1948 in New Zealand

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,853,900.^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1947: 36,400 (2.00%).^[1]
• Males per 100 females: 100.5.^[1]

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

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

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

• 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

• 31 May – Tea rationing, introduced in June 1942, is abolished.^[4][5]
• 27 August – Sugar rationing, introduced in April 1942, is abolished.^[4][6]
• 6 September – New Zealand citizenship is established. Before this date, New Zealand residents were British citizens or subjects.^[7]
• 27 September – Meat rationing, introduced in March 1944, is abolished. Butter remains the sole food product still under rationing.^[8][9][10]
• 20 November – Two takahē are discovered after being declared extinct for 50 years.^[11]
• The Marlborough Press, which was founded in 1860, is taken over by The Marlborough Express.^[12]
• Italy establishes a consulate in Wellington.^[13]

See 1948 in art, 1948 in literature

See: 1948 in music

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

See: Category:1948 film awards, 1948 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1948 films

The national championships are held at a single venue for the first time replacing the previous postal shoot.^[14][15]

National Champions

• Open Men – H. Butel (Dunedin)
• Open Women – Doreen Johnston (Dunedin)

• Jack Clarke wins the national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:44:06 in Dunedin.

• Interpovincial Champions: Men – Palmerston North
• Interpovincial Champions: Women – Palmerston North

• The 55th National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by R.G. Wade of Wellington (his 3rd win).^[16]

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Highland Fling (2nd win)^[17]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Captain Sandy^[18]

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin.^[19]

• Men's singles champion – S. Marriott (Opawa Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – M.A. Marinovich, S. Garelja (skip) (Oratia Bowling Club)
• Men's fours champions – J.W.T. Macklow, Frank Livingstone, Alec Robertson, J.H. Mingins (skip) (Onehunga Bowling Club)

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
0	0	0	0

• New Zealand is represented by seven competitors in athletics, boxing, cycling, swimming and weightlifting. There are no medal successes.

Category:Rugby union in New Zealand, Category:All Blacks

• Ranfurly Shield

New Zealand national rugby league team

• Ballinger Belt – William Masefield (Blenheim)^[20]

• The Chatham Cup is won by Technical Old Boys of Christchurch who beat Waterside of Wellington 2–0 in the final.^[21]
• An Australian side toured New Zealand, playing four internationals:^[22]
  • 14 August, Wellington: NZ 0–6 Australia
  • 28 August, Christchurch: NZ 0–7 Australia
  • 4 September, Wellington: NZ 0–4 Australia
  • 11 September, Auckland: NZ 1–8 Australia
• Provincial league champions:^[23]
  • Auckland: Eastern Suburbs
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
  • Nelson: Nelson United
  • Otago: Mosgiel
  • South Canterbury: Fisherman
  • Southland: Invercargill United
  • Taranaki: Stratford
  • Waikato: Rotowaro
  • Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
  • Wellington: Waterside

• 6 January: Dayle Hadlee, cricketer.^[24]
• 16 January: Dalvanius Prime, entertainer.^[25]
• 17 January: Billy T. James, comedian.
• 7 February: Richard Prebble, politician.^[26]
• 27 February: Michael Baigent, author and conspiracy theorist.^[27]
• 2 April (in Scotland): Sam Malcolmson, soccer player.^[28]
• 25 May: Mac Price, diplomat.^[29]
• 3 July: Richard Worth, politician.
• 22 July: Kevin Ryan, long-distance runner.
• 29 July: John Clarke, actor, best known in New Zealand for Fred Dagg.
• 6 September: Kevin Towns, field hockey player and coach.
• 1 October: Peter Blake, yachtsman.
• 2 October: Robert Anderson, cricketer.
• 24 October: Ray Ahipene-Mercer, musician, politician.
• 4 November: Alexis Hunter, painter.
• 13 November: Lockwood Smith, politician.
• 15 November: David Caygill, politician.
• Sue Kedgley, politician.
• Bruce Lynch, musician.
• Grahame Sydney, painter.
• Sue Wood, politician.

• 16 May: John Gordon Eliott, former Reform MP
• 16 June: Lavinia Jane Kelsey, kindergarten founder and teacher
• 25 September: George Davidson, olympic sprinter.^[30]
• 9 October: Edmund Anscombe, architect.^[31]
• 20 December: Fanny Irvine-Smith, teacher and writer
• 21 December: Fred Bartram, former Labour MP