1948 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1948 in New Zealand.

Population

 * Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,853,900.
 * Increase since 31 December 1947: 36,400 (2.00%).
 * Males per 100 females: 100.5.

Regal and viceregal

 * Head of State – George VI
 * Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg VC GCMG KCB KBE DSO

Government
The 28th New Zealand Parliament continued, with the Labour Party in government.


 * Speaker of the House – Robert McKeen (Labour)
 * 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 (National Party).

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
See 1948 in art, 1948 in literature

Music
See: 1948 in music

Radio
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film
See: Category:1948 film awards, 1948 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1948 films

Archery
The national championships are held at a single venue for the first time replacing the previous postal shoot.

National Champions
 * Open Men – H. Butel (Dunedin)
 * Open Women – Doreen Johnston (Dunedin)

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 (his 3rd win).

Harness racing

 * New Zealand Trotting Cup – Highland Fling (2nd win)
 * Auckland Trotting Cup – Captain Sandy

Lawn bowls
The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin.
 * Men's singles champion – S. Marriott (Opawa Bowling Club)
 * Men's pair champions – M.A. Marinovich, S. Garelja (skip) (Oratia Bowling Club)
 * Men's fours champions – J.W.T. Macklow, Frank Livingstone, Alec Robertson, J.H. Mingins (skip) (Onehunga Bowling Club)

Olympic Games

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

Rugby union
Category:Rugby union in New Zealand, Category:All Blacks
 * Ranfurly Shield

Rugby league
New Zealand national rugby league team

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	Australia
 * Provincial 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 (in Scotland): 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