1952 in New Zealand

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,024,600.^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1951: 54,100 (2.75%).^[1]
• Males per 100 females: 101.1.^[1]

• Head of State – George VI followed by Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg VC, CGMG, KCB, Three Bars, KStJ^[2] followed by Lieutenant-General The Lord Norrie GCMG GCVO CB DSO MC

The 30th New Zealand Parliament continued. In power was the National government under Sidney Holland.

• Speaker of the House – Mathew Oram
• Prime Minister – Sidney Holland
• Deputy Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake
• Minister of Finance – Sidney Holland
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Clifton Webb
• Chief Justice — Sir Humphrey O'Leary

• Leader of the Opposition – Walter Nash (Labour).^[3]

• Mayor of Auckland – John Allum
• Mayor of Hamilton – Harold David Caro
• Mayor of Wellington – Robert Macalister
• Mayor of Christchurch – Robert Macfarlane
• Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright

• 6 February – George VI dies and is succeeded by Elizabeth II as Queen of New Zealand

See 1952 in art, 1952 in literature, Category:1952 books

See: 1952 in music

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

• Broken Barrier

See: Category:1952 film awards, 1952 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1952 films

• Jack Clarke wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:38:42 on 1 March in Wanganui.

• The 59th National Chess Championship was held in Napier, and was won by Ortvin Sarapu of Christchurch (his first title).^[4]

Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Mobile Globe^[5]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Soangetaha (2nd win)^[6]

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin.^[7]

• Men's singles champion – Frank Livingstone (Onehunga Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – R.K. Aitchison, E. Ravenwood (skip) (North-East Valley Bowling Club)
• Men's fours champions – N.M. Johnston, W.J. Ashton, M.J. Squire, K.S. Ewing (skip) (Stratford Bowling Club)

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	0	2	3

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
0	0	0	0

• New Zealand sends a team to the Winter Olympics for the first time.

• The Chatham Cup was shared by the finalists North Shore United and Western (Christchurch) after the extra time score (1–1) and all criteria for deciding a winner at that time were equal.^[8]
• The national men's soccer team toured to the Pacific, playing 10 matches, 5 of which were internationals:^[9]
  • 31 August, Suva: NZ 1 – 0 Suva
  • 3 September, Suva: NZ 8 – 3 Southern Districts
  • 7 September, Suva: NZ 2 – 0 Fiji
  • 9 September, Lautoka: NZ 0 – 0 Lautoka
  • 11 September, Lautoka: NZ 5 – 0 Northern Districts
  • 14 September, Lautoka: NZ 9 – 0 Fiji
  • 16 September, Suva: NZ 5 – 2 Fiji
  • 21 September, Papeete: NZ 2 – 2 Tahiti
  • 25 September, Fautaua: NZ 7 – 1 Chinese Selection
  • 28 September, Papeete NZ 5 – 3 Tahiti
• Provincial league champions:^[10]
  • Auckland: Eastern Suburbs AFC
  • Canterbury: Technical OB
  • Hawke's Bay: West End
  • Manawatu: Palmerston North United
  • Nelson: Settlers
  • Northland: Otangarei United
  • Otago: Northern AFC
  • Poverty Bay: Thistle
  • South Canterbury: Thistle
  • Southland: Brigadiers
  • Taranaki: Overseas
  • Waikato: Pukemiro Junction
  • Wairarapa: Masterton B
  • Wanganui: Technical College Old Boys
  • Wellington: Petone

• 12 January: John Walker, athlete.
• 4 February: Jenny Shipley Prime Minister.^[11]
• 14 February: Les Wilson, field hockey goalkeeper.
• Vincent Burke, NZ television producer.
• 19 March: Warren Lees, cricket player and coach.
• 22 March: Rod Millen, motor rally driver.
• 7 April: Alan Niven, songwriter, record producer, manager.
• 21 June: Jeremy Coney, cricket captain.
• 25 June: Tim Finn, singer, songwriter and musician.
• 20 July: Ian Ferguson, kayaker.
• 8 August: Sandra Lee-Vercoe, politician and diplomat.
• 2 September: Chris Knox, singer-songwriter.
• 8 September: Graham Mourie, rugby player.
• 14 September: Neil McLeod, field hockey player.
• 3 October: Gary Troup, cricketer.
• 20 October: Michael Houstoun, concert pianist.
• 31 December: Vaughan Jones, mathematician.
• John Badcock, painter.
• Sue Bradford, politician.
• Stevan Eldred-Grigg, writer and historian.
• (in England): David Fletcher, cartoonist.
• Tame Iti, activist.
• Linda Jones (jockey), thoroughbred horse racing jockey
• Sukhi Turner, Mayor of Dunedin.
• Marilyn Waring, feminist academic and politician.

• 29 April: Adam Hamilton, politician.
• 1 May: Hon. Thomas Otto Bishop MLC, politician.
• 6 May: Sir Oswald Birley, painter (in England).
• 5 August:John Robertson, politician.
• 13 August: Frederick de Jersey Clere, architect.
• 20 August: Lionel Terry, convicted murderer, white supremacist.
• 24 August: Alexander Harris, politician
• 17 September Carl Axel Björk, whaler, goldminer and character.^[12]
• 12 October: Te Puea Herangi, Māori leader.
• 17 November: Ben Roberts, New Zealand Labour MP
• 22 November: Ted Morgan, New Zealand boxer.
• 27 November: Bill Parry, politician.