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.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Norrie <small>GCMG GCVO CB DSO MC</small>.

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

• 1 October – Radio station 4ZA launches in Invercargill on 820 kHz, supplementing station 4YZ.

Film

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

Sport

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.

Horse racing

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)

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics

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.

References

See also

• List of years in New Zealand
• Timeline of New Zealand history
• History of New Zealand
• Military history of New Zealand
• Timeline of the New Zealand environment
• Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica