1956 in New Zealand

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,209,200.^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1955: 44,400 (2.05%).^[1]
• Males per 100 females: 101.2.^[1]

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Norrie GCMG GCVO CB DSO MC.^[2]

The 31st New Zealand Parliament continued. In power was the National government under Sidney Holland.

• Speaker of the House – Mathew Oram^[3]
• Prime Minister – Sidney Holland.
• Deputy Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake.^[3]
• Minister of Finance – Jack Watts.^[3]
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Tom Macdonald.^[3]
• Attorney-General – Jack Marshall.^[3]
• Chief Justice — Sir Harold Barrowclough

• Leader of the Opposition – Walter Nash (Labour).^[4]

• Mayor of Auckland – John Luxford, followed by Thomas Ashby
• Mayor of Hamilton – Roderick Braithwaite
• Mayor of Wellington – Robert Macalister, followed by Frank Kitts
• Mayor of Christchurch – Robert M. Macfarlane
• Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright

• 8 March: Opo the friendly Dolphin dies in the Hokianga.
• 13 March – After 26 years playing international cricket the New Zealand wins its first ever test victory against the West Indies at Eden Park.
• New Zealand troops are sent to Malaya.
• Roxburgh Dam is opened.
• Temperzone manufacturing is founded.

See 1956 in art, 1956 in literature

See: 1956 in music

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

• 1 October – Radio station 4ZA launches in Invercargill on 820 kHz, supplementing station 4YZ.^[5]

See: Category:1956 film awards, 1956 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1956 films

• Albert Richards wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:31:46 in Christchurch.

• The 63rd National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by F.A. Foulds of Auckland.^[6]

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Thunder^[7]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Unite^[8]

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Dunedin.^[9]

• Men's singles champion – G.G. Littlejohn (Hutt Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – L.J. Hughes, E.H. Ravenwood (skip) (North-East Valley Bowling Club)
• Men's fours champions – P.C.F. Barrat, C.E. Tomlinson, L.J. Buckingham, Robbie Robson (skip) (Mangakino Bowling Club)

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2	0	0	2

• New Zealand did not participate in the 1956 Winter Olympics.

• The Chatham Cup is won by Stop Out (Lower Hutt) who beat Shamrock (soccer) of Christchurch 4–1 in the final.^[10]
• Provincial league champions:^[11]
  • Auckland: Onehunga
  • Bay of Plenty: Rangers
  • Buller: Millerton Thistle
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier Athletic
  • Manawatu: Kiwi United
  • Marlborough: Blenheim B
  • Nelson: Settlers
  • Northland: Kamo Swifts
  • Otago: Northern AFC
  • Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
  • South Canterbury: West End
  • Southland: Brigadiers
  • Taranaki: Moturoa
  • Waikato: Huntly Thistle
  • Wairarapa: No competition
  • Wanganui: Technical College Old Boys
  • Wellington: Stop Out

• 3 January: Judith Tizard, politician
• 6 January: Stephen Cox, cyclist
• 16 January: Mark Burton, politician
• 4 February: Gerry Brownlee, politician
• 16 February: Vincent Ward, film director
• 1 March: Mark Todd, equestrian eventer
• 3 March: John F. Reid, cricketer
• 13 April: Peter 'Possum' Bourne, rally driver
• 17 April: Jaynie Parkhouse, freestyle swimmer
• 26 April: Tinks Pottinger, equestrian eventer
• 8 May: Richard Wilson, soccer player
• 10 May: Chris Kuggeleijn, cricket player and coach
• 23 May: Mark Shaw, rugby union footballer and selector^[12]
• 18 August: Andrew Bennie, equestrian eventer
• 29 September: Jenny Morris, singer
• 8 November: Richard Curtis, screenwriter
• 23 November: Bruce Edgar, cricketer
• 12 December: Barry Pickering, soccer player
• 16 December: Rodney Hide, politician
• Chris Finlayson, politician
• James Belich, historian
• (in Paris, France) Christopher Marshall, composer
• Douglas Wright, dancer and choreographer