Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,676,300
Increase since 31/12/1943: 34,300 (2.09%)
Males per 100 females: 94.3
Regal and viceregal
Head of State - George VI
Governor-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 Fraser
Minister of Finance - Walter Nash
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Peter Fraser
Attorney-General - Rex Mason
Leader of the Opposition - Sidney Holland (National Party).
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland - John Allum
Mayor of Hamilton - Harold Caro
Mayor of Wellington - Thomas Hislop then Will Appleton
Mayor of Christchurch - Ernest Andrews
Mayor of Dunedin - Andrew Allen then Donald Cameron
21 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 Shield
New Zealand national rugby league team
Chatham Cup competition not held
Provincial league champions: 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
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
26 August: Neroli Fairhall, archer (died 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
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
