1939 in New Zealand

← 1938 1937 1936 1939 in New Zealand → 1940 1941 1942
Decades:	1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s
See also:	Other events of 1939 Timeline of New Zealand history

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,641,600 ^[1]
• Increase since 31/12/1938: 23,300 (1.44%)
• Males per 100 females: 103.0

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of state - George VI
• Governor-General - The Viscount Galway GCMG DSO OBE PC ^[2]

Government

The 26th New Zealand Parliament continued with the Labour Party in government.

• Speaker of the House - Bill Barnard (Labour Party)
• Prime Minister - Michael Joseph Savage
• Minister of Finance - Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - Michael Joseph Savage
• Attorney-General - Rex Mason

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition - Adam Hamilton (National Party).^[3]

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland - Ernest Davis
• Mayor of Hamilton - Harold David Caro
• Mayor of Wellington - Thomas Hislop
• Mayor of Christchurch - Robert Macfarlane
• Mayor of Dunedin - Andrew Henson Allen

Events

• 29 January: (Sunday) Opening of St Peter's College, Auckland by Bishop J M Liston.
• 3 September: New Zealand declares war on Germany
• 31 October: The Strongman coal mine in Nine Mile Valley near Greymouth is officially opened by Minister of Mines, Paddy Webb.^[4]
• 13 December: New Zealand warship HMS Achilles fought in the Battle of the River Plate against German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee.
• 17 December: The Graf Spee is scuttled off Montevideo harbour.
• The Poverty Bay Herald changes its name to The Gisborne Herald,^[5] which continues to publish today.

Arts and literature

See 1939 in art, 1939 in literature, Category:1939 books

Music

See: 1939 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: Category:1939 film awards, 1939 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1939 films

Sport

Athletics

• Clarrie Gibbons wins the national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:44:56.2 on 11 March 1939 in Napier.

Basketball

A second interprovincial championship is held even though there is still no national association.^[6] (see 1938 and 1946)

• Interpovincial Champions: Men - Wellington

Chess

• The 48th National Chess Championship was held in Wanganui, and was won by J.B. Dunlop of Dunedin (his 5th title).^[7]

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup:Lucky Jack - 2nd win ^[8]
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Marlene ^[9]

Rugby union

Category:Rugby union in New Zealand, Category:All Blacks

• Ranfurly Shield

Rugby league

New Zealand national rugby league team

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Waterside of Wellington who beat Western of Christchurch 4—2 in the final.^[10]
• Provincial league champions: ^[11]
  • Auckland: Ponsonby AFC
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier Utd
  • Nelson: YMCA
  • Otago: Mosgiel
  • South Canterbury: Old Boys
  • Southland: Mataura
  • Waikato: Rotowaro
  • Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
  • Wellington: Petone Football Club

Births

• 20 January: Ken Comber, politician.
• 27 February: Don McKinnon, deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Commonwealth Secretary-General.
• 10 April (in England): Michael Cox, politician.
• 24 April: Fergie McCormick, rugby union player.
• 16 September: Tony Davies, rugby union player.
• 23 September: Hugh Williams, High Court judge.
• 4 October: Ivan Mauger, motorcycle speedway champion.
• 29 October: Michael Smither, painter.
• 18 October: Peter Brown, politician.
• 29 October: Douglas Myers, businessman.
• 24 November: Bob Jones, businessman.
• Raymond Ching, painter.
• Syd Jackson, political activist.
• (in England): Dylan Taite, music journalist.
• Philip Temple, writer.
• David Walter, mayor of Stratford.

Category:1939 births

Deaths

• 16 March: George Mitchell, soldier and politician
• 26 April: Ted Howard, politician.
• 26 July: Thomas William "Torpedo Billy" Murphy, boxer.^[12]
• 27 July: Malcolm Champion, swimmer.
• 23 August: Robin Hyde, writer.
• 18 September: T. W. Ratana, prophet.
• 3 November: David McLaren, politician.

Category:1939 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

References

External links

Media related to 1939 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons