Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,853,900
Increase since 31/12/1947: 36,400 (2.00%)
Males per 100 females: 100.5
Regal and viceregal
Head of State - George VI
Governor-General - Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg VC GCMG KCB KBE DSO
The 28th New Zealand Parliament continued, with the Labour Party in government.
Speaker of the House - Robert McKeen (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 - Will Appleton
Mayor of Christchurch - Ernest Andrews
Mayor of Dunedin - Donald Cameron
The Marlborough Press, which was founded in 1860, is taken over by The Marlborough Express.
Italy establishes a consulate in Wellington.
Arts and literature
See 1948 in art, 1948 in literature, Category:1948 books
See: 1948 in music
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand
See: Category:1948 film awards, 1948 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1948 films
The national championships are held at a single venue for the first time replacing the previous postal shoot.
National Champions
Open Men - H. Butel (Dunedin)
Open Women - D. Johnstone (Dunedin)
Jack Clarke wins the national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:44:06 in Dunedin.
Interpovincial Champions: Men - Palmerston North
Interpovincial Champions: Women - Palmerston North
The 55th National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by R.G. Wade of Wellington (his 3rd win).
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Highland Fling - 2nd win
Auckland Trotting Cup: Captain Sandy
New Zealand at the 1948 Summer Olympics
New Zealand is represented by seven competitors in athletics, boxing, cycling, swimming and weightlifting. There are no medal successes.
Category:Rugby union in New Zealand, Category:All Blacks
Ranfurly Shield
New Zealand national rugby league team
The Chatham Cup is won by Technical Old Boys of Christchurch who beat Waterside of Wellington 2—0 in the final.
An Australian side toured New Zealand, playing four internationals:14 August, Wellington: NZ 0-6 Australia
28 August, Christchurch: NZ 0-7 Australia
4 September, Wellington: NZ 0-4 Australia
11 September, Auckland: NZ 1-8 Australia
Provincial league champions: Auckland: Eastern Suburbs
Canterbury: Western
Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
Nelson: Nelson United
Otago: Mosgiel
South Canterbury: Fisherman
Southland: Invercargill United
Taranaki: Stratford
Waikato: Rotowaro
Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
Wellington: Waterside
6 January: Dayle Hadlee, cricketer.
16 January: Dalvanius Prime, entertainer.
17 January: Billy T. James, comedian.
7 February: Richard Prebble, politician.
March: Michael Baigent, author and conspiracy theorist.
2 April (in Scotland): Sam Malcolmson, soccer player.
25 May: Mac Price, diplomat.
22 July: Kevin Ryan, long-distance runner.
29 July: John Clarke, actor, best known in New Zealand for Fred Dagg.
6 September: Kevin Towns, field hockey player and coach.
1 October: Peter Blake, yachtsman.
2 October: Robert Anderson, cricketer.
24 October: Ray Ahipene-Mercer, musician, politician.
13 November: Lockwood Smith, politician.
Alexis Hunter, painter.
Sue Kedgley, politician.
Grahame Sydney, painter.
Sue Wood, politician.
Richard Worth, politician.
Category:1948 births
16 May: John Gordon Eliott, former Reform MP
25 September: George Davidson, olympic sprinter.
9 October: Edmund Anscombe, architect.
21 December: Fred Bartram, former Labour MP
Category:1948 deaths
