1947 in New Zealand

← 1946 1945 1944 1947 in New Zealand → 1948 1949 1950
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 1947 in New Zealand.

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,817,500. ^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1946: 36,300 (2.04%). ^[1]
• Males per 100 females: 100.3. ^[1]

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – George VI
• Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg VC GCMG KCB KBE DSO ^[2]

Government

The 28th New Zealand Parliament continued, with the Labour Party in government.

• Speaker of the House – Robert McKeen (Labour)
• Prime Minister – Peter Fraser
• Minister of Finance – Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Peter Fraser
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason
• Chief Justice – Sir Humphrey O'Leary

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Sidney Holland (National Party). ^[3]

Main centre leaders

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

Events

• 19 January –The TSMV Wanganella, completing her first trans-tasman crossing since World War II, runs aground on Barrett Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour. All 400 passengers are safely evacuated. The ship is refloated on 6 February but is out of service for a further 22 months. ^[4]
• 6 February – First annual Waitangi Day ceremony held by New Zealand Navy in grounds of Treaty house, Waitangi.
• 6 March – The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra performs for the first time
• 26 March – A magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes east of Gisborne, causing a tsunami with a maximum run-up height of 10 metres.
• 1–29 April – A series of non-violent mutinies occur aboard ships and bases of the Royal New Zealand Navy
• 4 April – Horahora Power Station is decommissioned as the filling of Lake Karapiro floods the station.
• 21 April – The first generator at Karapiro Power Station is commissioned.
• 26 March – Another magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes east of Gisborne, causing a tsunami with a maximum run-up height of 6 metres.
• 18 November – 41 people die in a fire in the Ballantyne's department store in Christchurch.

• 25 November – The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947 was passed making New Zealand politically independent from the United Kingdom
• 1 December – Clothing rationing, introduced in May 1942, is abolished. ^[5]

Arts and literature

See 1947 in art, 1947 in literature

Music

See: 1947 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: Category:1947 film awards, 1947 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1947 films

Sport

Archery

National Champions (Postal Shoot) ^[6]

• Open Men – W. Burton (Gisborne)
• Open Women – G. Norris (Dunedin)

Athletics

• George Bromley wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:58:54 in Auckland.

Basketball

The first interprovincial championship for women is held. ^[7]

Interprovincial champions

• Men – Auckland
• Women – Wellington

Chess

• The 54th National Chess Championship was held in Palmerston North, and was won by T. Lepviikman of Wellington (his 2nd win). ^[8]

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Highland Fling ^[9]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Single Direct ^[10]

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Wellington. ^[11]

• Men's singles champion – S. Vella (Onehunga Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – W.R. Hawkins, Phil Exelby (skip) (Frankton Bowling Club)
• Men's fours champions – E.H. Crowley, E. Crowley, V.F. Hurlstone, G.A. Crowley (skip) (Tolaga Bay Bowling Club)

Rugby league

• New Zealand national rugby league team beat Wales 28-20

Soccer

• A South African team visited New Zealand and played four internationals: ^[12]
  • 28 June, Christchurch: NZ 5–6 South Africa
  • 5 July, Dunedin: NZ 0–6 South Africa
  • 12 July, Wellington: NZ 3–8 South Africa
  • 19 July, Auckland: NZ 1–4 South Africa
• The Chatham Cup is won by Waterside of Wellington who beat Technical Old Boys of Christchurch 2–1 in the final. ^[13]
• Provincial league champions: ^[14]
  • Auckland: North Shore United
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
  • Nelson: Nelson United
  • Otago: Mosgiel AFC
  • South Canterbury: Northern Hearts
  • Southland: Invercargill Thistle
  • Taranaki: Albion
  • Waikato: Claudelands Rovers
  • Wanganui: Technical College Old Boys
  • Wellington: Wellington Marist

Births

• 8 January: Luke Williams , wrestler
• 16 January: Gavan Herlihy , politician.
• 19 February: Tim Shadbolt , politician. (died 2026)
• 9 March
  • Keri Hulme , writer. (died 2021)
  • John Lister , golfer.
• 6 May: Alan Dale , actor.
• 6 May (in United Kingdom): Carl Doy , musician and composer.
• 6 May: Andrew Roberts , cricketer. (died 1989)
• 20 May: Margaret Wilson , politician.
• 27 May: Glenn Turner , cricketer.
• 1 June: Gaylene Preston , filmmaker
• 6 June: Patrick Power , tenor.
• 22 June: Murray Webb , cricketer and caricature artist.
• 27 August: John Morrison , cricketer.
• 2 September: Jim Richards , motor racing driver.
• 13 September: Annette King , politician.
• 14 September: Sam Neill , actor
• 22 September: David Trist , cricket player and coach. (died 2025)
• 11 December (in United Kingdom): David McGee , lawyer and public servant (died 2023)
• 18 December: Marian Hobbs , politician.

• Bill Hammond , painter. (died 2021)
• Michael Wintringham , public servant.

Category:1947 births

Deaths

• 17 January: Kahupāke Rongonui , tribal leader. ^[15]
• 10 February: Winter Hall , silent movie actor.
• 11 March: Duncan McGregor , rugby player.
• 24 April: Patrick O'Regan , lawyer, politician and judge.
• 13 May: Frances Hodgkins , painter.
• 17 May: George Forbes , 22nd Prime minister of New Zealand.
• 30 June: Robert Frederick Way , trade unionist and activist.
• 21 July: Agnes Fabish , domestic servant, farmer and homemaker. ^[16]
• 4 December: Margaret Butler , sculptor and artist.
• 6 December: Robert Wright , mayor of Wellington and politician.

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

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. nzhistory.net.nz
5. "RATIONING ENDS - ALL CLOTHING". Gisborne Herald . 1 December 1947. p. 6.
6. In a postal shoot clubs compete on specified dates and the results are posted to the Association.
7. Todd, S. (1976) Sporting Records of New Zealand. Auckland: Moa Publications. ISBN   0-908570-00-7
8. List of New Zealand Chess Champions Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
9. "List of NZ Trotting cup winners". Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
10. Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz Archived 17 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
11. 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.
12. List of New Zealand national soccer matches
13. Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com Archived 14 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
14. "New Zealand: List of champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 1999.
15. Taua, Te Warena. "Kahupake Rongonui". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 14 January 2012.
16. Fabish, Rod. "Agnes Fabish". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 8 November 2016.

External links

Media related to 1947 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons