Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

1959 in New Zealand

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Decades:
  
1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s

See also:
  
Other events of 1959Timeline of New Zealand history

Population

  • Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,359,700
  • Increase since 31 December 1958: 43,700 (1.89%)
  • Males per 100 females: 101.0

    • Regal and viceregal

  • Head of State – Elizabeth II
  • Governor-General – The Viscount Cobham GCMG TD.

    • Government

    The 32nd New Zealand Parliament continued. In power was the Labour government led by Walter Nash.

    Contents

  • Speaker of the House – Robert Macfarlane
  • Prime Minister – Walter Nash
  • Deputy Prime Minister – Clarence Skinner.
  • Minister of Finance – Arnold Nordmeyer.
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs – Walter Nash.
  • Attorney-General – Rex Mason.

    • Parliamentary opposition

  • Leader of the Opposition – Keith Holyoake (National).

    • Main centre leaders

  • Mayor of Auckland – Keith Buttle then Dove-Myer Robinson
  • Mayor of Hamilton – Roderick Braithwaite then Denis Rogers
  • Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
  • Mayor of Christchurch – George Manning
  • Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright then Thomas Kay Stuart Sidey

    • Events

  • 30 May: The Auckland Harbour Bridge, 1020 meters (3,348 feet) in length, was opened.
  • 24 November: The coastal trader MV Holmglen sinks near Timaru with the loss of 15 lives.

    • Arts and literature

  • Ian Cross wins the first Robert Burns Fellowship.

    • See 1959 in art, 1959 in literature, Category:1959 books

    Music

    See: 1959 in music

    Radio

    See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

    Film

    See: Category:1959 film awards, 1959 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1959 films

    Athletics

    Ray Puckett wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:27:28.2 on 7 March in Palmerston North.

    Chess

  • The 66th National Chess Championship was held in Hamilton. The title was shared between F.A. Foulds and B.C. Menzies, both of Auckland.

    • Harness racing

  • New Zealand Trotting Cup: False Step – 2nd win
  • Auckland Trotting Cup: Scottish Command

    • Rugby union

  • The British Lions team toured New Zealand, losing the Test series 3-1. They also lost two of their 21 provincial games, to Canterbury and Otago.
  • 18 July, Carisbrook, Dunedin: New Zealand 18 – 17 British Isles
  • 15 August, Athletic Park, Wellington: New Zealand 11 – 8 British Isles
  • 29 August, Lancaster Park, Christchurch: New Zealand 22 – 8 British Isles
  • 19 September, Eden Park, Auckland: New Zealand 6 – 9 British Isles

    • Soccer

  • The national men's team played one match against a visiting Costa Rican club side:
  • 6 June, Auckland: NZ 3 – 2 Deportivo Saprissa
  • The Chatham Cup was won by Dunedin team Northern who beat North Shore United 3-2 in the final.
  • Provincial league champions:
  • Auckland: North Shore United
  • Bay of Plenty: Kahukura
  • Buller: Denniston Hotspurs
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier Athletic
  • Manawatu: Kiwi United
  • Marlborough: Woodbourne
  • Nelson: Rangers
  • Northland: Otangarei United
  • Otago: Northern AFC
  • Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
  • South Canterbury: West End
  • Southland: Rovers
  • Taranaki: Moturoa
  • Waikato: Hamilton Technical OB
  • Wairarapa: Douglas Villa
  • Wanganui: New Settlers
  • Wellington: Northern

    • Births

  • 13 April: Justin Boyle , cricketer.
  • 8 May: Ingrid Jagersma, cricketer.
  • 9 May: Andrew Jones , cricketer.
  • 16 May: Greg Johnston, rower.
  • 26 May: Brett Austin , breaststroke swimmer.
  • 28 May: Eric Verdonk, rower.
  • 4 September: Robbie Deans , rugby player and coach.
  • 14 September: Brendon Bracewell , cricketer.
  • 27 September: Mark Inglis , mountaineer.
  • 3 November: Vaughan Brown , cricketer.
  • 12 December: George Keys, rower.
  • Bianca van Rangelrooy , artist.
  • Harry Sinclair , actor, filmmaker and musician.

    • Category:1959 births

    Deaths

  • 23 February: Gordon Wilson, Government architect.
  • 8 April: Sir William Joseph Jordan, politician and diplomat.
  • 7 November: Archie Fisher, painter.
  • 8 November: Walter William Massey, MP and politician
  • 6 December (in Scotland): Edward Hunter a.k.a. Billy Banjo, trade unionist, politician and writer.

    • Category:1959 deaths

    References

    1959 in New Zealand Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


    Similar Topics