1956 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during  1956 in New Zealand.

Population

 * Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,209,200.
 * Increase since 31 December 1955: 44,400 (2.05%).
 * Males per 100 females: 101.2.

Regal and viceregal

 * Head of State – Elizabeth II
 * Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Norrie GCMG GCVO CB DSO MC.

Government
The 31st 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 – Jack Watts.
 * Minister of Foreign Affairs – Tom Macdonald.
 * Attorney-General – Jack Marshall.
 * Chief Justice — Sir Harold Barrowclough

Parliamentary opposition

 * Leader of the Opposition –  Walter Nash (Labour).

Main centre leaders

 * Mayor of Auckland – John Luxford, followed by Thomas Ashby
 * Mayor of Hamilton – Roderick Braithwaite
 * Mayor of Wellington – Robert Macalister, followed by Frank Kitts
 * Mayor of Christchurch – Robert M. Macfarlane
 * Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright

Events

 * 8 March: Opo the friendly Dolphin dies in the Hokianga.
 * 13 March – After 26 years playing international cricket the New Zealand wins its first ever test victory against the West Indies at Eden Park.
 * New Zealand troops are sent to Malaya.
 * Roxburgh Dam is opened.
 * Temperzone manufacturing is founded.

Arts and literature
See 1956 in art, 1956 in literature

Music
See: 1956 in music

Radio
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film
See: Category:1956 film awards, 1956 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1956 films

Athletics

 * Albert Richards wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:31:46 in Christchurch.

Chess

 * The 63rd National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by F.A. Foulds of Auckland.

Harness racing

 * New Zealand Trotting Cup – Thunder
 * Auckland Trotting Cup – Unite

Lawn bowls
The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin.
 * Men's singles champion – G.G. Littlejohn (Hutt Bowling Club)
 * Men's pair champions – L.J. Hughes, E.H. Ravenwood (skip) (North-East Valley Bowling Club)
 * Men's fours champions – P.C.F. Barrat, C.E. Tomlinson, L.J. Buckingham, Robbie Robson (skip) (Mangakino Bowling Club)

Winter Olympics

 * New Zealand did not participate in the 1956 Winter Olympics.

Soccer

 * The Chatham Cup is won by Stop Out (Lower Hutt) who beat Shamrock (soccer) of Christchurch 4–1 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:	Blenheim B
 * Nelson:	Settlers
 * Northland:	Kamo Swifts
 * Otago:	Northern AFC
 * Poverty Bay:	Eastern Union
 * South Canterbury:	West End
 * Southland:	Brigadiers
 * Taranaki:	Moturoa
 * Waikato:	Huntly Thistle
 * Wairarapa:	No competition
 * Wanganui:	Technical College Old Boys
 * Wellington:	Stop Out

Births

 * 3 January: Judith Tizard, politician
 * 6 January: Stephen Cox, cyclist
 * 16 January: Mark Burton, politician
 * 4 February: Gerry Brownlee, politician
 * 16 February: Vincent Ward, film director
 * 1 March: Mark Todd, equestrian eventer
 * 3 March: John F. Reid, cricketer
 * 13 April: Peter 'Possum' Bourne, rally driver
 * 17 April: Jaynie Parkhouse, freestyle swimmer
 * 26 April: Tinks Pottinger, equestrian eventer
 * 8 May: Richard Wilson, soccer player
 * 10 May: Chris Kuggeleijn, cricket player and coach
 * 23 May: Mark Shaw, rugby union footballer and selector
 * 18 August: Andrew Bennie, equestrian eventer
 * 29 September: Jenny Morris, singer
 * 8 November: Richard Curtis, screenwriter
 * 23 November: Bruce Edgar, cricketer
 * 12 December: Barry Pickering, soccer player
 * 16 December: Rodney Hide, politician
 * Chris Finlayson, politician
 * James Belich, historian
 * (in Paris, France) Christopher Marshall, composer
 * Douglas Wright, dancer and choreographer

Deaths

 * 17 April: Sir Alexander Young, politician.
 * 22 May: John Christopher Rolleston, politician.
 * 29 May:  Charlie Seeling, rugby footballer.
 * 17 June: Charles Boswell, politician.
 * 19 June: Bernard Martin, politician.
 * 12 September: George Gillett, rugby player.
 * 21 November: Jim Thorn, labour leader and politician.