1949 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,892,100
• Increase since 31 December 1948: 38,200
• Males per 100 females: 100.7

  Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – George VI
• Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg VC GCMG KCB KBE DSO

  Government

• Speaker of the House – Robert McKeen
• Prime Minister – Peter Fraser then Sidney Holland
• Deputy Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake
• Minister of Finance – Walter Nash then Sidney Holland
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Peter Fraser then Frederick Doidge
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason then Clifton Webb
• Chief Justice – Sir Humphrey O'Leary

  Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Sidney Holland until 13 December, then Peter Fraser.

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – John Allum
• Mayor of Hamilton – Harold David Caro
• Mayor of Wellington – Will Appleton
• Mayor of Christchurch – Ernest Andrews
• Mayor of Dunedin – Donald Cameron

  Events

• 1 January: the status of New Zealand Citizen comes into existence.
• 9 March: Referendums on gambling and extending hotel hours.
• 3 August: Referendum on military training
• 29 November: Elections to the four Māori seats
• 30 November: General election won by National Party under Sidney Holland

  Arts and literature

Music

Radio

Film

Sport

Archery

• Open Men – W. Burton
• Open Women – D. Johnstone

  Athletics

• George Bromley wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:40:05.6 in Christchurch.

  Basketball

• Interpovincial Champions: Men – Wellington
• Interpovincial Champions: Women – Palmerston North

  Chess

• The 56th National Chess Championship was held in Wanganui, and was won by A.E. Nield of Auckland.

  Cricket

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Loyal Nurse
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Captain Sandy

  Thoroughbred racing

• The New Zealand horse Foxzami, ridden by W. Fellows, wins the 1949 Melbourne Cup

  Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – S. Gooch
• Men's pair champions – Frank Livingstone, J.H. Mingins
• Men's fours champions – A.J. Murdoch, H.L. Rule, A. Rivers, Pete Skoglund

  Rugby

• Ranfurly Shield

  Rugby league

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Petone who beat Northern 1–0 in the final.
• Provincial league champions:
• * Auckland: Eden
• * Canterbury: Technical OB
• * Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
• * Nelson:
• * Otago: Northern
• * South Canterbury: Northern Hearts
• * Southland: Brigadiers
• * Taranaki: City
• * Waikato: Rotowaro
• * Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
• * Wellington: Seatoun

  Births

• 22 January: Cilla McQueen, poet
• 24 January: Bill Bush, rugby player
• 28 January: Mike Moore, Prime Minister and Director-General of the World Trade Organization
• 15 February: Ashraf Choudhary, politician
• 19 February: Brenda Matthews, sprinter
• 28 April: Steve Gilpin, musician
• 20 September: Alan McIntyre, field hockey player
• 10 October: Lance Cairns, cricketer
• 2 November: Bruce Biddle, road cyclist
• 29 November : Dave Bright, soccer player
• Laurence Aberhart, photographer
• Laurence Clark, cartoonist
• John Hanlon, musician
• Donna Awatere Huata, politician
• Nigel Brown, painter
• Ian Ewen-Street, politician

  Deaths

• 25 May: George William von Zedlitz, professor of languages
• 20 August: Annie Lee Rees, writer.
• 7 October: Matiu Ratana, politician and Ratana church leader
• 29 October: Patrick Harvey, rugby union player
• 20 December: Jane Mander, novelist
• 28 December: Jack Lovelock''', athlete