Population

• Estimated Population as of 31 December: 1,631,200
• Increase since 31/12/1940: -2400 (-0.15%)
• Males per 100 Females: 96.1
• The scheduled census
  New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings
  The New Zealand government department Statistics New Zealand conducts a census of population and dwellings every five years. The census scheduled for 2011 was cancelled due to circumstances surrounding the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, however, and legislation introduced to hold the next...
  
   was not held due to World War II

Regal and Vice Regal

• Head of State
  Head of State
  A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
  
   - George VI
  George VI of the United Kingdom
  George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
  
  
• Governor-General
  Governor-General of New Zealand
  The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
  
   - The Viscount Galway
  George Monckton-Arundell, 8th Viscount Galway
  -External links:* by the office of the Governor-General...
  
  GCMG
  Order of St Michael and St George
  The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
  
   DSO
  Distinguished Service Order
  The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
  
   OBE
  Order of the British Empire
  The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
  
   PC
  Privy Council of the United Kingdom
  Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
  
  , succeeded same year by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Cyril Newall
  Cyril Newall, 1st Baron Newall
  Marshal of the Royal Air Force Cyril Louis Norton Newall, 1st Baron Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM , was a British soldier and airman, who headed the Royal Air Force as the Chief of the Air Staff during the early part of the Second World War before serving as the sixth Governor-General of New Zealand...
  
  GCB
  Order of the Bath
  The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
  
   OM
  Order of Merit
  The Order of Merit is a British dynastic order recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture...
  
   GCMG
  Order of St Michael and St George
  The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
  
   CBE
  Order of the British Empire
  The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
  
   AM
  Order of Australia
  The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
  
  

Government

• Speaker of the House
  Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
  In New Zealand the Speaker of the House of Representatives is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body, the New Zealand House of Representatives...
  
   - Bill Barnard
  Bill Barnard
  William Edward Barnard CBE was a New Zealand politician. He was a member of Parliament from 1928 until 1943, and was its Speaker from 1936 till 1943. He was known for his association with John A. Lee, a prominent left-wing politician.-Early life:Barnard was born in Carterton, a town in the...
  
  (Democratic Labour Party
  Democratic Labour Party (New Zealand)
  The Democratic Labour Party was a left-wing political party in New Zealand in the 1940s. It was a splinter from the larger Labour Party, and was led by the prominent socialist John A. Lee.-Party history:...
  
  )
• Prime Minister
  Prime Minister of New Zealand
  The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
  
   - Peter Fraser
• Minister of Finance
  Minister of Finance (New Zealand)
  The Minister of Finance is a senior figure within the government of New Zealand. The position is often considered to be the most important Cabinet role after that of the Prime Minister....
  
   - Walter Nash
  Walter Nash
  Sir Walter Nash, GCMG, CH served as the 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960, and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance...
  
  
• Minister of Foreign Affairs
  Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand)
  The Minister of Foreign Affairs is a major ministerial portfolio in the government of New Zealand.The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Murray McCully, who was National Party Spokeperson of Foreign Affairs and Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs. There are also Associate Minister roles...
  
   - Frank Langstone
  Frank Langstone
  Frank Langstone was a New Zealand Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and High Commissioner to Canada.-Member of Parliament:...
  
  
• Attorney-General
  Attorney-General (New Zealand)
  The Attorney-General is a political office in New Zealand. It is simultaneously a ministerial position and an administrative office, and has responsibility for supervising New Zealand law and advising the government on legal matters...
  
   - Rex Mason
  Rex Mason
  Henry Greathead Rex Mason was a New Zealand politician. He served as Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, and Minister of Native Affairs, and had a significant influence on the direction of the Labour Party...
  
  

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition
  Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)
  The Leader of the Opposition in New Zealand is the politician who, at least in theory, commands the support of the non-government bloc of members in the New Zealand Parliament. In the debating chamber the Leader of the Opposition sits directly opposite the Prime Minister...
  
   - Sidney Holland
  Sidney Holland
  Sir Sidney George Holland, GCMG, CH was the 25th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957.-Early life:...
  
  (National Party
  New Zealand National Party
  The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
  
  ).

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland
  Mayor of Auckland
  The Mayor of Auckland is the directly elected head of the Auckland Council, the local government authority for the Auckland region in New Zealand...
  
   - Ernest Davis
  Ernest Hyam Davis
  Sir Ernest Hyam Davies was a New Zealand businessman, and was Mayor of Auckland City, New Zealand from 1935 to 1941. He was also on other Auckland local bodies and on various philanthropic and sporting organisations...
  
  then John Allum
  John Allum
  Sir John Andrew Charles Allum was a New Zealand businessman and engineer, and was Mayor of Auckland City from 1941 to 1953.He was born in London and educated at Goldsmiths College. An electrical engineer, he founded Allum Electrical in Auckland in 1922.He was on the Auckland City Council from 1920...
  
