1958 in New Zealand

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,316,000.^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1957: 53,200 (2.35%).^[1]
• Males per 100 females: 101.3.^[1]

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – The Viscount Cobham GCMG TD.^[2]

The 32nd New Zealand Parliament commenced. In power was the newly elected Labour government led by Walter Nash.

• Speaker of the House – Robert Macfarlane.^[3]
• Prime Minister – Walter Nash.
• Deputy Prime Minister – Jerry Skinner.^[3]
• Minister of Finance – Arnold Nordmeyer.^[3]
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Walter Nash.^[3]
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason.^[3]
• Chief Justice — Sir Harold Barrowclough

• Leader of the Opposition – Keith Holyoake (National).^[4]

• Mayor of Auckland – Keith Buttle
• Mayor of Hamilton – Roderick Braithwaite
• Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
• Mayor of Christchurch – Robert Macfarlane then George Manning
• Mayor of Dunedin – Leonard Morton Wright

• 26 June – 'Black Budget', raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol and petrol, passed by second Labour government.^{[citation needed]}
• June – New Zealand's first supermarket, Foodtown, opens at Ōtāhuhu.^{[citation needed]}
• 3 September – Brian Barratt-Boyes performs New Zealand's first open heart surgery at Auckland's Green Lane Hospital.^[5]
• 29 September – The emergency number 111 for fire, police and ambulance is introduced; initially only in Masterton and Carterton.^{[citation needed]}
• 19 October - A march of over six thousand people is held in Paraparaumu to mark the construction of the Our Lady of Lourdes statue.^[6]
• 15 November - The Wairakei Power Station is commissioned. It is New Zealand's first geothermal power station, and only the second large-scale geothermal power station in the world.^[7]
• United States base for Operation Deep Freeze is established at Christchurch Airport.^{[citation needed]}

• The Robert Burns Fellowship is established to honour the bicentenary of the poet's birth.

See 1958 in art, 1958 in literature, Robert Burns Fellowship, Category:1958 books

See: 1958 in music

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

• 17 March – Radio station 2XB (later 2ZD) launches in Masterton on 840 kHz.^[8]

See: Category:1958 film awards, 1958 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1958 films

• Ray Puckett wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:37:28 in Lower Hutt.

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
4	6	9	19

• The 65th National Chess Championship was held in Christchurch, and was won by J.R. Phillips of Auckland.^[9]

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – False Step^[10]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Macklin^[11]

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Christchurch.^[12]

• Men's singles champion – Phil Skoglund (Northern Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – C.J. Rogers, James Pirret (skip) (Tuakau Bowling Club)
• Men's fours champions – W.H. Woods, L.G. Donaldson, A. Connew, Pete Skoglund (skip) (Carlton Bowling Club)

• The All Blacks played three Test matches against the touring Australian side, retaining the Bledisloe Cup:^[13]
  • 23 August, Athletic Park (Wellington), Wellington: New Zealand 25 – 3 Australia
  • 6 September, Lancaster Park, Christchurch: New Zealand 3 – 6 Australia
  • 20 September, Epsom Showgrounds, Auckland: New Zealand 17 – 8 Australia

• The national men's team played seven matches including five internationals:^[14]
  • 16 August, Wellington: NZ 2 – 3 Australia
  • 23 August, Auckland: NZ 2 – 2 Australia
  • 26 August, Hamilton: NZ 3 – 0 Waikato XI
  • 31 August, Nouméa: NZ 2 – 1 New Caledonia
  • 7 September, Nouméa: NZ 5 – 1 New Caledonia
  • 14 September, Nouméa: NZ 2 – 1 New Caledonia
  • 18 September, Auckland: NZ 1 – 1 Auckland
• The Chatham Cup was won by Seatoun for the second consecutive year. They beat Christchurch city 7–1 in the final.^[15]
• Provincial league champions:^[16]
  • Auckland: Onehunga
  • Bay of Plenty: Rangers
  • Buller: Millerton Thistle
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier Athletic
  • Manawatu: Kiwi United
  • Marlborough: Spartans
  • Nelson: Settlers
  • Northland: Marlin Rovers
  • Otago: Northern AFC
  • Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
  • South Canterbury: West End
  • Southland: Brigadiers
  • Taranaki: City
  • Waikato: Hamilton Technical OB
  • Wairarapa: Masterton Athletic
  • Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
  • Wellington: Seatoun AFC

• 1 January: Lesley Murdoch, cricketer^[17]
• 7 February: Simon Upton, politician
• 30 March: Peter Ellis, convicted for child abuse
• 15 April: John Bracewell, cricket player and coach
• 16 May (in the U.S.A.): Thomas "Tab" Baldwin, basketball coach
• 27 May: Neil Finn, singer, songwriter
• 13 September: Philippa Werry, writer^[18]
• 14 September: Jeff Crowe, cricketer
• 27 September: Mitch Shirra, motorcycle speedway rider
• 17 November:
  • Frank van Hattum, soccer player
  • Glenn Dods, soccer player
• 23 November: Martin Snedden, cricketer and sports administrator
• 30 November: Barry Cooper, cricketer
• 2 December: Roger Sowry, politician
• A J Hackett, extreme sports entrepreneur
• (in Zambia): Vicky Jones, children's author
• Pio Terei, actor, singer and comedian
• Jools and Lynda Topp (the Topp Twins), entertainers
• Jane Wrightson, chief censor

Category:1958 births