Population

• Estimated Population as of 31 December: 2,359,700
• Increase since 31 December 1958: 43,700 (1.89%)
• Males per 100 Females: 101.0

Regal and Vice Regal

• Head of State
  Head of State
  A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
  
   – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General
  Governor-General of New Zealand
  The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
  
   – The Viscount Cobham
  Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham
  Charles John Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham, KG, GCMG, GCVO, TD, PC was the ninth Governor-General of New Zealand and an English cricketer.-Early life and family:...
  
  GCMG
  Order of St Michael and St George
  The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
  
   TD
  Territorial Decoration
  The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
  
  .

Government

• Speaker of the House
  Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
  In New Zealand the Speaker of the House of Representatives is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body, the New Zealand House of Representatives...
  
   – Robert Macfarlane
  Robert Macfarlane (New Zealand)
  Sir Robert Mafeking Macfarlane, KCMG was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He was a Member of Parliament, served as Speaker of the House of Representatives and was a Mayor of Christchurch.-Local body politics:...
  
  
• Prime Minister
  Prime Minister of New Zealand
  The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
  
   – Walter Nash
  Walter Nash
  Sir Walter Nash, GCMG, CH served as the 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960, and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance...
  
  
• Deputy Prime Minister
  Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
  The Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand is second most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate into power....
  
   – Clarence Skinner
  Clarence Skinner (politician)
  Clarence Farrington Skinner, MC, was a Labour politician from New Zealand, former Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and a Minister 1943 – 1949 and 1957 – 1960 in the First and Second Labour governments.-Personal information:Skinner was in the New Zealand Army in the Middle East in World War...
  
  .
• Minister of Finance
  Minister of Finance (New Zealand)
  The Minister of Finance is a senior figure within the government of New Zealand. The position is often considered to be the most important Cabinet role after that of the Prime Minister....
  
   – Arnold Nordmeyer
  Arnold Nordmeyer
  Sir Arnold Henry Nordmeyer, ONZ, KCMG , born Heinrich Arnold Nordmeyer, was a New Zealand politician. He was leader of the Labour Party for three years while it was in Opposition.-Early life:...
  
  .
• Minister of Foreign Affairs
  Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand)
  The Minister of Foreign Affairs is a major ministerial portfolio in the government of New Zealand.The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Murray McCully, who was National Party Spokeperson of Foreign Affairs and Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs. There are also Associate Minister roles...
  
   – Walter Nash
  Walter Nash
  Sir Walter Nash, GCMG, CH served as the 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960, and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance...
  
  .
• Attorney-General
  Attorney-General (New Zealand)
  The Attorney-General is a political office in New Zealand. It is simultaneously a ministerial position and an administrative office, and has responsibility for supervising New Zealand law and advising the government on legal matters...
  
   – Rex Mason
  Rex Mason
  Henry Greathead Rex Mason was a New Zealand politician. He served as Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, and Minister of Native Affairs, and had a significant influence on the direction of the Labour Party...
  
  .

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition
  Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)
  The Leader of the Opposition in New Zealand is the politician who, at least in theory, commands the support of the non-government bloc of members in the New Zealand Parliament. In the debating chamber the Leader of the Opposition sits directly opposite the Prime Minister...
  
   – Keith Holyoake
  Keith Holyoake
  Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake, KG, GCMG, CH, QSO, KStJ was a New Zealand politician. The only person to have been both Prime Minister and Governor-General of New Zealand, Holyoake was National Party Prime Minister from 20 September 1957 to 12 December 1957, then again from 12 December 1960 to 7...
  
  (National
  New Zealand National Party
  The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
  
  ).

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland
  Mayor of Auckland
  The Mayor of Auckland is the directly elected head of the Auckland Council, the local government authority for the Auckland region in New Zealand...
  