  
• Mayor of Hamilton
  Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand
  The Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand is the head of the municipal government of Hamilton, New Zealand, and presides over the Hamilton City Council.In the 2010 Local Government elections, Julie Hardaker was elected as mayor, defeating incumbent Bob Simcock....
  
   - Harold Caro
• Mayor of Wellington
  Mayor of Wellington
  The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of Wellington, New Zealand, and presides over the Wellington City Council. The Mayor of Wellington administers only Wellington City itself — other municipalities in adjacent areas of the Wellington Region such as Lower Hutt, Upper...
  
   - Thomas Hislop
  Thomas Charles Atkinson Hislop
  Thomas Charles Atkinson Hislop was the Mayor of Wellington from 1931 to 1944.He was a Wellington City Councillor from 1913 to 1915, when he resigned to serve in the Wellington Regiment in World War I. He became a Councillor again from 1927 to 1931, and then Mayor from 1931 to 1945.He was the...
  
  
• Mayor of Christchurch
  Mayor of Christchurch
  The Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system...
  
   - Robert M. Macfarlane then Ernest Andrews
  Ernest Andrews
  Sir Ernest Herbert Andrews was Mayor of Christchurch from 1941 until his retirement in 1950. He had served continuously on Christchurch City Council since 1919.- Early years :...
  
  
• Mayor of Dunedin
  Mayor of Dunedin
  The Mayor of Dunedin is the head of the municipal government of Dunedin, New Zealand, and presides over the Dunedin City Council. The Mayor is directly elected, using the Single Transferable Vote system in 2007....
  
   - Andrew Allen

Events

• 16 January: formation of the New Zealand Women's Auxiliary Air Force
• March: 2NZEF
  New Zealand Expeditionary Force
  The New Zealand Expeditionary Force was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight for Britain during World War I and World War II. Ultimately, the NZEF of World War I was known as the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force...
  
   deployed to northern Greece and were soon involved in the Battle of Greece
  Battle of Greece
  The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
  
  .

• 24 April - 30 April: New Zealand forces evacuated from mainland Greece
  Greece
  Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
  
   to Crete
  Crete
  Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
  
  .
• 20 May - 1 June: Battle of Crete
  Battle of Crete
  The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
  
   - New Zealand forces suffer heavy losses: 671 dead, 967 wounded, 2,180 captured. On the first day of the German invasion, Charles Upham
  Charles Upham
  Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham VC and Bar was a New Zealand soldier who earned the Victoria Cross twice during the Second World War: in Crete in May 1941, and at Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt, in July 1942...
  
   wins the V.C
  Victoria Cross
  The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
  
  
• 8 October: four police officers and three civilians are shot and killed at Kowhitirangi, near Hokitika, by Stanley Graham
  Stanley Graham
  Eric Stanley George Graham was a New Zealand mass murderer who killed seven people.-Early life:Graham was born and raised in Longford, Kokatahi, New Zealand. He then moved to Kowhitirangi, an agricultural district 12 miles from Hokitika in the South Island where he worked as a farmer and where he...
  
  
• 7 December Hawaii bombed in a surprise attack by Japanese carrier forces on the US Navy.
• 8 December New Zealand declares war on Japan in response to Japanese attack on the United States.
• 10 December British battlecruiser HMS Repulse
  HMS Repulse (1916)
  HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
  
   and battleship HMS Prince of Wales
  HMS Prince of Wales (1939)
  HMS Prince of Wales was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy, built at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, England...
  
   sunk by Japanese torpedo planes, effectively taking Britain out of the sea war in the Pacific.

Film

Appointments and awards

• Archbishop of New Zealand
  Archbishop of New Zealand
  The Archbishop of New Zealand is the primate, or head, of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. However, since Whakahuihui Vercoe stepped down at the end of his two-year term as archbishop in 2006, the church has decided that three bishops shall share the position and style of...
  
  
• Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
  Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
  The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia is a church of the Anglican Communion serving New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands...
  
   , see appointments to Diocese

• The 50th National Chess Championship was held in Timaru, and was won by P. Allerhand of Wellington.

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup
  New Zealand Trotting Cup
  The New Zealand Trotting Cup or New Zealand Cup is a Group One harness race held annually by the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is considered the country's most prestigious harness racing event. the prize was NZ$750,000, the largest prize for a...
  
  : Josedale Grattan
• Auckland Trotting Cup
  Auckland Trotting Cup
  The Auckland Trotting Cup or Auckland Cup is a race held at Alexandra Park in March in Auckland, New Zealand for Standardbred horses. It is one of two major harness races, along with the New Zealand Cup, held in New Zealand each year. It is notable as it is a Group 1 championship race over...
  
  : Uenuku