20 July: Ian Ferguson, kayaker.
• 8 August: Sandra Lee-Vercoe, politician and diplomat.
• 2 September: Chris Knox, singer-songwriter.
• 8 September: Graham Mourie, rugby player.
• 14 September: Neil McLeod, field hockey player.
• 3 October: Gary Troup, cricketer.
• 20 October: Michael Houstoun, concert pianist.
• 31 December: Vaughan Jones, mathematician.John Badcock, painter.Sue Bradford, politician.Stevan Eldred-Grigg, writer and historian.
• : David Fletcher, cartoonist.Tame Iti, activist.Linda Jones (jockey), thoroughbred horse racing jockeySukhi Turner, Mayor of Dunedin.Marilyn Waring, feminist academic and politician.

Deaths

• 29 April: Adam Hamilton, politician.
• 1 May: Hon. Thomas Otto Bishop MLC, politician.
• 6 May: Sir Oswald Birley, painter.
• 5 August:John Robertson, politician.
• 13 August: Frederick de Jersey Clere, architect.
• 20 August: Lionel Terry, convicted murderer, white supremacist.
• 24 August: Alexander Harris, politician
• 17 September Carl Axel Björk, whaler, goldminer and character.
• 12 October: Te Puea Herangi, Māori leader.
• 17 November: Ben Roberts, New Zealand Labour MP
• 22 November: Ted Morgan, New Zealand boxer.
• 27 November: Bill Parry, politician.