1940 in New Zealand

← 1939 1938 1937 1940 in New Zealand → 1941 1942 1943
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

The following lists events that happened during 1940 in New Zealand.

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,633,600. ^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1939: -8000 (−0.49%). ^[1]
• Males per 100 females: 99.1. ^[1]

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 then Peter Fraser
• Minister of Finance – Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Michael Joseph Savage then Frank Langstone
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason
• Chief Justice – Sir Michael Myers

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Adam Hamilton (National Party) until 26 November, then Sidney Holland (National). ^[3]

Main centre leaders

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

Events

The state funeral procession for Michael Joseph Savage, April 1940

• 25 March: John A. Lee is expelled from the governing Labour caucus following his outspoken criticism of dying leader Michael Joseph Savage
• 27 March: New Zealand's first Labour Prime Minister, Michael Joseph Savage dies from cancer in Wellington.
• 19 June: The liner RMS Niagara is sunk by a mine laid by the German auxiliary cruiser Orion off Whangarei. She was carrying British gold destined for America.
• 12 July: Pan American Airways flying boat service from Hawaii to Auckland via Canton Island (not Kingman Reef) commences.
• 14 December: The Canterbury Pioneer Women's Memorial was formally opened.
• German surface raiders operated in New Zealand waters in 1940 and 1941, sinking four ships.

Arts and literature

See 1940 in art, 1940 in literature

Music

See: 1940 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

• Rewi's Last Stand (1940)
• One Hundred Crowded Years

See: Category:1940 film awards, 1940 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1940 films

Sport

Chess

• The 49th National Chess Championship was held in Wellington, and was won by John Dunlop of Dunedin (his 6th and last title). ^[4]

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Marlene ^[5]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Ned Worthy ^[6]

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Wellington. ^[7]

• Men's singles champion – G.A. Deare (Carlton Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – L.G. Donaldson, Bill Bremner (skip) (West End Bowling Club, Auckland)
• Men's fours champions – Bill Whittaker, J.W.T. Macklow, Alec Robertson, Frank Livingstone (skip) (Onehunga Bowling Club)

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Waterside who beat Mosgiel 6–2 in the final. ^[8]
• Provincial league champions: ^[9]
  • Auckland: Comrade
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
  • Nelson: No competition
  • Otago: Mosgiel
  • South Canterbury: No competition
  • Southland: No competition
  • Taranaki: RNZAF
  • Waikato: No competition
  • Wanganui: Technical College Old Boys
  • Wellington: Waterside

Births

• 12 January: Dick Motz, cricketer (d. 2007)
• 13 February: Stan Rodger, politician (d. 2022)
• 17 February: James Laurenson, actor (d. 2024)
• 23 March: Brian Hastings, cricketer (d. 2024)
• 14 April: Robin Tait, discus thrower (d. 1984)
• 7 June: Felicity Riddy, author and academic
• 10 June (in the USA): Augie Auer, meteorologist (d. 2007)
• 23 June: Mike Shrimpton, cricketer (d. 2015)
• 1 July (in Australia): Judith Binney, historian (d. 2011)
• 8 July: Waka Nathan, rugby union player (d. 2021)
• 15 July: Ian Athfield, architect (d. 2007)
• 11 August: Glenys Page, cricketer (d. 2012)
• 31 August: Maurice (John) Belgrave, public servant and chief ombudsman (d. 2007)
• 3 September: Brian Lochore, rugby player (d. 2019)
• 18 September
  • Bruce Murray cricketer
  • Jon Trimmer, ballet dancer.
• 24 September: Don Brash, Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, politician
• 6 October: Merv Wellington, politician (d. 2003)
• 24 October: Martin Campbell, film and TV director
• date unknown
  • David Baragwanath, High Court judge.
  • Robyn Donald, writer.
  • Tessa Duder, writer.
  • Joe Hawke, politician.
• Michael Jackson, poet, anthropologist
  • Maurice McTigue, politician and diplomat.

Deaths

• 12 January: Taurekareka Henare , politician.
• 27 March: Michael Joseph Savage , Prime Minister.
• 28 May: Florence Young , missionary.
• 6 June: F.O. Edgar "Cobber" Kain , first RAF ace of WWII.
• 17 November: Frank Moore , political activist.
• Hannah Retter , New Zealand centenarian (born 1839) ^[10]

See also

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

For world events and topics in 1940 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1940

References

1. "Historical population estimates tables". Statistics New Zealand. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017.
2. Statistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
3. "Elections NZ – Leaders of the Opposition". Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
4. List of New Zealand Chess Champions Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
5. "List of NZ Trotting cup winners". Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
6. Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz Archived 17 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
7. McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Bowls, men's outdoor—tournament winners". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
8. Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com Archived 14 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
9. "New Zealand: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 1999.
10. Dreaver, Anthony. "Hannah Retter". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 23 April 2017.

External links

Media related to 1940 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons