1937 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,601,800
• Increase since 31 December 1936: 17,200
• Males per 100 females: 103.1

  Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – George VI
• Governor-General – The Viscount Galway GCMG DSO OBE PC

  Government

• Speaker of the House – Bill Barnard
• Prime Minister – Michael Joseph Savage
• Minister of Finance – Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Michael Joseph Savage
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason
• Chief Justice – Sir Michael Myers

  Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Adam Hamilton.

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Ernest Davis
• Mayor of Hamilton – John Robert Fow
• Mayor of Wellington – Thomas Hislop
• Mayor of Christchurch – John Beanland
• Mayor of Dunedin – Edwin Thomas Cox

  Events

• 16 January: The Hawke's Bay Herald publishes its final issue before merging with the Hawke's Bay Tribune to form the Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune. It started as the Hawke's Bay Herald and Ahuriri Advocate in 1857.
• Milk in schools started, it was stopped in 1967.

  Arts and literature

Music

Broadcasting

• 6 May – Historic radio link up to cover the arrival of Airship Hindenburg at New Jersey. This is probably the first direct international radio broadcast of this nature from such a distance.

Film

• New Zealand Review no.1, Holiday Sounds

Sport

Chess

• The 46th National Chess Championship was held in Auckland, and was won by H.R. Abbott of Christchurch.

  Golf

• The 27th New Zealand Open championship was won by J.P. Hornabrook, an amateur, in a three-way playoff with A.J. Shaw and Ernie Moss.
• The 41st National Amateur Championships were held in Hamilton
• * Men: B.M. Silk – his second title
• * Women: Mrs G.W. Hollis

  Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Lucky Jack
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Willow Wave

  Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – C. Spearman
• Men's pair champions – D. Hunter, J.W. Lowry
• Men's fours champions – C.H. Elsom, P. Munn, C.J. Shaw, R. Haworth

  Rugby

• Ranfurly Shield

  Rugby league

Soccer

• Chatham Cup competition not held this year.
• An England Amateurs team toured, beating the New Zealand side by a resounding 30–1 aggregate in a three-match series.
• * 5 May, Dunedin: NZ 0–12 England Amateurs
• * 19 May, Auckland: NZ 0–6 England Amateurs
• * 26 May, Wellington: NZ 1–12 England Amateur
• Provincial league champions:
• * Auckland: Thistle
• * Canterbury: Technical OB, Western
• * Hawke's Bay: Napier Utd
• * Nelson: YMCA
• * Otago: Mosgiel
• * Southland: Boy's Brigade OB
• * Waikato: Hamilton Wanderers
• * Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
• * Wellington: Waterside

  Births

• 26 January: Murray Ball, cartoonist.
• 4 March: Graham Dowling, cricketer.
• 11 March: John Ward, cricketer.
• 21 June: John Kent, cartoonist.
• 2 August: Ron Brierley, businessman.
• 10 August : Ian Bradley, naval officer.
• 30 August: Bruce McLaren, racing driver and car designer.
• 21 September: Dennis Browne, Catholic bishop.
• 19 November: Sir Kenneth Keith, Judge.
• 5 December: Roger Douglas, politician.
• 29 December: Ian Lawrence, mayor of Wellington.

• Patricia Grace, author.

Deaths

• 20 February: Rua Kenana Hepetipa, Māori prophet.
• 5 March: Sir Frederic Lang, politician – 8th Speaker of the House of Representatives.
• 29 May: Charles Hall, politician.
• 19 October: Sir Ernest Rutherford, physicist.
• 27 October: Thomas Field, politician.
• 16 November: John Lillicrap, 29th Mayor of Invercargill.
• 29 November: John Jenkinson, politician.