1952 in New Zealand explained

The following lists events that happened during 1952 in New Zealand.

The population of New Zealand reaches 2 million.

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,024,600.^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1951: 54,100 (2.75%).
• Males per 100 females: 101.1.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – George VI followed by Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg^[2]

Government

The 30th 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 – Sidney Holland
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Clifton Webb
• Chief Justice — Sir Humphrey O'Leary

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Walter Nash (Labour).^[3]

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – John Allum
• Mayor of Hamilton – Harold David Caro
• Mayor of Wellington – Robert Macalister
• Mayor of Christchurch – Robert Macfarlane
• Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright

Events

February

• 6 February – George VI dies and is succeeded by Elizabeth II as Queen of New Zealand

December

Arts and literature

See 1952 in art, 1952 in literature,

Music

See: 1952 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

• Broken Barrier

See:, 1952 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand,

Sport

Athletics

• Jack Clarke wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:38:42 on 1 March in Wanganui.

Chess

• The 59th National Chess Championship was held in Napier, and was won by Ortvin Sarapu of Christchurch (his first title).^[4]

Cricket

Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Mobile Globe^[5]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Soangetaha (2nd win)^[6]

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin.^[7]

• Men's singles champion – Frank Livingstone (Onehunga Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – R.K. Aitchison, E. Ravenwood (skip) (North-East Valley Bowling Club)
• Men's fours champions – N.M. Johnston, W.J. Ashton, M.J. Squire, K.S. Ewing (skip) (Stratford Bowling Club)

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics

See main article: New Zealand at the 1952 Summer Olympics.

Winter Olympics

See main article: New Zealand at the 1952 Winter Olympics.

• New Zealand sends a team to the Winter Olympics for the first time.

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup was shared by the finalists North Shore United and Western (Christchurch) after the extra time score (1–1) and all criteria for deciding a winner at that time were equal.^[8]
• The national men's soccer team toured to the Pacific, playing 10 matches, 5 of which were internationals:^[9]
  • 31 August, Suva: NZ 1 – 0 Suva
  • 3 September, Suva: NZ 8 – 3 Southern Districts
  • 7 September, Suva: NZ 2 – 0 Fiji
  • 9 September, Lautoka: NZ 0 – 0 Lautoka
  • 11 September, Lautoka: NZ 5 – 0 Northern Districts
  • 14 September, Lautoka: NZ 9 – 0 Fiji
  • 16 September, Suva: NZ 5 – 2 Fiji
  • 21 September, Papeete: NZ 2 – 2 Tahiti
  • 25 September, Fautaua: NZ 7 – 1 Chinese Selection
  • 28 September, Papeete NZ 5 – 3 Tahiti
• Provincial league champions:^[10]
  • Auckland: Eastern Suburbs AFC
  • Canterbury: Technical OB
  • Hawke's Bay: West End
  • Manawatu: Palmerston North United
  • Nelson: Settlers
  • Northland: Otangarei United
  • Otago: Northern AFC
  • Poverty Bay: Thistle
  • South Canterbury: Thistle
  • Southland: Brigadiers
  • Taranaki: Overseas
  • Waikato: Pukemiro Junction
  • Wairarapa: Masterton B
  • Wanganui: Technical College Old Boys
  • Wellington: Petone

Births

• 12 January: John Walker, athlete.
• 4 February: Jenny Shipley Prime Minister.^[11]
• 14 February: Les Wilson, field hockey goalkeeper.
• Vincent Burke, NZ television producer.
• 19 March: Warren Lees, cricket player and coach.
• 22 March: Rod Millen, motor rally driver.
• 7 April: Alan Niven, songwriter, record producer, manager.
• 21 June: Jeremy Coney, cricket captain.
• 25 June: Tim Finn, singer, songwriter and musician.
• 20 July: Ian Ferguson, kayaker.
• 8 August: Sandra Lee-Vercoe, politician and diplomat.
• 2 September: Chris Knox, singer-songwriter.
• 8 September: Graham Mourie, rugby player.
• 14 September: Neil McLeod, field hockey player.
• 3 October: Gary Troup, cricketer.
• 20 October: Michael Houstoun, concert pianist.
• 31 December: Vaughan Jones, mathematician.
• John Badcock, painter.
• Sue Bradford, politician.
• Stevan Eldred-Grigg, writer and historian.
• (in England): David Fletcher, cartoonist.
• Tame Iti, activist.
• Linda Jones (jockey), thoroughbred horse racing jockey
• Sukhi Turner, Mayor of Dunedin.
• Marilyn Waring, feminist academic and politician.

Deaths

• 29 April: Adam Hamilton, politician.
• 1 May: Hon. Thomas Otto Bishop MLC, politician.
• 6 May: Sir Oswald Birley, painter (in England).
• 5 August:John Robertson, politician.
• 13 August: Frederick de Jersey Clere, architect.
• 20 August: Lionel Terry, convicted murderer, white supremacist.
• 24 August: Alexander Harris, politician
• 17 September Carl Axel Björk, whaler, goldminer and character.
• 12 October: Te Puea Herangi, Māori leader.
• 17 November: Ben Roberts, New Zealand Labour MP
• 22 November: Ted Morgan, New Zealand boxer.
• 27 November: Bill Parry, politician.

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

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. dmy-all.
4. http://www.poisonpawn.co.nz/nzcftitles.htm List of New Zealand Chess Champions
5. 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 . dmy-all .
6. http://www.hrnz.co.nz/data/major_races/major_race2.htm Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz
7. 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.
8. http://www.nzsoccer.com/page/chatham_cup_records.html Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com
9. http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZRepSoccer/id164.htm List of New Zealand national soccer matches
10. Web site: New Zealand: List of champions. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 1999.
11. Web site: Jennifer Shipley . Britannica Presents 100 Women Trailblazers . 28 July 2021 . en . 27 February 2020.