1961 in New Zealand

Population

* Estimated Population as of 31 December: 2,461,300 http://www.stats.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/24107FC8-E7B5-4CF2-B17C-15E31CCA7D05/0/HistoricalPop.xls]
* Increase since 31/12/1960: 57,700 (2.40%)
* Males per 100 Females: 101.2

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

*Head of State - Queen Elizabeth II
*Governor-General - The Viscount Cobham GCMG TD. [Statistics New Zealand: "New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990". ISSN 0078-0170 page 52]

Government

*Speaker of the House - Ronald Algie. Lambert & Palenski: "The New Zealand Almanac", 1982. ISBN 0908570554]
*Prime Minister - Keith Holyoake
*Deputy Prime Minister - Jack Marshall.
*Minister of Finance - Harry Lake.
*Minister of Foreign Affairs - Keith Holyoake.
*Attorney-General - Ralph Hanan.

Parliamentary opposition

* Leader of the Opposition - Walter Nash (Labour) [Cite web|url=http://www.elections.org.nz/democracy/leaders-opposition.html|title=Elections NZ - Leaders of the Opposition|accessdate=2008-04-06]

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 - Thomas Kay Stuart Sidey

Events

January

*The Ohakuri hydroelectric power plant starts operation.

February

March

April

June

July

August

eptember

October

* 12 October Ten National MPs voted with the Opposition to remove capital punishment for murder from the Crimes Bill that the Second National Government had introduced, by a vote of 41 to 30.

November

December

Arts and literature

*John Caselburg wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

See 1961 in art, 1961 in literature,

Music

See: 1961 in music

Radio and Television

* Auckland television is extended to seven nights a week, two and a half hours a night. On 4 April, Auckland television went commercial. [http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz/pdf/tvnz_timeline.pdf]
* Television transmission began in Christchurch (a year later than Auckland) on 1 June 1961 and Wellington followed four weeks later. [http://corporate.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_detail/0,2406,111544-247-252,00.html]

See: 1961 in New Zealand television, 1961 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, , , Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: , 1961 in film , List of New Zealand feature films , Cinema of New Zealand,

Appointments and awards

See: New Zealand Order of Merit , Order of New Zealand
*Archbishop of New Zealand
*Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia , see appointments to Diocese

port

:See: 1961 in sports,
*Athletics:Barry Magee wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:18:54.2 on March 4 in Christchurch.
*Rugby: , , Bledisloe Cup , Ranfurly Shield
*Cricket: Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team ,
*Golf: New Zealand Open , Check in overseas tourniments.
*Horse racing: See , list winners.
*Rugby league New Zealand national rugby league team ,
*Netball: Silver Ferns , Netball World Championships
*Soccer: New Zealand Football Championship , New Zealand National Soccer League , New Zealand national soccer team , Chatham Cup ,
*Basketball: Tall Blacks
*Other Sports

Births

* 10 May: Blyth Tait, equestrian.
* 26 June: David White, cricketer.
* 9 August: John Key, politician.
* 12 August: Mark Priest, cricketer.
* 5 October: David Kirk, rugby player and business executive.
* 5 October: Derek Stirling, cricketer.
* October 10: Gary Hurring, swimmer.
* 31 October: Peter Jackson, filmmaker.
* November 28: Bruce Derlin, tennis player.
* 9 December: Ian Wright, rower.
* 26 December: Temuera Morrison, actor.

* Bill English, politician.
* Michael Hight, painter.
* Willie Jackson, politician and broadcaster.
* Grant Lingard, artist.
* Anthony McCarten, playwright and novellist.

Deaths

* 25 June: Jack Lamason, cricketer.
* 5 August: Sidney Holland, 25th Prime Minister of New Zealand.
* 8 November: Frederick Vincent Ellis, artist.
* 14 December: William Duncan, rugby union player.

* Mary Dreaver, politician.

References

ee also

*List of years in New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand history
*History of New Zealand
*Military history of New Zealand
*Timeline of environmental history of New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

"For world events and topics in 1961 not specifically related to New Zealand see": 1961