1953 in New Zealand

List of events

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1952
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1953
in
New Zealand

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1954
1955
1956

Decades:

1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s

Population

Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,074,700.^[1]
Increase since 31 December 1952: 50,100 (2.47%).^[1]
Males per 100 females: 101.1.^[1]

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Head of State – Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, from 6 February 1952
Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Norrie GCMG GCVO CB DSO MC, from 1952-1957^[2]

Government

The 30th New Zealand Parliament continued. The National Party was in its second term in office under Sidney Holland.

Speaker of the House – Matthew Oram from 1950 to 1957
Prime Minister – Sidney Holland from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957.
Deputy Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957.
Minister of Finance – Sidney Holland
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Clifton Webb from 19 September 1951 to 26 November 1954
Chief Justice — Sir Humphrey O'Leary (until 16 October), Sir Harold Barrowclough (from 17 November)

Parliamentary opposition

Leader of the Opposition – Walter Nash (Labour).^[3]

Main centre leaders

Mayor of Auckland – John Luxford from 1953–1956
Mayor of Hamilton – Harold David Caro (from 1938 until his defeat in November) then Roderick Braithwaite (until 1959)
Mayor of Wellington – Robert Macalister from 1950–1956
Mayor of Christchurch – Robert M. Macfarlane from 1938–1941 and again from 1950–1958
Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright from 1950–1959

Events

6 January: Godfrey Bowen sets a world sheep shearing record, shearing 456 sheep in nine hours.^[4]
10 January: The Social Credit Political League is formed from the earlier Social Credit Association.^[5]
29 May – Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reach the summit of Mount Everest, the first known time this has been done. Hillary is knighted the following day.
2 June – Elizabeth II crowned as Queen of New Zealand at Westminster Abbey in London
23 December – The newly crowned Elizabeth II arrives in New Zealand for a royal tour scheduled to last until 30 January 1954. It is estimated that three in four New Zealanders would make an effort to see her during the tour.^[6]
24 December – Tangiwai disaster: A railway bridge collapses at Tangiwai in the central North Island, sending a fully loaded passenger train into the Whangaehu River, killing 151 passengers on board. The disaster remains New Zealand's worst rail accident.
Police horses are retired from New Zealand.^[7]

Arts and literature

See 1953 in art, 1953 in literature, Category:1953 books

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: Category:1953 film awards, 1953 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1953 films

Sport

Athletics

Arthur Lydiard wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:41:29.8 in Dunedin.

Chess

The 60th National Chess Championship was held in Timaru, and was won by Ortvin Sarapu of Auckland (his second title).^[8]

Horse racing

Harness racing

New Zealand Trotting Cup – Adorian^[9]
Auckland Trotting Cup – Thelma Globe^[10]

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Auckland.^[11]

Men's singles champion – R. McMaster (Stanley Bowling Club)
Men's pair champions – J.F. Benson, Richard Pilkington (skip) (Balmoral Bowling Club)
Men's fours champions – W.G. Thornally, C.B. Shine, N.A. Fletcher, N. Orange (skip) (Balmoral Bowling Club)

Shooting

Ballinger Belt – Maurie Gordon (Okawa)^[12]

Soccer

The Chatham Cup is won by Eastern Suburbs (of Auckland) who beat Northern (of Dunedin) 4–3 in the final.^[13]
Provincial league champions:^[14]
- Auckland: Eastern Suburbs AFC
- Bay of Plenty: Mangakino Utd
- Canterbury: Western
- Hawke's Bay: Hastings Wanderers
- Manawatu: Palmerston North United
- Nelson: Woodbourne
- Northland: Otangarei United
- Otago: Northern AFC
- Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
- South Canterbury: Northern Hearts
- Southland: Brigadiers, Thistle (shared)
- Taranaki: City
- Waikato: Huntly Thistle
- Wairarapa: Carterton
- Wanganui: New Settlers
- Wellington: Wellington Marist

Births

3 February: Steve Maharey, politician.
5 February: Deborah Coddington, journalist and politician.
17 February: Steve Millen, motor racing driver.
23 March: Denis Aberhart, cricket player and coach.
25 March: Paul Ballinger, long-distance runner
25 May: John Z. Robinson, artist, printmaker and jewelmaker.
14 June: Janet Mackey, politician.
22 June: Phil Goff, politician.
5 September: Murray Mexted, rugby player and commentator.
7 September: Marc Hunter, musician.
9 September: Edmond ("Sonny") Schmidt, bodybuilder.
12 September: Ramesh Patel, field hockey player.
6 November: Brian McKechnie, rugby player and cricketer.
19 December: Paul McEwan, cricketer.
Jonathan Dennis, film historian.
Bill Ralston, journalist

Deaths

20 January: Benjamin Robbins MLC; Mayor of Hawera, Tauranga (born 1857)
29 July: Richard Pearse airplane pioneer (born 1877).
16 October: Humphrey O'Leary, 7th Chief Justice of New Zealand.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Historical population estimates tables". Statistics New Zealand. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017.
^ Statistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
^ "Elections NZ – Leaders of the Opposition". Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
^ Today in History | NZHistory
^ Crusade: Social Credit's drive for power by Spiro Zavos (1981, INL Print, Lower Hutt) ISBN 0-86464-025-0
^ "Royal Visit of 1953-54". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
^ Lines-MacKenzie, Jo (23 July 2017). "Mounted Benneydale police officer". Stuff. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
^ List of New Zealand Chess Champions Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^ "List of NZ Trotting cup winners". Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
^ Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz Archived 17 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^ McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Bowls, men's outdoor—tournament winners". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
^ "Ballinger Belt". National Rifle Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
^ Chatham Cup records - nzsoccer.com Archived 14 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^ "New Zealand: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 1999.

External links

Media related to 1953 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons

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