Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,631,200
Increase since 31/12/1940: -2400 (-0.15%)
Males per 100 females: 96.1
The scheduled census was not held due to World War II.
Regal and viceregal
Head of State - George VI
Governor-General - The Viscount Galway GCMG DSO OBE PC, succeeded same year by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Cyril Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM
The 26th New Zealand Parliament continued with the Labour Party in government. 1941 should have been an election year, but the election was deferred due to World War II.
Speaker of the House - Bill Barnard (Democratic Labour Party)
Prime Minister - Peter Fraser
Minister of Finance - Walter Nash
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Frank Langstone
Attorney-General - Rex Mason
Leader of the Opposition - Sidney Holland (National Party).
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland - Ernest Davis then John Allum
Mayor of Hamilton - Harold Caro
Mayor of Wellington - Thomas Hislop
Mayor of Christchurch - Robert M. Macfarlane then Ernest Andrews
Mayor of Dunedin - Andrew Allen
16 January: formation of the New Zealand Women's Auxiliary Air Force
March: 2NZEF deployed to northern Greece and were soon involved in the Battle of Greece.
24 April - 30 April: New Zealand forces evacuated from mainland Greece to Crete.
20 May - 1 June: Battle of Crete - New Zealand forces suffer heavy losses: 671 dead, 967 wounded, 2,180 captured. On the first day of the German invasion, Charles Upham wins the V.C
8 October: four police officers and three civilians are shot and killed at Kowhitirangi, near Hokitika, by Stanley Graham
7 December: Hawaii bombed in a surprise attack by Japanese carrier forces on the US Navy.
8 December: New Zealand declares war on Japan in response to Japanese attack on the United States.
10 December: British battlecruiser HMS Repulse and battleship HMS Prince of Wales sunk by Japanese torpedo planes, effectively taking Britain out of the sea war in the Pacific.
19 December: New Zealand suffers its worst naval loss when 150 New Zealanders on board the HMS Neptune are killed after the ship strikes mines and sinks off the coast of Libya.
Arts and literature
See 1941 in art, 1941 in literature, Category:1941 books
See: 1941 in music
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand
See: Category:1941 film awards, 1941 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1941 films
Most sporting events were on hold due to the war.
The 50th National Chess Championship was held in Timaru, and was won by P. Allerhand of Wellington.
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Josedale Grattan
Auckland Trotting Cup: Uenuku
Category:Rugby union in New Zealand, Category:All Blacks
Ranfurly Shield
New Zealand national rugby league team
Chatham Cup competition not held
Provincial league champions: Auckland: Comrade
Canterbury: Western
Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
Nelson: No competition
Otago: Mosgiel
South Canterbury: No competition
Southland: No competition
Waikato: No competition
Wanganui: No competition
Wellington: Seatoun
5 January: Bob Cunis, cricketer.
3 February: Gary Bartlett, cricketer.
12 February: Ross Morgan, cricketer.
12 February: Bruno Lawrence, actor.
26 February: Keith Thomson, cricketer.
7 May: Grahame Bilby, cricketer.
20 July: Pita Sharples, academic and politician.
12 September: Doug Kidd, politician.
29 October: Bryan Yuile, cricketer.
7 November: Jim Sutton, politician.
Chin Wing Ho (Peter Chin), mayor of Dunedin.
Gary Day, actor.
Roderick Deane, economist, public sector reformer, and businessman.
Lynley Dodd, children's author.
Malcolm Douglas, politician.
Alan "A. K." Grant, writer, humourist.
Bob Harvey, mayor of Waitakere City.
Allan Hawkey, cartoonist.
(in England): Bernard Holman, artist.
Maurice McTigue, politician and diplomat.
Owen Marshall, writer (Owen Marshall Jones).
Jenny McLeod, composer and musician.
Ian Mune, actor and director.
Ian Peters, politician.
Category:1941 births
26 May: William John Lyon, Labour MP, killed serving with 2NZEF on Crete.
27 July: Alfred Henry O'Keeffe, painter.
4 October: George Troup, architect.
20 October: Stanley Graham, murderer (shot by police).
1 November: Gordon Hultquist, Labour MP, killed serving with 2NZEF in North Africa.
28 November: John Manchester Allen, National MP, killed serving with 2NZEF in Libya.
29 November: Arthur Nattle Grigg, National MP, killed serving with 2NZEF in Libya.
Albert Glover, politician.
Sir James Parr, politician.
Category:1941 deaths
