1944 in New Zealand

1944 in New Zealand

Other years in New Zealand

1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1944 (1944) • 1945 • 1946 • 1947

Population

• Estimated Population as of 31 December: 1,676,300 ^[1]
• Increase since 31/12/1943: 34,300 (2.09%)
• Males per 100 Females: 94.3

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

• Head of State - George VI
• Governor-General - Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Cyril Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM ^[2]

Government

The 27th New Zealand Parliament commenced, with the Labour Party in government.

• Speaker of the House - Frederick Schramm (Labour)
• Prime Minister - Peter Fraser
• Minister of Finance - Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - Peter Fraser
• Attorney-General - Rex Mason

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 - Thomas Hislop then William Appleton
• Mayor of Christchurch - Ernest Andrews
• Mayor of Dunedin - Andrew Allen then Donald Cameron

Events

• 21 January: New Zealand and Australia sign the Canberra Pact in which they agree to cooperate on international affairs.^[4]
• 15 March: New Zealand General Freyberg orders the destruction of the monastery at Cassino using 775 aircraft, 1250 tons of bombs, and 200,000 shells. At the end of the battle, New Zealand has lost 1050 men, one of the worst days in its history.

Arts and literature

See 1944 in art, 1944 in literature, Category:1944 books

Music

See: 1944 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: Category:1944 film awards, 1944 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1944 films

Appointments and awards

See: New Zealand Order of Merit, Order of New Zealand

• Archbishop of New Zealand
• Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, see appointments to Diocese

Sport

Archery

National Champions (Postal Shoot)^[5]

• Open: W. Burton (Gisborne)
• Women: R. Mitchell (Dunedin)

Chess

• The 51st National Chess Championship was held in Wellington, and was won by R.G. Wade of Wellington.^[6]

Cricket

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Bronze Eagle ^[7]
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Betty Boop ^[8]

Thoroughbred racing

Rugby union

• Ranfurly Shield

Rugby league

New Zealand national rugby league team

Soccer

• Chatham Cup competition not held
• Provincial league champions: ^[9]
  • Auckland: Metro College
  • Canterbury: Thistle
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
  • Nelson: No competition
  • Otago: Mosgiel
  • South Canterbury: No competition
  • Southland: No competition
  • Taranaki: Old Boys
  • Waikato: Rotowaro
  • Wanganui: No competition
  • Wellington: Waterside

Births

• 7 February: Witi Ihimaera, author
• 6 March: Kiri Te Kanawa, opera singer
• 8 April: Tariana Turia, politician
• 12 May: Barry Barclay, filmmaker
• 16 June: Robin Morrison, photographer
• 17 July: Mark Burgess, cricketer
• 22 July: Anand Satyanand, Judge, Ombudsman and 19th Governor-General of New Zealand
• 29 July: Terrence Jarvis, cricketer
• August 26: Neroli Fairhall, archer (d. 2006)
• 30 August: Alex Wyllie, rugby union player and coach
• 10 November: Andy Leslie, rugby union player and administrator
• 18 November: David O'Sullivan, cricketer

• Jack Body, composer
• Philip Culbertson, theologian
• (in Ireland): Bert Hawthorne, motor racing driver
• Keith Locke, environmentalist and politician
• Brian Turner, sportsman and writer
• John Wood, diplomat
• Philip Woollaston, politician

Category:1944 births

Deaths

• 12 August: James Hargest, National MP, killed while serving with NZ Army as observer with British forces in Normandy.
• 30 October: Haami Tokouru Ratana, politician and Ratana church leader.

• John Cobbe, politician.
• Henry Holland, mayor of Christchurch.
• John Andrew MacPherson, politician.
• Thomas William Rhodes, politician.

Category:1944 deaths

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

For world events and topics in 1944 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1944

References

External links

Media related to 1944 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons