1958 in New Zealand

← 1957 1956 1955 1958 in New Zealand → 1959 1960 1961
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	Other events of 1958 Timeline of New Zealand history

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,316,000
• Increase since 31 December 1957: 53,200 (2.35%)
• Males per 100 females: 101.3

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

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

Government

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

• 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
• Mayor of Hamilton – Roderick Braithwaite
• Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
• Mayor of Christchurch – Robert Macfarlane then George Manning
• Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright

Events

• 26 June – 'Black Budget', raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol and petrol, passed by second Labour government.
• June – New Zealand's first supermarket, Foodtown, opens at Otahuhu.
• 3 September – Brian Barratt-Boyes performs New Zealand's first open heart surgery at Auckland's Green Lane Hospital.
• 29 September – The emergency number 111 for fire, police and ambulance is introduced; initially only in Masterton and Carterton.
• United States base for Operation Deep Freeze is established at Christchurch Airport.
• The Wairakei Power Station is commissioned. It is New Zealand's first geothermal power station, and only the second large-scale geothermal power station in the world.

Arts and literature

• The Robert Burns Fellowship is established to honour the bicentennary of the poet's birth.

See 1958 in art, 1958 in literature, Robert Burns Fellowship, Category:1958 books

Music

See: 1958 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: Category:1958 film awards, 1958 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1958 films

Sport

Athletics

• Raymond Puckett wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:37:28 in Lower Hutt.

Chess

• The 65th National Chess Championship was held in Christchurch, and was won by J.R. Phillips of Auckland.

Commonwealth Games

• New Zealand at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games: The New Zealand team of 63 athletes and 11 officials won four gold, six silver and nine bronze medals.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: False Step
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Macklin

Rugby union

• The All Blacks played three Test matches against the touring Australian side, retaining the Bledisloe Cup:
  • 23 August, Athletic Park (Wellington), Wellington: New Zealand 25 – 3 Australia
  • 6 September, Lancaster Park, Christchurch: New Zealand 3 – 6 Australia
  • 20 September, Epsom Showgrounds, Auckland: New Zealand 17 – 8 Australia

Soccer

• The national men's team played seven matches including five internationals:
  • 16 August, Wellington: NZ 2 – 3 Australia
  • 23 August, Auckland: NZ 2 – 2 Australia
  • 26 August, Hamilton: NZ 3 – 0 Waikato XI
  • 31 August, Nouméa: NZ 2 – 1 New Caledonia
  • 7 September, Nouméa: NZ 5 – 1 New Caledonia
  • 14 September, Nouméa: NZ 2 – 1 New Caledonia
  • 18 September, Auckland: NZ 1 – 1 Auckland
• The Chatham Cup was won by Seatoun for the second consecutive year. They beat Christchurch city 7-1 in the final.
• Provincial league champions:
  • Auckland: Onehunga
  • Bay of Plenty: Rangers
  • Buller: Millerton Thistle
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier Athletic
  • Manawatu: Kiwi United
  • Marlborough: Spartans
  • Nelson: Settlers
  • Northland: Marlin Rovers
  • Otago: Northern AFC
  • Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
  • South Canterbury: West End
  • Southland: Brigadiers
  • Taranaki: City
  • Waikato: Hamilton Technical OB
  • Wairarapa: Masterton Athletic
  • Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
  • Wellington: Seatoun AFC

Births

• 1 January: Lesley Shankland (later Murdoch), cricketer.
• 7 February: Simon Upton, politician.
• 30 March: Peter Ellis, convicted for child abuse.
• 15 April: John Bracewell, cricket player and coach.
• 16 May (in the U.S.A.): Thomas "Tab" Baldwin, basketball coach.
• 27 May: Neil Finn, singer, songwriter.
• 28 May: Dennis May, karate master.
• 14 September: Jeff Crowe, cricketer.
• 27 September: Mitch Shirra, motorcycle speedway rider.
• 17 November: Frank van Hattum, soccer player.
• 23 November: Martin Snedden, cricketer and sports administrator.
• 30 November: Barry Cooper, cricketer.
• 3 December: Roger Sowry, politician.
• 14 December (In Scotland): Alan Boath, footballer.

• Daryl Crimp, writer, illustrator and cartoonist.
• A J Hackett, extreme sports entrepreneur.
• (in Zambia): Vicky Jones, children's author.
• Tuku Morgan, politician.
• Pio Terei, actor, singer and comedian.
• Jools and Lynda Topp (the Topp Twins, entertainers.
• Jane Wrightson, chief censor.

Category:1958 births

Deaths

• 12 March: Bill Barnard, politician – 10th Speaker of the House of Representatives.
• 17 July: William Burgoyne Taverner, MP and Mayor of Dunedin
• 9 October: Merton Hodge, playwright.
• 25 October: James Chapman-Taylor, architect.

• Fred Baker, soldier.
• William Montgomery, Jr., politician.
• Robert William Smith, politician.

Category:1958 deaths

See also

• List of years in New Zealand
• Timeline of New Zealand history
• History of New Zealand
• Military history of New Zealand
• Timeline of the New Zealand environment
• Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica