1944 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,676,300
• Increase since 31 December 1943: 34,300
• Males per 100 females: 94.3

  Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – George VI
• Governor-General – Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Cyril Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM

  Government

• Speaker of the House – Bill Schramm
• Prime Minister – Peter Fraser
• Minister of Finance – Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Peter Fraser
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason
• Chief Justice – Sir Michael Myers

  Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Sidney Holland.

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – John Allum
• Mayor of Hamilton – Harold Caro
• Mayor of Wellington – Thomas Hislop then Will Appleton
• Mayor of Christchurch – Ernest Andrews
• Mayor of Dunedin – Andrew Allen then Donald Cameron

  Events

• 21 January – New Zealand and Australia sign the Canberra Pact in which they agree to cooperate on international affairs.
• 15 March – New Zealand General Freyberg orders the destruction of the monastery at Cassino using 775 aircraft, 1250 tons of bombs, and 200,000 shells. At the end of the battle, New Zealand has lost 1050 men, one of the worst days in its history.
• March – Meat rationing is introduced, with an allowance of 1/9 to 2/- per person per week.
• 31 October – Refugees from Eastern Poland, 800 including 734 orphaned children, arrive in New Zealand via Siberia & Iran.

  Arts and literature

Music

Radio

Film

Sport

Archery

• Open: W. Burton
• Women: R. Mitchell

  Chess

• The 51st National Chess Championship was held in Wellington, and was won by R.G. Wade of Wellington.

  Cricket

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Bronze Eagle
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Betty Boop

  Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – M.J. Squire
• Men's pair champions – P.H. Edwards, E.W. Travers
• Men's fours champions – W. Chapman, A.E. Seymour, J.A. Whyte, C.G. Spearman

  Rugby union

• Ranfurly Shield: Held by Southland

  Rugby league

Soccer

• Chatham Cup competition not held
• Provincial league champions:
• * Auckland: Metro College
• * Canterbury: Thistle
• * Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
• * Nelson: No competition
• * Otago: Mosgiel
• * South Canterbury: No competition
• * Southland: No competition
• * Taranaki: Old Boys
• * Waikato: Rotowaro
• * Wanganui: No competition
• * Wellington: Waterside

  Births

• 4 January: Alan Sutherland, rugby player
• 7 February: Witi Ihimaera, author
• 4 March: Brian Turner, sportsman and writer
• 6 March: Kiri Te Kanawa, opera singer
• 8 April: Tariana Turia, politician
• 12 May: Barry Barclay, filmmaker
• 16 June: Robin Morrison, photographer
• 17 July: Mark Burgess, cricketer
• 22 July: Anand Satyanand, Judge, Ombudsman and 19th Governor-General of New Zealand
• 29 July: Terrence Jarvis, cricketer
• 17 August: Philip Woollaston, politician
• 26 August: Neroli Fairhall, archer
• 30 August: Alex Wyllie, rugby union player and coach
• 7 October: Jack Body, composer
• 10 November: Andy Leslie, rugby union player and administrator
• 18 November: David O'Sullivan, cricketer
• Philip Culbertson, theologian
• Keith Locke, environmentalist and politician
• John Wood, diplomat
• J. S. Parker, painter

Deaths

• 18 June Arthur Bignell, businessman, mayor.
• 21 July: John Andrew MacPherson, politician.
• 12 August: James Hargest, National MP, killed while serving with NZ Army as observer with British forces in Normandy.
• 30 August: Thomas William Rhodes, politician.
• 30 October: Haami Tokouru Ratana, politician and Ratana church leader.
• 2 December: Frank Milner, headmaster and educationalist.
• 29 December: John Cobbe, politician.
• 29 December: Henry Holland, mayor of Christchurch.