   – Keith Buttle
  Keith Buttle
  Keith Nicolson Buttle was a New Zealand businessman and Mayor of Auckland City from 1957 to 1959. He replaced Thomas Ashby in a by-election in November 1957; Ashby died part-way through his term....
  
  then Dove-Myer Robinson
  Dove-Myer Robinson
  Sir Dove-Myer Robinson was Mayor of Auckland City from 1959 to 1965 and from 1968 to 1980, the longest tenure of any holder of the office....
  
  
• Mayor of Hamilton
  Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand
  The Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand is the head of the municipal government of Hamilton, New Zealand, and presides over the Hamilton City Council.In the 2010 Local Government elections, Julie Hardaker was elected as mayor, defeating incumbent Bob Simcock....
  
   – Roderick Alastair MacDonald Braithwaite then Dennis Rogers
  Dennis Rogers
  Denis Rogers was a doctor , and latterly the Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand from 1959 to 1968, elected for three terms. During his mayorship, he campaigned for the poor and for an international airport to be built in Hamilton...
  
  
• Mayor of Wellington
  Mayor of Wellington
  The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of Wellington, New Zealand, and presides over the Wellington City Council. The Mayor of Wellington administers only Wellington City itself — other municipalities in adjacent areas of the Wellington Region such as Lower Hutt, Upper...
  
   – Frank Kitts
  Frank Kitts
  Sir Francis "Frank" Joseph Kitts was the longest-serving Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, having held the post from 1956 to 1974. He was the Labour Member of Parliament for Wellington Central from 1954 to 1960, when he was defeated by the National candidate Dan Riddiford.Kitts was on the...
  
  
• Mayor of Christchurch
  Mayor of Christchurch
  The Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system...
  
   – George Manning
  George Manning
  George Manning may refer to:* George Manning , Welsh footballer who played at the 1948 Summer Olympics* George Manning , British murderer, the husband and accomplice of Marie Manning...
  
  
• Mayor of Dunedin
  Mayor of Dunedin
  The Mayor of Dunedin is the head of the municipal government of Dunedin, New Zealand, and presides over the Dunedin City Council. The Mayor is directly elected, using the Single Transferable Vote system in 2007....
  
   – Leonard Morton Wright then Thomas Kay Stuart Sidey
  Thomas Kay Stuart Sidey
  Sir Thomas Kay Stuart Sidey was the Mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand from 1959 to 1965 for the Citizens party, and was on the Dunedin City Council from 1947 to 1983. He stood for Parliament three times....
  
  

Events

• 30 May: The Auckland Harbour Bridge
  Auckland Harbour Bridge
  The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane box truss motorway bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, joining St Marys Bay in Auckland with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. The bridge is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway...
  
  , 1020 meters (3,348 feet) in length, was opened.
• 24 November: The coastal trader MV Holmglen
  MV Holmglen
  MV Holmglen II was a steel hull coastal trader built in 1956 by Maartenshoek, Netherlands based shipyard Bodewes Scheepswerven for the Holm Shipping Company of New Zealand.It was 485 gross tons, max speed 9 knots powered by four diesel engines....
  
   sinks near Timaru with the loss of 15 lives.

Arts and literature

• Ian Cross
  Ian Cross
  Ian Cross is a novelist, journalist and has contributed significantly to New Zealand letters. His first novel, The God Boy, was released in 1957 to critical acclaim. Other novels include The Backward Sex, After ANZAC Day and The Family Man.Cross has worked as a successful broadcaster on radio and...
  
   wins the first Robert Burns Fellowship
  Robert Burns Fellowship
  The Robert Burns Fellowship, established in 1958 as a bicentennial celebration, is claimed to be New Zealand's premier literary residency. The list of past fellows includes many of New Zealand's most notable writers....
  
  .

Film

Appointments and awards

• Archbishop of New Zealand
  Archbishop of New Zealand
  The Archbishop of New Zealand is the primate, or head, of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. However, since Whakahuihui Vercoe stepped down at the end of his two-year term as archbishop in 2006, the church has decided that three bishops shall share the position and style of...
  
  
• Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
  Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
  The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia is a church of the Anglican Communion serving New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands...
  
