Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,515,800Increase since 31 December 1961: 54,500 (2.21%)Males per 100 females: 101.0Regal and viceregal
Head of State – Elizabeth IIGovernor-General – The Viscount Cobham GCMG TD, followed by Brigadier Sir Bernard Fergusson GCMG GCVO DSO OBE.Speaker of the House – Ronald Algie.Prime Minister – Keith HolyoakeDeputy Prime Minister – Jack Marshall.Minister of Finance – Harry Lake.Minister of Foreign Affairs – Keith Holyoake.Attorney-General – Ralph Hanan.Leader of the Opposition – Walter Nash (Labour)Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer RobinsonMayor of Hamilton – Dennis RogersMayor of Wellington – Frank KittsMayor of Christchurch – George ManningMayor of Dunedin – Thomas Kay Stuart SideyThe Office of the Ombudsman was established11 August: New Zealand Railways's Cook Strait ferry service began, using the GMV Aramoana.Arts and literature
R.A.K. Mason wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.See 1962 in art, 1962 in literature, Category:1962 books
See: 1962 in music
Radio and television
New Zealand Broadcasting Service (NZBS) is restructured on 1 April to form New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation.An outside broadcast van is in use in Auckland, and similar vans are ordered for Wellington and Christchurch.Dunedin gets television service with the launch of DNTV2 on 31 July.There are 23,343 licensed television sets in New Zealand.See: 1962 in New Zealand television, 1962 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, Public broadcasting in New Zealand
See: Category:1962 film awards, 1962 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1962 films
27 January: Peter Snell sets a new world record for the mile of 3m 54.4s, running at Cook's Gardens, Wanganui.Barry Magee wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:24:55.4 in Auckland.The 69th National Chess Championship was held in Auckland, and was won by G.G. Haase of Dunedin.Lordship defeats Cardigan Bay to win the rain affected New Zealand Trotting CupAuckland Trotting Cup: Dandy BriarThe Chatham Cup is won by Hamilton Technical Old Boys who beat Northern of Dunedin 4—1 in the final.Provincial league champions:Auckland: Eastern Suburbs AFCBay of Plenty: RangersBuller: Waimangaroa UtdCanterbury: WesternFranklin: Manurewa AFCHawke's Bay: Napier RoversManawatu: ThistleMarlborough: WoodbourneNelson: RangersNorthland: Otangarei UnitedOtago: Northern AFCPoverty Bay: Eastern UnionSouth Canterbury: ThistleSouthland: Invercargill ThistleTaranaki: MoturoaWaikato: Hamilton Technical OBWairarapa: Lansdowne UnitedWanganui: Wanganui AthleticWellington: NorthernWest Coast: RunangaThe inaugural Rothmans Cup was played between the champion clubs from Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago as a de facto national championship. The final was won by Northern AFC of Dunedin 3-2 on aggregate.12 January (in England): Terry Wiles, thalidomide survivor.4 February: Frank Bunce, rugby union player.17 February: Tony Blain, cricketer.1 March: Russell Coutts, yachtsman.4 March: John Young, composer.15 March: Trevor Franklin, cricketer.6 June: Grant Fox, rugby player.8 June: John Cutler, yachtsman.22 July: Rena Owen, actress.5 August: Richard de Groen, cricketer.13 September: Brian Fowler, cyclist.21 September: Kelly Evernden, tennis player.22 September: Martin Crowe, cricketer.27 September: Gavin Larsen, cricketer.9 October: Paul Radisich, racing driver.12 October: Mark S. Olsen, painter.7 November: Debbie Hockley, cricketer.29 December: Wynton Rufer, soccer player.Tim Chadwick, artist and writer.Jon Stevens, singer.Category:1962 births
26 April: Clarence "Gerry" Skinner, Labour politician.20 June John Houston, historian and writer.18 July: G. H. Cunningham, mycologist and plant pathologist.18 September: Clyde Carr, Labour politician.8 October: Donald Charles Cameron, Mayor of Dunedin28 October: Frederick Schramm, Labour politician and 11th Speaker of the House of Representatives. 