Population

• Estimated Population as of 31 December: 2,515,800
• Increase since 31 December 1961: 54,500 (2.21%)
• 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...
  
  , followed by Brigadier Sir Bernard Fergusson
  Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae
  Bernard Edward Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae, KT, GCMG, GCVO, DSO, OBE was a brigadier in the British Army, military historian and the last British-born Governor-General of New Zealand.- Military service :...
  
  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....
  
   GCVO
  Royal Victorian Order
  The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
  
   DSO
  Distinguished Service Order
  The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
  
   OBE
  Order of the British Empire
  The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
  
  .

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...
  
   – Ronald Algie
  Ronald Algie
  Sir Ronald Macmillan Algie was a New Zealand politician who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives for six years in the 1960s. He described himself as "a Tory in the old tradition".-Early life:...
  
  .
• 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...
  
   – 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...
  
  
• 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....
  
   – Jack Marshall
  Jack Marshall
  Sir John Ross Marshall, GBE, CH, , generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. After spending twelve years as Deputy Prime Minister, he served as the 28th Prime Minister for most of 1972....
  
  .
• 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....
  
   – Harry Lake
  Harry Lake
  Harry Robson Lake , a New Zealand politician, served as Minister of Finance for six years in the second National government, in the 1960s...
  
  .
• 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...
  
   – 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...
  
  .
• 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...
  
   – Ralph Hanan
  Ralph Hanan
  Josiah Ralph Hanan known as Ralph Hanan was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Invercargill electorate in Parliament from 1946 to 1969, and was a son of Josiah Hanan who had previously held the seat...
  
  .

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...
  
   – 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...
  
  (Labour
  New Zealand Labour Party
  The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
  
  )

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...
  
   – 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....
  
   – 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 (politician)
  Sir George Manning CMG was Mayor of Christchurch from 1958 to October 1968, when he retired. He served a total of 34 years on the Christchurch City Council.-Early life:...
  
  
• 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....
  
   – 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....
  
  

August

• 11 August: New Zealand Railways
  New Zealand Railways Department
  The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
  
  's Cook Strait ferry service
  Interislander
  The Interislander is a road and rail ferry service across New Zealand's Cook Strait, owned and operated by state-owned rail operator KiwiRail.The Interislander travels between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island, forming a road and rail link between New Zealand's two main...
  
   begins, using the ship GMV Aramoana
  Aramoana (ferry)
  Government Motor Vessel Aramoana was a roll-on roll-off train ferry operating across the Cook Strait between 1962 and 1983.-History:...
  
  

Arts and literature

• R.A.K. Mason  wins the 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....
  
  .

Radio and Television

• New Zealand Broadcasting Service (NZBS) is restructured on 1 April to form New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation
  New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation
  The New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation was established by the New Zealand government in 1962. It was dissolved on 1 April 1975, and replaced by three separate organisations: Radio New Zealand, Television One, and Television Two, later known as South Pacific Television....
  
  .
• An outside broadcast van is in use in Auckland, and similar vans are ordered for Wellington and Christchurch.
• Dunedin gets a television service on 1 July.
• There are 23,343 licenced television sets in New Zealand.

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

• 27 January: Peter Snell
  Peter Snell
  Sir Peter George Snell, KNZM, MBE is a former New Zealand athlete, now resident in Texas, United States. He had one of the shortest careers of world famous international sportsmen, yet achieved so much that he was voted New Zealand’s "Sports Champion of the Century"...
  
   sets a new world record for the mile
  World record progression for the mile run
  The world record in the mile run is the best mark set by a male or female runner in the middle-distance track and field event. The IAAF is the official body which oversees the records. Hicham El Guerrouj is the current men's record holder with his time of 3:43.13 minutes, while Svetlana Masterkova...
  
   of 3m 54.4s, running at Cook's Gardens, Wanganui
  Wanganui
  Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
  
  .
• Barry Magee
  Barry Magee
  Arthur Barry Magee is a former New Zealand athlete who mainly competed in the marathon....
  
   wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:24:55.4 in Auckland
  Auckland
  The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
  
  .

