← 1938 1937 1936 1939 in New Zealand → 1940 1941 1942
Decades:	1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

The following lists events that happened during 1939 in New Zealand.

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,641,600.^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1938: 23,300 (1.44%).^[1]
• Males per 100 females: 103.0.^[1]

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of state – George VI
• Governor-General – The Viscount Galway GCMG DSO OBE PC^[2]

Government

The 26th New Zealand Parliament continued with the Labour Party in government.

• Speaker of the House – Bill Barnard (Labour Party)
• Prime Minister – Michael Joseph Savage
• Minister of Finance – Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Michael Joseph Savage
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason
• Chief Justice – Sir Michael Myers

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Adam Hamilton (National Party).^[3]

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Ernest Davis
• Mayor of Wellington – Thomas Hislop
• Mayor of Christchurch – Robert Macfarlane
• Mayor of Dunedin – Andrew Henson Allen

Events

• 29 January: (Sunday) Opening of St Peter's College, Auckland by Bishop J M Liston.
• 20 March: William Snodgrass, a New Zealand politician, disappeared from the interisland ferry Arahura while travelling overnight from Wellington to Nelson.^[4]
• 3 September (backdated to 9.30 pm): New Zealand declares war on Germany at the same time as Britain (though delayed until confirmation by the Admiralty message to the fleet).^[5]
• 31 October: The Strongman coal mine in Nine Mile Valley near Greymouth is officially opened by Minister of Mines, Paddy Webb.^[6]
• 8 November: New Zealand Centennial Exhibition opened in Kilbirnie, Wellington
• 13 December: New Zealand warship HMS Achilles fought in the Battle of the River Plate against German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee.
• 17 December: The Graf Spee is scuttled off Montevideo harbour.
• The Poverty Bay Herald changes its name to The Gisborne Herald,^[7] which continues to publish today^[update].

Arts and literature

See 1939 in art, 1939 in literature

Music

See: 1939 in music

Radio

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: Category:1939 film awards, 1939 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1939 films

Sport

Athletics

• Clarrie Gibbons wins the national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:44:56.2 on 11 March 1939 in Napier.

Basketball

A second interprovincial championship is held even though there is still no national association.^[8] (see 1938 and 1946)

• Interpovincial Champions: Men – Wellington

Chess

• The 48th National Chess Championship was held in Wanganui, and was won by J.B. Dunlop of Dunedin (his 5th title).^[9]

Cricket

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Lucky Jack (2nd win)^[10]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Marlene^[11]

Lawn bowls

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

• Men's singles champion – W.C. Franks (Balmoral Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – J. Anchor, W.J. Robinson (skip) (Hamilton Bowling Club)
• Men's fours champions – C.F. Robertson, H. Franks, J.F. Benson, W.C. Franks (skip) (Balmoral Bowling Club)

Rugby union

Category:Rugby union in New Zealand, Category:All Blacks

• Ranfurly Shield

Rugby league

New Zealand national rugby league team

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Waterside of Wellington who beat Western of Christchurch 4–2 in the final.^[13]
• Provincial league champions:^[14]
  • Auckland: Ponsonby AFC
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier Utd
  • Nelson: YMCA
  • Otago: Mosgiel
  • South Canterbury: Old Boys
  • Southland: Mataura
  • Waikato: Rotowaro
  • Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
  • Wellington: Petone Football Club

Births

• 20 January: Ken Comber, politician. (died 1998)
• 27 February: Don McKinnon, deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Commonwealth Secretary-General.
• 10 April (in England): Michael Cox, politician.
• 24 April: Fergie McCormick, rugby union player. (died 2018)
• 16 September: Tony Davies, rugby union player. (died 2008)
• 23 September: Hugh Williams, High Court judge.
• 23 September: Pauline Stansfield, disability advocate. (died 2022)
• 25 September: David Walter, mayor of Stratford. (died 2020)
• 4 October: Ivan Mauger, motorcycle speedway champion. (died 2018)
• 29 October: Michael Smither, painter.
• 18 October: Peter Brown, politician.
• 24 November: Bob Jones, businessman.
• 27 December: Hugo Judd, diplomat and public servant (died 2017)
• Raymond Ching, painter.
• Philip Temple, writer.

Deaths

• 16 March: George Mitchell, soldier and politician.
• 25 March: Annie Cleland Millar, businesswoman.^[15]
• 26 April: Ted Howard, politician.
• 26 July: Thomas William "Torpedo Billy" Murphy, boxer.^[16]
• 27 July: Malcolm Champion, swimmer.
• 23 August: Robin Hyde, writer.
• 18 September: T. W. Ratana, prophet.
• 3 November: David McLaren, politician.