   , see appointments to Diocese

Athletics

Raymond Puckett wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:27:28.2 on 7 March in Palmerston North

Palmerston North

Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...

.

Chess

• The 66th National Chess Championship was held in Hamilton. The title was shared between F.A. Foulds and B.C. Menzies, both of Auckland.

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup
  New Zealand Trotting Cup
  The New Zealand Trotting Cup or New Zealand Cup is a Group One harness race held annually by the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is considered the country's most prestigious harness racing event. the prize was NZ$750,000, the largest prize for a...
  
  : False Step
  False Step
  False Step was a New Zealand Standardbred racehorse. He is notable in that he won three New Zealand Trotting Cupraces, the richest harness race, and sometimes the richest horse race in New Zealand...
  
   – 2nd win
• Auckland Trotting Cup
  Auckland Trotting Cup
  The Auckland Trotting Cup or Auckland Cup is a race held at Alexandra Park in March in Auckland, New Zealand for Standardbred horses. It is one of two major harness races, along with the New Zealand Cup, held in New Zealand each year. It is notable as it is a Group 1 championship race over...
  
  : Scottish Command

Rugby union

• The British Lions
  1959 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand
  In 1959 the British Lions rugby union team toured Australia and New Zealand. The Lions won the two test matches against but lost the international series against the All Blacks by three matches to one. They also played two matches in Canada, on the return leg of the journey.Although New Zealand...
  
   team toured New Zealand, losing the Test series 3-1. They also lost two of their 21 provincial games, to Canterbury and Otago.
  • 18 July, Carisbrook
    Carisbrook
    Carisbrook was a major sporting venue in Dunedin, New Zealand. The city's main domestic and international rugby union venue, it has also been used for other sports such as cricket, football, rugby league and motocross. Carisbrook has also hosted a Joe Cocker concert and frequently hosted pre-game...
    
    , Dunedin: New Zealand 18 – 17 British Isles
  • 15 August, Athletic Park
    Athletic Park (Wellington)
    Athletic Park was a well-known ground used mostly for rugby matches in Wellington, New Zealand. The ground was also the inaugural home of New Zealand's principal knockout football tournament, the Chatham Cup ....
    
    , Wellington: New Zealand 11 – 8 British Isles
  • 29 August, Lancaster Park, Christchurch: New Zealand 22 – 8 British Isles
  • 19 September, Eden Park
    Eden Park
    Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
    
    , Auckland: New Zealand 6 – 9 British Isles

Soccer

• The national mens team played one match against a visiting Costa Rica
  Costa Rica
  Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
  
  n club side:
  • 6 June, Auckland: NZ 3 – 2 Deportivo Saprissa
• The Chatham Cup
  Chatham Cup
  The Chatham Cup, currently known as the ASB Chatham Cup for sponsorship purposes, is New Zealand's premier knockout tournament in men's football...
  
   was won by Dunedin team Northern
  Northern (soccer)
  Northern AFC is a semi-professional association football club in North East Valley, Dunedin, New Zealand. They are currently competing in the ODT FootballSouth Premier League.The club is based at The Gardens Ground, North East Valley, Dunedin....
  
   who beat North Shore United 3-2 in the final.
• Provincial league champions:
  • Auckland: North Shore United
    North Shore United
    North Shore United is a semi-professional football club based in North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2.Their home ground, Allen Hill Stadium, is located in the suburb of Devonport.-History:...
    
    
  • Bay of Plenty: Kahukura
  • Buller: Denniston Hotspurs
  • Canterbury: Western
    Western A.F.C.
    Western A.F.C. is a semi-professional association football club in Christchurch, New Zealand. They compete in the Robbie's Premier Football League.-1913–1920:...
    
    
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier Athletic
  • Manawatu: Kiwi United
  • Marlborough: Woodbourne
  • Nelson: Rangers
  • Northland: Otangarei United
  • Otago: Northern AFC
  • Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
    Gisborne City
    Gisborne City FC is a soccer club in Gisborne, New Zealand who play in the eastern league 1st division. Their home ground is Childers Road. They have won the National League, Air New Zealand cup, and the Chatham Cup....
    