Chess

• The 69th National Chess Championship was held in Auckland, and was won by G.G. Haase of Dunedin.

Harness racing

• Lordship
  Lordship (horse)
  Lordship was New Zealand–bred Standardbred pacer. He is notable in that he won two New Zealand Trotting Cup races, the richest harness race, and sometimes the richest horse race in New Zealand...
  
   defeats Cardigan Bay
  Cardigan Bay (horse)
  Cardigan Bay was a New Zealand Harness racing horse foaled 1 September 1956. Affectionately known as "Cardy", he was the first Standardbred to win US$1 million in prize money in North America. He was the ninth horse worldwide to win one million dollars,...
  
   to win the rain affected 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...
  
  
• 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...
  
  : Dandy Briar

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup
  1962 Chatham Cup
  The 1962 Chatham Cup was the 35th annual nationwide knockout football competition in New Zealand.The competition was run on a regional basis, with regional associations each holding separate qualifying rounds. Other teams known to have taken part in the final rounds included North Shore United,...
  
   is won by Hamilton Technical Old Boys who beat 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....
  
   of Dunedin 4—1 in the final.
• Provincial league champions:
  • Auckland: Eastern Suburbs AFC
    Eastern Suburbs AFC
    Eastern Suburbs is a semi-professional association football club in Kohimarama, New Zealand. They compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1.-Club history:...
    
    
  • Bay of Plenty: Rangers
  • Buller: Waimangaroa Utd
  • 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:...
    
    
  • Franklin: Manurewa AFC
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier Rovers
    Napier City Rovers
    Napier City Rovers are an association football team based in Napier, New Zealand. They are currently competing in the Central Premier League.-Club history:The team was founded in 1973 via a merger of Napier Rovers and Napier City....
    
    
  • Manawatu: Thistle
  • 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: Thistle
  • Southland: Invercargill Thistle
  • Taranaki: Moturoa
  • Waikato: Hamilton Technical OB
  • Wairarapa: Lansdowne United
  • Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
  • Wellington: Northern
  • West Coast: Runanga
• The inaugural Rothmans Cup was played between the champion clubs from Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago as a de-facto national championship. The final was won by Northern AFC of Dunedin 3-2 on aggregate.

Births

• 12 January (in England): Terry Wiles
  Terry Wiles
  Terrence 'Terry' Wiles was one of the most disabled thalidomide babies born in the UK. He has since become known internationally through the television drama On Giant's Shoulders and the best-selling book of the same name....
  
  , thalidomide survivor.
• 4 February: Frank Bunce
  Frank Bunce
  Frank Eneri Bunce is a retired New Zealand rugby union player and current coach. He played international rugby for both Western Samoa and New Zealand in the 1990s, appearing in the 1991 and 1995 World Cups...
  
  , rugby union player.
• 17 February: Tony Blain
  Tony Blain
  Tony Elston Blain was an understudy to Ian Smith and Adam Parore, he played in 11 Tests and 38 One Day Internationals for New Zealand, after retiring from the game he went from coaching to a commentator....
  
  , cricketer.
• 1 March: Russell Coutts
  Russell Coutts
  Sir Russell Coutts, KNZM, CBE is a competitive sailor. His achievements include a Gold medal in the Finn Class in the 1984 Olympic Games, winning the America's Cup four times, the ISAF World Youth championships, three World Match Racing Championships, numerous international match race wins and...
  
  , yachtsman.
• 4 March: John Young
  John Young (composer)
  John Young is an electroacoustic music composer born March 4, 1962 in Christchurch, New Zealand, and currently living in Leicester, UK.He studied at the University of Canterbury, completing a doctorate on the manipulation of environmental sound sources in electroacoustic music...
  
  , composer.
• 15 March: Trevor Franklin
  Trevor Franklin
  Trevor John Franklin has played 21 Tests and three One Day Internationals for New Zealand. He also play for Auckland cricket association...
  
  , cricketer.
• 6 June: Grant Fox
  Grant Fox
  Grant James Fox is a former rugby union player from New Zealand. He was born in New Plymouth. He attended Auckland Grammar school....
  
  , rugby player.
• 8 June: John Cutler
  John Cutler (yachtsman)
  John Cutler is a competitive sailor for New Zealand who won a bronze medal in the Finn Class at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. He was also selected for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and was a sailing coach for the New Zealand team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta...
  
  , yachtsman.
• 22 July: Rena Owen
  Rena Owen
  Rena Owen is a New Zealand actress in film, theatre and television. She is of Maori, Torres Strait Islander and Pakeha descent. Owen is most well known in the lead role of Beth in the cult classic movie Once Were Warriors directed by Lee Tamahori...
  
  , actress.
• 5 August: Richard de Groen
  Richard de Groen
  Richard Paul de Groen played five Tests and 12 One Day Internationals for New Zealand....
  
  , cricketer.
• 13 September: Brian Fowler
  Brian Fowler
  For the British polo player and Olympian, see Bryan Fowler.Brian Andrew Fowler is a retired cyclist from New Zealand, who represented his native country at four consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1984. He collected four medals at four consecutive Commonwealth Games during his career...
  
  , cyclist.
• 21 September: Kelly Evernden
  Kelly Evernden
  Kelly Graeme Evernden is a former professional tennis player from New Zealand.Evernden turned professional in 1985 and won his first tour doubles title in 1986 at Cologne. His first top-level singles title came in 1987 at Bristol...
  
  , tennis player.
• 22 September: Martin Crowe
  Martin Crowe
  Martin David Crowe is a former New Zealand cricketer. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985, and was credited as one of the "best young batsmen in the world". Crowe represented New Zealand from the early 1980s until his retirement in 1996 as a right-handed batsman...
  
  , cricketer.
• 27 September: Gavin Larsen
  Gavin Larsen
  Gavin Rolf Larsen is a former New Zealand cricketer who specialised in the art of economical bowling. He was known playfully by his team mates as "The Postman", as mentioned in Danny Morrison's biography, Mad As I Wanna Be...
  
  , cricketer.
• 9 October: Paul Radisich
  Paul Radisich
  Paul Radisich is a New Zealand racing driver of Croat origin. He has competed in saloon cars for many years - both European-style tourers and the V8 Supercars of Australia and New Zealand.-Early years:...
  
  , racing driver.
• 12 October: Mark S. Olsen
  Mark S. Olsen
  Mark Olsen is an expressive portrait artist.Mark Olsen paintings often contain quirky characters, with emphasis on textures and contours....
  
  , painter.
• 7 November: Debbie Hockley
  Debbie Hockley
  Deborah "Debbie" Ann Hockley is a former New Zealand cricketer. Hockley played in 19 women's Test matches, making a high score of 126 not out and averaging 52.04. Hockley captained New Zealand in six Tests, drawing them all. In women's one-day internationals, Hockley averaged 41.89 in her 118 games...
  
  , cricketer.
• 29 December: Wynton Rufer
  Wynton Rufer
  Wynton Alan Whai Rufer, CNZM, , is a retired New Zealand footballer, who played as a striker. He spent most of his professional career in Germany with Werder Bremen, winning a total of six titles. He also appeared for the New Zealand national team in its first FIFA World Cup participation, in 1982...
  
  , soccer player.

• Tim Chadwick
  Tim Chadwick
  Tim Chadwick was a New Zealand artist, motoring enthusuast and author. His mixed media paintings have been exhibited at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, the Manawatu Art Gallery in Palmerston North, and dealer galleries in Auckland and Wellington, as well as at the Lincoln Center,...
  
  , artist and writer.
• Jon Stevens
  Jon Stevens
  Jon Stevens is a New Zealand-born singer of Maori descent, now an Australian citizen. Stevens is the brother of New Zealand Idol judge Frankie Stevens....
  
  , singer.