Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,676,300 Increase since 31/12/1943: 34,300 (2.09%)Males per 100 females: 94.3Regal and viceregal
Head of State - George VIGovernor-General - Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Cyril Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM The 27th New Zealand Parliament commenced, with the Labour Party in government.
Speaker of the House - Frederick Schramm (Labour)Prime Minister - Peter FraserMinister of Finance - Walter NashMinister of Foreign Affairs - Peter FraserAttorney-General - Rex MasonLeader of the Opposition - Sidney Holland (National Party).Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland - John AllumMayor of Hamilton - Harold CaroMayor of Wellington - Thomas Hislop then Will AppletonMayor of Christchurch - Ernest AndrewsMayor of Dunedin - Andrew Allen then Donald Cameron21 January: New Zealand and Australia sign the Canberra Pact in which they agree to cooperate on international affairs.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.31 October: Refugees from Eastern Poland, 800 including 734 orphaned children, arrive in New Zealand via Siberia & Iran.Arts and literature
See 1944 in art, 1944 in literature, Category:1944 books
See: 1944 in music
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand
See: Category:1944 film awards, 1944 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1944 films
National Champions (Postal Shoot)
Open: W. Burton (Gisborne)Women: R. Mitchell (Dunedin)The 51st National Chess Championship was held in Wellington, and was won by R.G. Wade of Wellington.New Zealand Trotting Cup: Bronze Eagle Auckland Trotting Cup: Betty Boop Ranfurly ShieldNew Zealand national rugby league team
Chatham Cup competition not heldProvincial league champions: Auckland: Metro CollegeCanterbury: ThistleHawke's Bay: Napier HSOBNelson: No competitionOtago: MosgielSouth Canterbury: No competitionSouthland: No competitionTaranaki: Old BoysWaikato: RotowaroWanganui: No competitionWellington: Waterside7 February: Witi Ihimaera, author6 March: Kiri Te Kanawa, opera singer8 April: Tariana Turia, politician12 May: Barry Barclay, filmmaker16 June: Robin Morrison, photographer17 July: Mark Burgess, cricketer22 July: Anand Satyanand, Judge, Ombudsman and 19th Governor-General of New Zealand29 July: Terrence Jarvis, cricketer26 August: Neroli Fairhall, archer (died 2006)30 August: Alex Wyllie, rugby union player and coach10 November: Andy Leslie, rugby union player and administrator18 November: David O'Sullivan, cricketerJack Body, composerPhilip Culbertson, theologian(in Ireland): Bert Hawthorne, motor racing driverKeith Locke, environmentalist and politicianBrian Turner, sportsman and writerJohn Wood, diplomatPhilip Woollaston, politicianCategory:1944 births
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
