The following lists events that happened during 1964 in New Zealand.
Population Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,617,000 Increase since 31 December 1963: 50,100 (1.95%) Males per 100 females: 100.8
Incumbents
Regal and viceregal Head of State – Elizabeth II Governor-General – Brigadier Sir Bernard Fergusson GCMG GCVO DSO OBE.Statistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
Government The 34th New Zealand Parliament commenced, with the second National Government in power.
Speaker of the House – Ronald Algie .Lambert & Palenski: The New Zealand Almanac, 1982. Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake Deputy Prime Minister – Jack Marshall. Minister of Finance – Harry Lake. Minister of Foreign Affairs – Keith Holyoake. Attorney-General – Ralph Hanan. Chief Justice — Sir Harold Barrowclough
Parliamentary opposition Leader of the Opposition – Walter Nash (Labour) until 31 March, then Arnold Nordmeyer (Labour).
Main centre leaders Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson Mayor of Hamilton – Denis Rogers Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts Mayor of Christchurch – George Manning Mayor of Dunedin – Stuart Sidey
Events
1 January – Massey University College of Manawatu becomes Massey University of Manawatu due to the Massey University of Manawatu Act 1963. 27 February – the Lyttelton road tunnel, at the time New Zealand's longest road tunnel, opens to traffic. 1 April – The Government unveils plans for the new executive wing of Parliament, demolishing Government House and constructing a "beehive"-shaped building in its place. May – The last electric tramway system of New Zealand closes. 30 May – The Marsden Point Oil Refinery opens. June – The New Zealand Army Detachment arrives in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. 21–27 June – The Beatles tour New Zealand. 28 August – Emergency number 111 is introduced in Christchurch. November – The Continental Shelf Act 1964 passes into law. 21 December – The last whale is caught for the whaling industry, off the Kaikōura coast, due to a low level of whales. Alexandra experiences record low rainfall with only falling in the town, the driest calendar year recorded in New Zealand (as of March 2023).
Arts and literature Maurice Gee wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
See 1964 in art, 1964 in literature
New books Washday at the Pa See :Category:1964 books
Music See 1964 in music 21–27 June: The Beatles tour New Zealand.
Radio and television Coronation Street was shown for the first time on New Zealand television on AKTV2 in the Auckland region on Thursday 14 May, running from 8.25 pm to 8.52 pm. As television was not then networked throughout New Zealand, Wellington (WNTV1), Christchurch (CHTV3) and Dunedin (DNTV2) followed in June and July; on Tuesday in Wellington and Christchurch and Thursday in Dunedin. Television licences reach 168,000. Broadcast relay stations at Mount Erin, Kuriwao Hill and Mount Hedgehope are commissioned, extending television coverage to Hawke's Bay, South Otago and Southland. A Māori broadcasting section of NZBC is established. NZBC begins plans for the Avalon studios. New Zealand Television Workshop awards: Best Factual: Focus Best Light Entertainment: Music Hall Best Documentary: The Distant Shore
See: 1964 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, :Category:Television in New Zealand, :Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand.
Film Runaway
See: :Category:1964 film awards, 1964 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :Category:1964 films
Sport
Athletics Peter Snell – Olympic Gold Medal, Men's 800 metres Peter Snell – Olympic Gold Medal, Men's 1500 metres John Davies – Olympic Bronze Medal, Men's 1500 metres Marise Chamberlain – Olympic Bronze Medal, Women's 800 metres Ray Puckett wins his fourth national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:17:38.6 on 7 March in Lower Hutt.
Chess The 71st National Chess Championship was held in Auckland, and was won by R.A. Court of Wellington.List of New Zealand Chess Champions
Cricket New Zealand cricket team Plunket Shield was won by Auckland (1963-1964 season)
Horse racing
Harness racing New Zealand Trotting Cup – Cairnbrae Auckland Trotting Cup – LordshipAuckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz
Lawn bowls The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin. Men's singles champion – Ron Buchan (Tui Park Bowling Club) Men's pair champions – W.D. Scott, G.P. Ogilvie (skip) (Cromwell Bowling Club) Men's fours champions – C.T. Bateman, J.M. Clarke, R.D. Barron, H. Deavoll (skip) (Sydenham Bowling Club)
Netball Silver Ferns
Olympic Games
Summer Olympics
Total 3 0 2 5 New Zealand sends a team of 64 competitors.
Winter Olympics New Zealand does not participate in the 1964 Winter Olympics.
Rugby league New Zealand national rugby league team Rugby League World Cup
Rugby Union :Category:All Blacks Bledisloe Cup: New Zealand beat Australia by 2 tests to 1 Ranfurly Shield: Taranaki was successful in all defences, with 8 wins and 1 draw.
Soccer The Chatham Cup is won by Mount Roskill who beat King Edward Technical College Old Boys 3–1 in the final.Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com Provincial league champions: Auckland: Blockhouse Bay Bay of Plenty: Kahukura Buller: Waimangaroa United Canterbury: Christchurch City Franklin: Papatoetoe Hawke's Bay: Napier Rovers Manawatu: Thistle Marlborough: Woodbourne Nelson: Rangers Northland: Otangarei United Otago: Northern Poverty Bay: Eastern Union South Canterbury: West End Southland: Invercargill Thistle Taranaki: Moturoa, Old Boys (shared) Waikato: Hamilton Wairarapa: YMCA Wanganui: Wanganui United Wellington: Diamond West Coast: Grey United
Yachting Helmer Pedersen, and Earle Wells – Olympic Gold Medal, Men's Flying Dutchman class
Births 10 February: John Campbell, broadcaster 22 February: Brad McGann, filmmaker (died 2007) 1 March: Anne Judkins, race walker 23 March: John Mitchell, rugby player and coach 7 April: Russell Crowe, actor 12 May: Matthew Palmer, legal academic 24 May: Aaron Craig, 27 May: Joel Hayward, strategic studies scholar and poet 6 June: Marise Wipani, actress 10 June: Andrew Niccol, film director Tony Martin, comedian. 12 June: Lorraine Downes, beauty queen 18 June: Simon Dallow, newsreader 19 June: Michael Kenny, heavyweight boxer 20 June: Steve Braunias, journalist July: Shayne Carter, musician 11 August: Grant Waite, golfer 27 August: Lynley Hannen, rower 3 October: Shane Cotton, painter 23 October: David Penfold, field hockey player 29 October: Anthony Mosse, swimmer. 3 November: Bryan Young, cricketer 5 December: Brent Todd, rugby league footballer 14 December: Rebecca Gibney, actress 16 December: John Kirwan, rugby footballer and coach 24 December: Nick Smith, politician Unknown: Martin Devlin, sports broadcaster Glenn Colquhoun, poet
Deaths 10 June : Harold Caro, Mayor of Hamilton. 12 December: John Norman Massey, MP and 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