1939 in New Zealand explained

The following lists events that happened during 1939 in New Zealand.

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,641,600.^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1938: 23,300 (1.44%).
• Males per 100 females: 103.0.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of state – George VI
• Governor-General – The Viscount Galway GCMG DSO OBE PC^[2]

Government

The 26th New Zealand Parliament continued with the Labour Party in government.

• Speaker of the House – Bill Barnard (Labour Party)
• Prime Minister – Michael Joseph Savage
• Minister of Finance – Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Michael Joseph Savage
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason
• Chief Justice – Sir Michael Myers

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Adam Hamilton (National Party).^[3]

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Ernest Davis
• Mayor of Wellington – Thomas Hislop
• Mayor of Christchurch – Robert Macfarlane
• Mayor of Dunedin – Andrew Henson Allen

Events

• 29 January: (Sunday) Opening of St Peter's College, Auckland by Bishop J M Liston.
• 20 March: William Snodgrass, a New Zealand politician, disappeared from the interisland ferry Arahura while travelling overnight from Wellington to Nelson.^[4]
• 3 September (backdated to 9.30 pm): New Zealand declares war on Germany at the same time as Britain (though delayed until confirmation by the Admiralty message to the fleet).^[5]
• 31 October: The Strongman coal mine in Nine Mile Valley near Greymouth is officially opened by Minister of Mines, Paddy Webb.^[6]
• 8 November: New Zealand Centennial Exhibition opened in Kilbirnie, Wellington
• 13 December: New Zealand warship HMS Achilles fought in the Battle of the River Plate against German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee.
• 17 December: The Graf Spee is scuttled off Montevideo harbour.
• The Poverty Bay Herald changes its name to The Gisborne Herald,^[7] which continues to publish .

Arts and literature

See 1939 in art, 1939 in literature

Music

See: 1939 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See:, 1939 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand,

Sport

Athletics

• Clarrie Gibbons wins the national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:44:56.2 on 11 March 1939 in Napier.

Basketball

A second interprovincial championship is held even though there is still no national association.^[8] (see 1938 and 1946)

• Interpovincial Champions: Men – Wellington

Chess

• The 48th National Chess Championship was held in Wanganui, and was won by John Dunlop of Dunedin (his 5th title).^[9]

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Lucky Jack (2nd win)^[10]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Marlene^[11]

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Auckland.^[12]

• Men's singles champion – W.C. Franks (Balmoral Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – J. Anchor, W.J. Robinson (skip) (Hamilton Bowling Club)
• Men's fours champions – C.F. Robertson, H. Franks, J.F. Benson, W.C. Franks (skip) (Balmoral Bowling Club)

Rugby union

,

• Ranfurly Shield

Rugby league

New Zealand national rugby league team

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Waterside of Wellington who beat Western of Christchurch 4–2 in the final.^[13]
• Provincial league champions:^[14]
  • Auckland: Ponsonby AFC
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier Utd
  • Nelson: YMCA
  • Otago: Mosgiel
  • South Canterbury: Old Boys
  • Southland: Mataura
  • Waikato: Rotowaro
  • Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
  • Wellington: Petone Football Club

Births

• 20 January: Ken Comber, politician. (died 1998)
• 27 February: Don McKinnon, deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Commonwealth Secretary-General.
• 10 April (in England): Michael Cox, politician.
• 24 April: Fergie McCormick, rugby union player. (died 2018)
• 16 September: Tony Davies, rugby union player. (died 2008)
• 23 September: Hugh Williams, High Court judge.
• 23 September: Pauline Stansfield, disability advocate. (died 2022)
• 25 September: David Walter, mayor of Stratford. (died 2020)
• 4 October: Ivan Mauger, motorcycle speedway champion. (died 2018)
• 29 October: Michael Smither, painter.
• 18 October: Peter Brown, politician.
• 24 November: Bob Jones, businessman.
• 27 December: Hugo Judd, diplomat and public servant (died 2017)
• Raymond Ching, painter.
• Philip Temple, writer.

Deaths

• 16 March: George Mitchell, soldier and politician.
• 25 March: Annie Cleland Millar, businesswoman.
• 26 April: Ted Howard, politician.
• 26 July: Thomas William "Torpedo Billy" Murphy, boxer.^[15]
• 17 July: Paddy the Wanderer, a dog in Wellington.^[16]
• 27 July: Malcolm Champion, swimmer.
• 23 August: Robin Hyde, writer.
• 18 September: T. W. Ratana, prophet.
• 3 November: David McLaren, politician.

See also

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: Historical population estimates tables . https://web.archive.org/web/20171231000952/http://archive.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/population/estimates_and_projections/historical-population-tables.aspx . 31 December 2017 . Statistics New Zealand.
2. Statistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
3. Web site: Elections NZ – Leaders of the Opposition. 6 April 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081017200326/http://www1.elections.org.nz/democracy/leaders-opposition.html. 17 October 2008. dead.
4. News: Lost Overboard. 20 November 2018. 22 March 1939. The New Zealand Herald – archived at PapersPast – paperspast.co.nz.
5. Book: Hensley, Gerald . Beyond the Battlefield: New Zealand and its Allies 1939–45 . 2009 . Penguin/Viking . Auckland . 9780670074044 . 20 .
6. Web site: Solid Energy New Zealand Ltd : Premium Export Coal : Export Coals of New Zealand : New Zealand Coal Mining . 15 May 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928045446/http://www.solidenergy.co.nz/ab-press-details.asp?id=58 . 28 September 2007 . dead .
7. Web site: Poverty Bay Herald . National Library of New Zealand . 21 September 2008.
8. Todd, S. (1976) Sporting Records of New Zealand. Auckland: Moa Publications.
9. http://www.poisonpawn.co.nz/nzcftitles.htm List of New Zealand Chess Champions
10. Web site: List of NZ Trotting cup winners . 6 May 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120222233106/http://www.hrnz.co.nz/data/major_races/nz_trotting_cup.htm . 22 February 2012 . dead .
11. http://www.hrnz.co.nz/data/major_races/major_race2.htm Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz
12. Book: McLintock . A.H. . Alexander Hare McLintock . Bowls, men's outdoor—tournament winners . An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . 6 June 2018 . 1966 . Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
13. http://www.nzsoccer.com/page/chatham_cup_records.html Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com
14. Web site: New Zealand: List of champions. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 1999.
15. http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php/Torpedo_Billy_Murphy Torpedo Billy Murphy – Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia
16. News: 17 July 1939 . Paddy the Wanderer, a dog well known on the Wellington wharves... . 15 December 2010 . The Evening Post.