The following lists events that happened during 1938 in New Zealand.
Population Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,618,500. Increase since 31 December 1937: 16,500 (1.03%). Males per 100 females: 103.2.
Incumbents
Regal and viceregal Head of State – George VI Governor-General – The Viscount Galway GCMG DSO OBE PCStatistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
Government The 25th New Zealand Parliament continues with the Labour Party in government. The general election in October results in the Labour government being returned for the 26th New Zealand Parliament.
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 Chief Justice – Sir Michael Myers
Parliamentary opposition Leader of the Opposition – Adam Hamilton (National Party).
Main centre leaders Mayor of Auckland – Ernest Davis Mayor of Wellington – Thomas Hislop Mayor of Christchurch – John Beanland then Robert M. Macfarlane Mayor of Dunedin – Edwin Thomas Cox then Andrew Henson Allen
Events 19 February: 21 people working on the Wairoa-Gisborne railway are drowned when a flash flood hits a works camp at Kopuawhara near Mahia.nzhistory.net.nz The Times, formerly The Gisborne Times, is purchased by its opposition, The Poverty Bay Herald, which the following year becomes The Gisborne Herald.
Arts and literature
See 1938 in art, 1938 in literature, :Category:1938 books
Music
See: 1938 in music
Radio
See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand
10 October – Radio station 2ZA launches in Palmerston North on 1400 kHz.
Film New Zealand Review no.5, Mountain Holiday, See: :Category:1938 film awards, 1938 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :Category:1938 films
Sport
Basketball An interprovincial championship is held even though there is no national association at this time.Todd, S. (1976) Sporting Records of New Zealand. Auckland: Moa Publications. Interpovincial Champions – Men: Otago
British Empire Games
Total 5 7 13 25
Chess The 47th National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by S. Hindin of Christchurch.List of New Zealand Chess Champions
Golf The 28th New Zealand Open championship was won by A.D. Locke. The 42nd National Amateur Championships were held in Otago Men: JP.G.F. Smith (Akarana) Women – matchplay: Miss S. Collins Women – strokeplay: Mrs R. Fullerton-Smith
Horse racing
Harness racing New Zealand Trotting Cup – Morello Auckland Trotting Cup –Navy BlueAuckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz
Lawn bowls The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin. Men's singles champion – W.D. Bennett (Hastings Bowling Club) Men's pair champions – R.B. Clarke, C.E. Tyrrell (skip) (Roslyn Bowling Club) Men's fours champions – Stanley Snedden, F. Redpath, P. Munn, H. Wilson (skip) (Linwood Bowling Club)
Rugby :Category:Rugby union in New Zealand, :Category:All Blacks Ranfurly Shield
Rugby league New Zealand national rugby league team
Shooting Ballinger Belt – Robert Bodley (South Africa) Douglas Roots (Patea), second, top New Zealander Soccer The Chatham Cup is won by Waterside who beat Mosgiel 4–0 in the final.Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com Provincial league champions: Auckland: North Shore United Canterbury: Nomads United Hawke's Bay: Napier United Nelson: YMCA Otago: Mosgiel South Canterbury: Northern Southland: Invercargill Thistle Taranaki: Waitara Waikato: Hamilton Wanderers Wanganui: Marist Wellington: Waterside Karori
Births
21 January: Jim Anderton, politician. (died 2018). 11 February: Bevan Congdon, cricketer. (died 2018). 15 February: Russell Marshall, politician (died 2025). 24 February: Murray Hudson, soldier, winner of the George Cross. (died 1974). 26 May: Pauline Parker, convicted murderer. 11 July: Ron Sang, architect and art collector. (died 2021). 12 July: Stan Meads, rugby player. 24 July: John Sparling, cricketer. 29 July: Millie Khan, lawn bowler. (died 2003). 28 August: Aroha Reriti-Crofts, politician and community activist. (died 2022). 10 September: Colin Beyer, lawyer and businessman. (died 2015). 11 October: William Taylor, children's writer and politician. (died 2015). 12 October: Geoff Murphy, film director (died 2018). 28 October (in England): Anne Perry, convicted murderer. (died 2023) 29 October: Douglas Myers, businessman. (died 2017). 15 November: Peter Sinclair, radio and television host. (died 2001). 24 November: Wynne Bradburn, cricketer. (died 2008). 1 December: Bill Playle, cricketer. (died 2019). 2 December, Jonathan Hunt, politician and diplomat. (died 2024). 17 December: Sir Peter Snell, athlete. (died 2019). 18 December: Syd Jackson, political activist. (died 2007). 23 December: Sir Michael Hill, entrepreneur (died 2025).
Deaths 10 February: Sir Frederic Truby King, director of child welfare. (b. 1858) 22 February: Lindsay Buick, historian, journalist, politician. (b. 1865) 1 April: William Blomfield, cartoonist. (b. 1866) 12 July: Isabella Foster Rogers Kells, teacher, postmistress and community leader (b. 1861) 30 July: Alfred Brandon, Mayor of Wellington. (b. 1854) 15 December: James Whyte Kelly, politician. (b. 1855)
Full date unknown Eria Tutara-Kauika Raukura, tribal tohunga. (b. 1834)
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
External links