1952 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1952 in New Zealand.

The population of New Zealand reaches 2 million.

Population

 * Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,024,600.
 * Increase since 31 December 1951: 54,100 (2.75%).
 * Males per 100 females: 101.1.

Regal and viceregal

 * Head of State – George VI followed by Elizabeth II
 * Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg

Government
The 30th New Zealand Parliament continued. In power was the National government under Sidney Holland.


 * 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 (Labour).

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

February

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

Arts and literature
See 1952 in art, 1952 in literature, Category:1952 books

Music
See: 1952 in music

Radio
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

 * Broken Barrier

See: Category:1952 film awards, 1952 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1952 films

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 (his first title).

Cricket
Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team

Harness racing

 * New Zealand Trotting Cup – Mobile Globe
 * Auckland Trotting Cup – Soangetaha (2nd win)

Lawn bowls
The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin.
 * Men's singles champion – Frank Livingstone (Onehunga Bowling Club)
 * Men's pair champions – R.K. Aitchison, E. Ravenwood (skip) (North-East Valley Bowling Club)
 * Men's fours champions – N.M. Johnston, W.J. Ashton, M.J. Squire, K.S. Ewing (skip) (Stratford Bowling Club)

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 (Christchurch) after the extra time score (1–1) 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 Tahiti
 * Provincial 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.
 * (in England): David Fletcher, cartoonist.
 * Tame Iti, activist.
 * Linda Jones (jockey), thoroughbred horse racing jockey
 * Sukhi 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 (in England).
 * 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.