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. 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 VC, CGMG, KCB, Three Bars, KStJStatistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52 followed by Lieutenant-General The Lord Norrie GCMG GCVO CB DSO MC
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).
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
January
February 6 February – George VI dies and is succeeded by Elizabeth II as Queen of New Zealand
March
April
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Arts and literature
See 1952 in art, 1952 in literature, :Category:1952 books
Music
See: 1952 in music
Radio
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand
Film Broken Barrier
See: :Category:1952 film awards, 1952 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :Category:1952 films
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).List of New Zealand Chess Champions
Cricket Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team
Horse racing
Harness racing New Zealand Trotting Cup – Mobile Globe Auckland Trotting Cup – Soangetaha (2nd win)Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz
Lawn bowls The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin. 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
Total 1 0 2 3
Winter Olympics
Total 0 0 0 0 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.Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com The national men's soccer team toured to the Pacific, playing 10 matches, 5 of which were internationals:List of New Zealand national soccer matches 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: 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. 20 January: Carla van Zon, artistic director. (died 2026) 4 February: Jenny Shipley Prime Minister. 14 February: Les Wilson, field hockey goalkeeper. Vincent Burke, NZ television producer. (died 2022) 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. (died 2020) 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
References
External links