1948 in New Zealand explained

The following lists events that happened during 1948 in New Zealand.

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,853,900.^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1947: 36,400 (2.00%).
• Males per 100 females: 100.5.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – George VI
• Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg VC GCMG KCB KBE DSO^[2]

Government

The 28th New Zealand Parliament continued, with the Labour Party in government.

• Speaker of the House – Robert McKeen (Labour)
• Prime Minister – Peter Fraser
• Minister of Finance – Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Peter Fraser
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason
• Chief Justice – Sir Humphrey O'Leary

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Sidney Holland (National Party).^[3]

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – John Allum
• Mayor of Hamilton – Harold Caro
• Mayor of Wellington – Will Appleton
• Mayor of Christchurch – Ernest Andrews
• Mayor of Dunedin – Donald Cameron

Events

• 31 May – Tea rationing, introduced in June 1942, is abolished.^{[4] [5]}
• 27 August – Sugar rationing, introduced in April 1942, is abolished.^[6]
• 6 September – New Zealand citizenship is established. Before this date, New Zealand residents were British citizens or subjects.^[7]
• 27 September – Meat rationing, introduced in March 1944, is abolished. Butter remains the sole food product still under rationing.^{[8] [9] [10]}
• 20 November – Two takahē are discovered after being declared extinct for 50 years.^[11]
• The Marlborough Press, which was founded in 1860, is taken over by The Marlborough Express.^[12]
• Italy establishes a consulate in Wellington.^[13]

Arts and literature

See 1948 in art, 1948 in literature

Music

See: 1948 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See:, 1948 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand,

Sport

Archery

The national championships are held at a single venue for the first time replacing the previous postal shoot.^{[14] [15]}

National Champions

• Open Men – H. Butel (Dunedin)
• Open Women – Doreen Johnston (Dunedin)

Athletics

• Jack Clarke wins the national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:44:06 in Dunedin.

Basketball

• Interpovincial Champions: Men – Palmerston North
• Interpovincial Champions: Women – Palmerston North

Chess

• The 55th National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by R.G. Wade of Wellington (his 3rd win).^[16]

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Highland Fling (2nd win)^[17]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Captain Sandy^[18]

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin.^[19]

• Men's singles champion – S. Marriott (Opawa Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – M.A. Marinovich, S. Garelja (skip) (Oratia Bowling Club)
• Men's fours champions – J.W.T. Macklow, Frank Livingstone, Alec Robertson, J.H. Mingins (skip) (Onehunga Bowling Club)

Olympic Games

See main article: New Zealand at the 1948 Summer Olympics.

• New Zealand is represented by seven competitors in athletics, boxing, cycling, swimming and weightlifting. There are no medal successes.

Rugby union

,

• Ranfurly Shield

Rugby league

New Zealand national rugby league team

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Technical Old Boys of Christchurch who beat Waterside of Wellington 2–0 in the final.^[20]
• An Australian side toured New Zealand, playing four internationals:^[21]
  • 14 August, Wellington: NZ 0–6 Australia
  • 28 August, Christchurch: NZ 0–7 Australia
  • 4 September, Wellington: NZ 0–4 Australia
  • 11 September, Auckland: NZ 1–8 Australia
• Provincial league champions:^[22]
  • Auckland: Eastern Suburbs
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
  • Nelson: Nelson United
  • Otago: Mosgiel
  • South Canterbury: Fisherman
  • Southland: Invercargill United
  • Taranaki: Stratford
  • Waikato: Rotowaro
  • Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
  • Wellington: Waterside

Births

• 6 January: Dayle Hadlee, cricketer.^[23]
• 16 January: Dalvanius Prime, entertainer.^[24]
• 17 January: Billy T. James, comedian.
• 7 February: Richard Prebble, politician.^[25]
• 27 February: Michael Baigent, author and conspiracy theorist.^[26]
• 2 April (in Scotland): Sam Malcolmson, soccer player.^[27]
• 25 May: Mac Price, diplomat.^[28]
• 3 July: Richard Worth, politician.
• 22 July: Kevin Ryan, long-distance runner.
• 29 July: John Clarke, actor, best known in New Zealand for Fred Dagg.
• 6 September: Kevin Towns, field hockey player and coach.
• 1 October: Peter Blake, yachtsman.
• 2 October: Robert Anderson, cricketer.
• 24 October: Ray Ahipene-Mercer, musician, politician.
• 4 November: Alexis Hunter, painter.
• 13 November: Lockwood Smith, politician.
• 15 November: David Caygill, politician.
• Sue Kedgley, politician.
• Bruce Lynch, musician.
• Grahame Sydney, painter.
• Sue Wood, politician.

Deaths

• 16 May: John Gordon Eliott, former Reform MP
• 16 June: Lavinia Jane Kelsey, kindergarten founder and teacher
• 25 September: George Davidson, olympic sprinter.^[29]
• 9 October: Edmund Anscombe, architect.^[30]
• 20 December: Fanny Irvine-Smith, teacher and writer
• 21 December: Fred Bartram, former Labour MP

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

For world events and topics in 1948 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1948

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. Web site: Tea and Sugar – War Economy – NZETC. nzetc.victoria.ac.nz.
5. News: 22 May 1948 . Tea Rationing Ends May 31 . 3 . .
6. News: 24 August 1948 . SUGAR RATIONING TO END AFTER THIS WEEK . 4 . .
7. Web site: New Zealand citizenship established . 2024-04-11 . nzhistory.govt.nz . en.
8. Web site: Rationing of New Zealand-Grown Foods – NZETC. nzetc.victoria.ac.nz.
9. http://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/num_reg/mrro1948300/ Meat Rationing Revocation Order 1948
10. News: 27 September 1948 . MEAT RATIONING ENDS - BUTTER RESTRICTIONS TO CONTINUE - ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR NORDMEYER . 6 . .
11. Web site: 2016-09-28 . Takahē - back from the brink . 2024-04-29 . RNZ . en-nz.
12. News: Marlborough Express. National Library of New Zealand. 4 June 2008 .
13. Web site: New Zealand and Italy. NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 26 August 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100818215140/http://www.nzembassy.com/italy/relationship-between-new-zealand-and-italy/new-zealand-and-italy. 18 August 2010 . live.
14. In a postal shoot clubs compete on specified dates and the results are posted to the Association.
15. Todd, S. (1976) Sporting Records of New Zealand. Auckland: Moa Publications.
16. http://www.poisonpawn.co.nz/nzcftitles.htm List of New Zealand Chess Champions
17. http://www.hrnz.co.nz/data/major_races/nz_trotting_cup.htm List of NZ Trotting cup winners
18. http://www.hrnz.co.nz/data/major_races/major_race2.htm Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz
19. 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.
20. http://www.nzsoccer.com/page/chatham_cup_records.html Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com
21. http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZRepSoccer/id164.htm List of New Zealand national soccer matches
22. Web site: New Zealand: List of champions. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 1999. 13 May 2009 .
23. http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/37222.html ESPN Cricinfo – Dayle Hadlee
24. http://www.discogs.com/artist/Dalvanius?noanv=1 Dalvanius Prime – Discogs
25. https://web.archive.org/web/20110724195427/http://www.taupolibrary.govt.nz/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1299C344P9500.65449&profile=taupo&source=~%21horizon&view=subscriptionsummary&uri=full%3D3100001~%21126606~%213&ri=1&aspect=subtab106&menu=search&ipp=20&spp=20&staffonly=&term=Prebble%2C%2BRichard%2C%2B%2B1948-&index=PZAUTH&uindex=&aspect=subtab106&menu=search&ri=1 Richard Prebble
26. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/may/17/danbrown.maevkennedy The Guardian interview with Michael Baigent
27. https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=53488/index.html FIFA record for Sam Malcolmson
28. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2003/1/9/nation/cmnz&sec=nation Macalister Price obituary
29. Web site: GEORGE DAVIDSON – OLYMPIAN . Jay Venables . 25 September 2021.
30. http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=4A17 DNZB