1940 in New Zealand

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

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,633,600 ^[1]
• Increase since 31/12/1939: -8000 (-0.49%)
• Males per 100 females: 99.1

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

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.
• 12 July: Pan American Airways flying boat service from Hawaii to Auckland via Canton Island (not Kingman Reef) commences.

Arts and literature

See 1940 in art, 1940 in literature, Category:1940 books

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 J.B. 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]

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Waterside who beat Mosgiel 6—2 in the final.^[7]
• Provincial league champions: ^[8]
  • 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.
• 17 February: James Laurenson, actor.
• 23 March: Brian Hastings, cricketer
• 14 April: Robin Tait, discus thrower (d. 1984)
• 7 June: Felicity Riddy, author and academic
• 10 June (in the USA): Augie Auer, meteorologist.
• 23 June: Mike Shrimpton, cricketer.
• 1 July (in Australia): Judith Binney, historian.
• 15 July: Ian Athfield, architect.
• 31 August: Maurice (John) Belgrave, public servant and chief ombudsman.
• 3 September: Brian Lochore, rugby player
• 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.
• 24 October: Martin Campbell, film and TV director.
• date unknown
  • David Baragwanath, High Court judge.
  • Robyn Donald, writer.
  • Tessa Duder, writer.
  • Joe Hawke, politician.

Category:1940 births

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.

Category:1940 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

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

References

External links

Media related to 1940 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons