1958 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,316,000.
• Increase since 31 December 1957: 53,200.
• Males per 100 females: 101.3.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – The Viscount Cobham GCMG TD.

Government

• Speaker of the House – Robert Macfarlane.
• Prime Minister – Walter Nash.
• Deputy Prime Minister – Jerry Skinner.
• Minister of Finance – Arnold Nordmeyer.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Walter Nash.
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason.
• Chief Justice — Sir '''Harold Barrowclough'''

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Keith Holyoake.

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Keith Buttle
• Mayor of Hamilton – Roderick Braithwaite
• Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
• Mayor of Christchurch – Robert Macfarlane then George Manning
• Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright

Events

• 26 June – 'Black Budget', raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol and petrol, passed by second Labour government.
• June – New Zealand's first supermarket, Foodtown, opens at Ōtāhuhu.
• 3 September – Brian Barratt-Boyes performs New Zealand's first open heart surgery at Auckland's Green Lane Hospital.
• 29 September – The emergency number 111 for fire, police and ambulance is introduced; initially only in Masterton and Carterton.
• 19 October - A march of over six thousand people is held in Paraparaumu to mark the construction of the Our Lady of Lourdes statue.
• 15 November - The Wairakei Power Station is commissioned. It is New Zealand's first geothermal power station, and only the second large-scale geothermal power station in the world.
• United States base for Operation Deep Freeze is established at Christchurch Airport.

Arts and literature

• The Robert Burns Fellowship is established to honour the bicentenary of the poet's birth.

Music

Radio

• 17 March – Radio station 2XB launches in Masterton on 840 kHz.

Film

Sport

Athletics

• Ray Puckett wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:37:28 in Lower Hutt.

British Empire and Commonwealth Games

Chess

• The 65th National Chess Championship was held in Christchurch, and was won by J.R. Phillips of Auckland.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – False Step
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Macklin

Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – Phil Skoglund
• Men's pair champions – C.J. Rogers, James Pirret
• Men's fours champions – W.H. Woods, L.G. Donaldson, A. Connew, Pete Skoglund

Rugby union

• The All Blacks played three Test matches against the touring Australian side, retaining the Bledisloe Cup:
• * 23 August, Athletic Park (Wellington), Wellington: New Zealand 25 – 3 Australia
• * 6 September, Lancaster Park, Christchurch: New Zealand 3 – 6 Australia
• * 20 September, Epsom Showgrounds, Auckland: New Zealand 17 – 8 Australia

Soccer

• The national men's team played seven matches including five internationals:
• * 16 August, Wellington: NZ 2 – 3 Australia
• * 23 August, Auckland: NZ 2 – 2 Australia
• * 26 August, Hamilton: NZ 3 – 0 Waikato XI
• * 31 August, Nouméa: NZ 2 – 1 New Caledonia
• * 7 September, Nouméa: NZ 5 – 1 New Caledonia
• * 14 September, Nouméa: NZ 2 – 1 New Caledonia
• * 18 September, Auckland: NZ 1 – 1 Auckland
• The Chatham Cup was won by Seatoun for the second consecutive year. They beat Christchurch city 7–1 in the final.Provincial league champions:
• * Auckland: Onehunga
• * Bay of Plenty: Rangers
• * Buller: Millerton Thistle
• * Canterbury: Western
• * Hawke's Bay: Napier Athletic
• * Manawatu: Kiwi United
• * Marlborough: Spartans
• * Nelson: Settlers
• * Northland: Marlin Rovers
• * Otago: Northern AFC
• * Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
• * South Canterbury: West End
• * Southland: Brigadiers
• * Taranaki: City
• * Waikato: Hamilton Technical OB
• * Wairarapa: Masterton Athletic
• * Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
• * Wellington: Seatoun AFC

Births

• 1 January: Lesley Murdoch, cricketer
• 7 February: Simon Upton, politician
• 30 March: Peter Ellis, convicted for child abuse
• 15 April: John Bracewell, cricket player and coach
• 16 May : Thomas "Tab" Baldwin, basketball coach
• 27 May: Neil Finn, singer, songwriter
• 13 September: Philippa Werry, writer
• 14 September: Jeff Crowe, cricketer
• 27 September: Mitch Shirra, motorcycle speedway rider
• 17 November:
• * Frank van Hattum, soccer player
• * Glenn Dods, soccer player
• 23 November: Martin Snedden, cricketer and sports administrator
• 30 November: Barry Cooper, cricketer
• 2 December: Roger Sowry, politicianA J Hackett, extreme sports entrepreneur
• : Vicky Jones, children's authorPio Terei, actor, singer and comedianJools and Lynda Topp, entertainersJane Wrightson, chief censor

Deaths

• 12 March – Bill Barnard, politician, 10th Speaker of the House of Representatives
• 1 June – Fred Baker, soldier
• 2 June – Robert William Smith, politician
• 17 July – William Taverner, MP and mayor of Dunedin
• 27 July – William Montgomery Jr., politician
• 9 October – Merton Hodge, playwright
• 25 October – James Chapman-Taylor, architect