← 1946 1945 1944 1947 in New Zealand → 1948 1949 1950
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

The following lists events that happened during 1947 in New Zealand.

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,817,500.^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1946: 36,300 (2.04%).^[1]
• Males per 100 females: 100.3.^[1]

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – George VI
• Governor-General – Lieutenant-General The Lord Freyberg VC GCMG KCB KBE DSO^[2]

Government

The 28th New Zealand Parliament continued, with the Labour Party in government.

• Speaker of the House – Robert McKeen (Labour)
• Prime Minister – Peter Fraser
• Minister of Finance – Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Peter Fraser
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason
• Chief Justice – Sir Humphrey O'Leary

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Sidney Holland (National Party).^[3]

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – John Allum
• Mayor of Hamilton – Harold Caro
• Mayor of Wellington – Will Appleton
• Mayor of Christchurch – Ernest Andrews
• Mayor of Dunedin – Donald Cameron

Events

• 19 January –The TSMV Wanganella, completing her first trans-tasman crossing since World War II, runs aground on Barrett Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour. All 400 passengers are safely evacuated. The ship is refloated on 6 February but is out of service for a further 22 months.^[4]
• 6 February – First annual Waitangi Day ceremony held by New Zealand Navy in grounds of Treaty house, Waitangi.
• 6 March – The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra performs for the first time
• 26 March – A magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes east of Gisborne, causing a tsunami with a maximum run-up height of 10 metres.
• 1–29 April – A series of non-violent mutinies occur aboard ships and bases of the Royal New Zealand Navy
• 4 April – Horahora Power Station is decommissioned as the filling of Lake Karapiro floods the station.
• 21 April – The first generator at Karapiro Power Station is commissioned.
• 26 March – Another magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes east of Gisborne, causing a tsunami with a maximum run-up height of 6 metres.
• 18 November – 41 people die in a fire in the Ballantyne's department store in Christchurch.

• 25 November – The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947 was passed making New Zealand politically independent from the United Kingdom
• 1 December – Clothing rationing, introduced in May 1942, is abolished.^[5]

Arts and literature

See 1947 in art, 1947 in literature

Music

See: 1947 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: Category:1947 film awards, 1947 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1947 films

Sport

Archery

National Champions (Postal Shoot)^[6]

• Open Men – W. Burton (Gisborne)
• Open Women – G. Norris (Dunedin)

Athletics

• George Bromley wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:58:54 in Auckland.

Basketball

The first interprovincial championship for women is held.^[7]

Interprovincial champions

• Men – Auckland
• Women – Wellington

Chess

• The 54th National Chess Championship was held in Palmerston North, and was won by T. Lepviikman of Wellington (his 2nd win).^[8]

Cricket

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Highland Fling^[9]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Single Direct^[10]

Lawn bowls

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Wellington.^[11]

• Men's singles champion – S. Vella (Onehunga Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – W.R. Hawkins, Phil Exelby (skip) (Frankton Bowling Club)
• Men's fours champions – E.H. Crowley, E. Crowley, V.F. Hurlstone, G.A. Crowley (skip) (Tolaga Bay Bowling Club)

Rugby

Rugby league

• New Zealand national rugby league team beat Wales 28-20

Soccer

• A South African team visited New Zealand and played four internationals:^[12]
  • 28 June, Christchurch: NZ 5–6 South Africa
  • 5 July, Dunedin: NZ 0–6 South Africa
  • 12 July, Wellington: NZ 3–8 South Africa
  • 19 July, Auckland: NZ 1–4 South Africa
• The Chatham Cup is won by Waterside of Wellington who beat Technical Old Boys of Christchurch 2–1 in the final.^[13]
• Provincial league champions:^[14]
  • Auckland: North Shore United
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
  • Nelson: Nelson United
  • Otago: Mosgiel AFC
  • South Canterbury: Northern Hearts
  • Southland: Invercargill Thistle
  • Taranaki: Albion
  • Waikato: Claudelands Rovers
  • Wanganui: Technical College Old Boys
  • Wellington: Wellington Marist

Births

• 8 January: Luke Williams, wrestler
• 16 January: Gavan Herlihy, politician.
• 19 February: Tim Shadbolt, politician.
• 9 March
  • Keri Hulme, writer. (died 2021)
  • John Lister, golfer.
• 6 May: Alan Dale, actor.
• 6 May (in United Kingdom): Carl Doy, musician and composer.
• 6 May: Andrew Roberts, cricketer.
• 20 May: Margaret Wilson, politician.
• 27 May: Glenn Turner, cricketer.
• 1 June: Gaylene Preston, filmmaker
• 6 June: Patrick Power, tenor.
• 22 June: Murray Webb, cricketer and caricature artist.
• 27 August: John Morrison, cricketer.
• 2 September: Jim Richards, motor racing driver.
• 13 September: Annette King, politician.
• 14 September: Sam Neill, actor
• 22 September: David Trist, cricket player and coach.
• 11 December (in United Kingdom): David McGee, lawyer and public servant
• 18 December: Marian Hobbs, politician.

• Bill Hammond, painter.
• Michael Wintringham, public servant.

Category:1947 births

Deaths

• 17 January: Kahupāke Rongonui, tribal leader.^[15]
• 10 February: Winter Hall, silent movie actor.
• 11 March: Duncan McGregor, rugby player.
• 24 April: Patrick O'Regan, lawyer, politician and judge.
• 13 May: Frances Hodgkins, painter.
• 17 May: George Forbes, 22nd Prime minister of New Zealand.
• 30 June: Robert Frederick Way, trade unionist and activist.
• 21 July: Agnes Fabish, domestic servant, farmer and homemaker.^[16]
• 4 December: Margaret Butler, sculptor and artist.
• 6 December: Robert Wright, mayor of Wellington and politician.