    
  • South Canterbury: West End
  • Southland: Rovers
  • Taranaki: Moturoa
  • Waikato: Hamilton Technical OB
  • Wairarapa: Douglas Villa
  • Wanganui: New Settlers
  • Wellington: Northern

Births

• 13 April: Justin Boyle
  Justin Boyle
  Justin Gregory Boyle is a former New Zealand cricketer who played for Wellington and Canterbury in the 1980s. He was born in Christchurch. He is the rector of St Bede's College, Christchurch.-References:...
  
   , cricketer.
• 8 May: Ingrid Jagersma
  Ingrid Jagersma
  Ingrid Catriena Petronella Jagersma is a former New Zealand cricketer. She played nine women's Test matches and 34 women's one-day internationals. Jagersma captained New Zealand in one ODI, which was won.-References:*...
  
  , cricketer.
• 9 May: Andrew Jones
  Andrew Jones (cricketer)
  Andrew Howard Jones is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in 39 Tests and 87 ODIs from 1987 to 1995. He played for three provinces during his domestic career: Central Districts Stags, Otago Volts and Wellington Firebirds....
  
   , cricketer.
• 16 May: Greg Johnston
  Greg Johnston (rower)
  Greg Johnston is a former New Zealand rower who won an Olympic Bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Johnston won Bronze in the coxed four along with George Keys, Ian Wright, Chris White and Andrew Bird...
  
  , rower.
• 26 May: Brett Austin
  Brett Austin
  Brett William Austin is a former breast swimmer from New Zealand, who represented his native country at 1984 Summer Olympics.-References:* *...
  
   , breaststroke swimmer.
• 28 May: Eric Verdonk
  Eric Verdonk
  Eric Verdonk is a former New Zealand rower who won an Olympic bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul in the single sculls. Verdonk almost repeated his bronze medal effort at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona finishing a very close fourth...
  
  , rower.
• 4 September: Robbie Deans
  Robbie Deans
  Robert Maxwell Deans is the current coach of the Wallabies and former All Black. He is the former coach of the Crusaders. He also served as assistant to former All Blacks coach John Mitchell between late 2001 and 2003...
  
   , rugby player and coach.
• 14 September: Brendon Bracewell
  Brendon Bracewell
  Brendon Paul Bracewell in Auckland. He is the younger brother of John Bracewell. He frequently suffered injuries throughout his playing career.Brendon also played rugby for King Country....
  
   , cricketer.
• 27 September: Mark Inglis
  Mark Inglis
  Mark Joseph Inglis is a mountaineer, researcher, winemaker and motivational speaker. He holds a degree in Human Biochemistry from Lincoln University, New Zealand, and has conducted research in Leukemia...
  
   , mountaineer.
• 3 November: Vaughan Brown
  Vaughan Brown
  Vaughan Raymond Brown is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in two Tests and three ODIs....
  
   , cricketer.
• 12 December: George Keys
  George Keys
  George Keys is a former New Zealand rower who won an Olympic Bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Keys won Bronze in the coxed four along with Ian Wright, Greg Johnston, Chris White and Andrew Bird...
  
  , rower.

• Jules Mikus , convicted murderer.
• Bianca van Rangelrooy
  Bianca van Rangelrooy
  Bianca van Rangelrooy is a New Zealand artist.Van Rangelrooy was born in Wellington, New Zealand and received her BFA from the University of Canterbury. Widely known for her public art in government buildings in New Zealand. Van Rangelrooy also works in environmental art, drawing, painting,...
  
   , artist.
• Harry Sinclair
  Harry Sinclair
  Harry Sinclair is a film director, writer, and actor. In his early career he was an actor and member of The Front Lawn, a musical theater duo. He went on to write and direct several short films, a TV series and three feature films.-Background:...
  
  , actor, filmmaker and musician.