Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,663,800
Increase since 31 December 1964: 46,800 (1.79%)
Males per 100 females: 100.7
Regal and viceregal
Head of State – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Brigadier Sir Bernard Fergusson GCMG GCVO DSO OBE.
The 34th Parliament of New Zealand continued, with the 2nd National government in power.
Speaker of the House – Ronald Algie.
Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake.
Deputy Prime Minister – Jack Marshall.
Minister of Finance – Harry Lake.
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Keith Holyoake.
Attorney-General – Ralph Hanan.
Leader of the Opposition – Arnold Nordmeyer (Labour) until 16 December, then Norman Kirk (Labour).
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson then Roy McElroy
Mayor of Hamilton – Dennis Rogers
Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
Mayor of Christchurch – George Manning
Mayor of Dunedin – Thomas Kay Stuart Sidey then Russell John Calvert
1 April – Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) is renamed Air New Zealand.
April – The HVDC Inter-Island link is completed, connecting the North Island's electricity network and the South Island's electricity network together.
15 May – Benmore Dam opened by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.
31 August – New Zealand Australia Free Trade Agreement signed.
Arts and literature
Janet Frame wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
See 1965 in art, 1965 in literature, Category:1965 books
New Zealand Music Awards
Loxene Golden Disc Ray Columbus & The Invaders – Till We Kissed
See: 1965 in music
Radio and television
Television in the "four main centres" (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin) is now broadcast seven nights a week. Broadcasting now totals 50 hours a week.
There are 300,000 television licences. [1]
New Zealand Television Workshop awards:
Best Factual: Compass
Best Light Entertainment: In the Groove
Best Children's Series: Junior Magazine with Jasmine
See: 1965 in New Zealand television, 1965 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand
See: Category:1965 film awards, 1965 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1965 films
Ray Puckett wins his fifth national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:24:26.8 on 13 March in Dunedin.
The 72nd National Chess Championships are held in Wellington. The winner is J.R. Phillips of Wellington
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Gary Dillon
Auckland Trotting Cup: Robin Dundee
The Chatham Cup is won by Eastern Suburbs of Auckland who beat Saint Kilda 4—1 in the final.
Provincial league champions:Bay of Plenty: Rangers
Buller: Granity Athletic
Canterbury: Christchurch City
Hawke's Bay: Napier Rovers
Manawatu: Kiwi United
Marlborough: Woodbourne
Nelson: Rangers
Otago: St Kilda
Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
South Canterbury: West End
Southland: Invercargill Thistle
Taranaki: Moturoa
Wairarapa: Masterton Athletic
Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
Wellington: Diamond
West Coast: Cobden-Kohinoor
The Northern League is formed, incorporating top teams from Northland, Auckland, Franklin and Waikato. The first League champions are Eastern Suburbs of Auckland.
10 January: John Radovonich, field hockey player.
11 February: Eric Rush, rugby union and rugby sevens player.
14 February: Zinzan Brooke, rugby player.
15 February: Jamie Smith, field hockey player.
15 March: Robyn Malcolm actor
4 April: Gail Jonson, swimmer.
8 April: Michael Jones, rugby player.
22 April: Carmel Clark, swimmer.
28 May (in Britain): Alan Henderson, bobsleigh pilot
28 June: Duane Mann, rugby league player.
29 July: Paresh Patel, field hockey player.
31 August: Willie Watson, cricketer.
1 September: Tania Roxborogh, writer.
7 September: Tea Ropati, rugby league player.
21 September: Belinda Cordwell, tennis player.
26 October: Ken Rutherford, cricketer.
24 November: Nyla Carroll, long-distance runner.
18 December: Anna Doig, freestyle and butterfly swimmer.
John Leigh, actor.
Se'e Solomona, rugby league player.
Hilary Timmins, television presenter.
Category:1965 births
21 June: Thomas Hislop, Jr., Mayor of Wellington 1931-45 (in Montreal, Canada).
10 September: John Weeks, painter.
Category:1965 deaths
