1963 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated Population as of 31 December: 2,566,900
• Increase since 31 December 1962: 51,100
• Males per 100 Females: 100.8

  Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Brigadier Sir Bernard Fergusson GCMG GCVO DSO OBE.

  Government

• 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.
• Chief Justice — Sir Harold Barrowclough

  Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Walter Nash until 31 March, then Arnold Nordmeyer.

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson
• Mayor of Hamilton – Dennis Rogers
• Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
• Mayor of Christchurch – George Manning
• Mayor of Dunedin – Stuart Sidey

  Events

• 6 February: Elizabeth II arrives in New Zealand on the Royal Yacht Britannia for the 1963 Royal Tour of New Zealand.
• 7 February: 15 people killed in a bus crash due to brake failure in the Brynderwyn Hills in Northland
• 17 April: Tauranga becomes a city.
• 3 July: New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 crashes into the Kaimai Ranges, killing all 23 aboard.
• 7 December: Two people are killed in the Bassett Road machine gun murders.

  Arts and literature

• Maurice Shadbolt wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Music

Radio and Television

• There are 80,000 television licences issued, and an estimated 300,000 television viewers in New Zealand.
• Broadcast relay stations at Mount Te Aroha, Wharite Peak and Otahoua are commissioned, extending television coverage to Waikato, Tauranga, Manawatu and Wairarapa.

Film

Sport

Athletics

Chess

• The 70th National Chess Championship is held in Christchurch. The title is shared by Ortvin Sarapu and R.J. Sutton, both of Auckland.

  Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Cardigan Bay
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Cardigan Bay

  Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – A. Govorko
• Men's pair champions – S.W. Jolly, J.N.S. Flett
• Men's fours champions – J.D. Scott, N. Cash, J. Coltman, Bill O'Neill

  Soccer

• The Chatham Cup was won by North Shore United who beat Nomads of Christchurch 3–1 in the final.
• Provincial league champions:
• * Auckland: North Shore United
• * Bay of Plenty: Kahukura
• * Buller: Millerton Rangers
• * Canterbury: Nomads
• * Franklin: Manurewa AFC
• * Hawke's Bay: Napier Rovers
• * Manawatu: Thistle
• * Marlborough: Woodbourne
• * Nelson: Rangers
• * Northland: Otangarei United
• * Otago: King Edward Technical College OB
• * Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
• * South Canterbury: Northern Hearts
• * Southland: Invercargill Thistle
• * Taranaki: Moturoa
• * Waikato: Hamilton Wanderers
• * Wairarapa: Lansdowne United
• * Wanganui: Wanganui United
• * Wellington: Diamond
• * West Coast: Cobden-Kohinoor
• The second Rothmans Cup was won by North Shore United.

  Births

• 10 January: Malcolm Dunford, footballer
• 21 February: Greg Turner, golfer.
• 16 March: Kevin Smith, actor.
• 4 June: Sean Fitzpatrick, rugby union player.
• 18 June: Paul Honiss, rugby referee.
• 20 July: Catherine Campbell, cricketer.
• 20 July: Mike Davidson, freestyle swimmer.
• 20 August: Ian Woodley, field hockey goalkeeper.
• 26 August: Christine Arthur, field hockey player.
• 9 September : Sarah Illingworth, cricketer.
• 10 September: Jay Laga'aia, actor.
• 17 September: Warren Gatland, rugby player and coach.
• 11 December: Mark Greatbatch, cricketer.
• 24 December: David Grundy, field hockey player.
• Joanna Bourke, historian.
• Andrew Johnston, poet.
• : Ralph Talmont, photographer.

Deaths

• 7 January: Tapihana Paraire Paikea, politician.
• 19 March: Frederick Hackett, politician.
• 4 April: Hercules Wright, rugby union player.
• 16 May: Fintan Patrick Walsh, trade unionist.
• 18 June Albert Samuel, politician
• 4 July: Bernard Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg, soldier, Governor-General of New Zealand.
• 14 July: Maud Basham , radio personality.
• 19 August: Rosemary Frances Rees, writer and theatre producer.
• 19 September: Sir David Low''', cartoonist.