Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,262,800
Increase since 31 December 1956: 53,600 (2.43%)
Males per 100 females: 101.1
Regal and viceregal
Head of State – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Norrie GCMG GCVO CB DSO MC followed by The Viscount Cobham GCMG TD.
The 31st New Zealand Parliament continued. In power was the National government under Sidney Holland and later Keith Holyoake. The general election saw the Labour Party win by a narrow two-seat margin.
Speaker of the House – Mathew Oram
Prime Minister – Sidney Holland then Keith Holyoake then Walter Nash
Deputy Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake then Clarence Skinner
Minister of Finance – Jack Watts then Arnold Nordmeyer
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Tom Macdonald then Walter Nash
Leader of the Opposition – Walter Nash (Labour) until 12 December, then Keith Holyoake (National).
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland – Thomas Ashby, then Keith Buttle
Mayor of Hamilton – Roderick Braithwaite
Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
Mayor of Christchurch – Robert M. Macfarlane
Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright
20 January: Scott Base, New Zealand's main presence in Antarctica, is established by Sir Edmund Hillary.
24 May: the last Empire Day is commemorated.
September: Former Member of Parliament and New Zealand ambassador to the United States Leslie Munro is appointed President of the United Nations General Assembly for its twelfth session, lasting until September 1958
Arts and literature
See 1957 in art, 1957 in literature, Category:1957 books
See: 1957 in music
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand
See: Category:1957 film awards, 1957 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1957 films
Edwin Rye wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:44:56 in Napier.
The 64th National Chess Championship was held in Wellington. The title was shared by A. Feneridis of Wellington and J.R. Phillips of Auckland.
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Lookaway
Auckland Trotting Cup: Highland Air
The All Blacks played two Test matches against Australia, retaining the Bledisloe Cup:25 May, Sydney Cricket Ground: New Zealand 25 – 11 Australia
1 June, Exhibition Ground, Brisbane: New Zealand 22 – 9 Australia
The national men's team was host to two visiting club sides:22 June, Wellington: NZ 1 – 1 Eastern Athletic
24 June, Auckland: NZ 2 – 1 Eastern Athletic
27 June, Auckland: NZ 1 – 7 FK Austria
3 August, Wellington: NZ 1 – 7 FK Austria
The Chatham Cup is won by Seatoun who beat Technical Old Boys 3—1 in the final.
Provincial league champions:Auckland: Eastern Suburbs AFC
Bay of Plenty: Rangers
Buller: Millerton Thistle
Canterbury: Western
Hawke's Bay: Hastings Wanderers
Manawatu: Ohakea
Marlborough: Blenheim Rangers
Nelson: Athletic
Northland: Otangarei United
Otago: King Edward Technical College OB
Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
South Canterbury: Northern Hearts
Southland: Hotspurs
Taranaki: City
Waikato: Huntly Thistle
Wairarapa: Masterton Athletic
Wanganui: New Settlers
Wellington: Seatoun AFC
3 January – Dave Dobbyn, singer, songwriter
28 February – Ian Smith, cricketer
2 March – Stuart Gillespie, cricketer
19 April – Wayne Smith, rugby player and coach
30 April – Tony Rogers, middle-distance runner
30 May – Allison Roe, athlete
7 June – Glenn Dods, soccer player
24 June – Elizabeth Fuller, children's book illustrator
26 June – Michael Laws, broadcaster, writer and politician
27 July – Barbara Moore, long-distance runner
28 July – David Shearer, humanitarian worker and politician, Leader of the Opposition (2011–present
11 August – Ruth Dyson, politician
31 August (in Kenya) – Luke Hurley, singer/songwriter
20 September – Michael Hurst, actor
10 October – Rod Donald, environmentalist and politician, co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand (1995–2005) (died 2005)
29 November – Glenys Quick, long-distance runner
13 December – Wayne Shelford, rugby player
Richard Adams, violinist.
George Bertrand, who became Georgina Beyer, trans-gender politician.
Howard Broad, Commissioner of Police
Category:1957 births
19 January: Thomas Brash, dairy industry leader and Presbyterian Church moderator.
21 January: Maurice Brownlie, rugby union player.
18 February: Walter James Bolton, last person executed in New Zealand.
2 April: Catherine Stewart, politician.
26 September: Thomas Ashby, serving mayor of Auckland
Category:1957 deaths
