1965 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,663,800
• Increase since 31 December 1964: 46,800
• Males per 100 females: 100.7

  Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Brigadier Sir Bernard Fergusson GCMG GCVO DSO OBE.

  Government

• Speaker of the House – Ronald Algie.
• Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake.
• Deputy Prime Minister – Jack Marshall.
• Minister of Finance – Harry Lake.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Keith Holyoake.
• Attorney-General – Ralph Hanan.
• Chief Justice — Sir Harold Barrowclough

  Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Arnold Nordmeyer until 16 December, then Norman Kirk.

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson then Roy McElroy
• Mayor of Hamilton – Dennis Rogers
• Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
• Mayor of Christchurch – George Manning
• Mayor of Dunedin – Stuart Sidey then Russell Calvert

  Events

• 1 April – Tasman Empire Airways Limited is renamed Air New Zealand.
• April – The HVDC Inter-Island link is completed, connecting the North Island's electricity network and the South Island's electricity network together.
• 15 May – Benmore Dam opened by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.
• 31 August – New Zealand Australia Free Trade Agreement signed.

  Arts and literature

• Janet Frame wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Music

[New Zealand Music Awards]

Radio and television

• Television in the "four main centres" is now broadcast seven nights a week. Broadcasting now totals 50 hours a week.
• There are 300,000 television licences.
• The broadcast relay station at Mount Studholme is commissioned, extending television coverage to South Canterbury.
• New Zealand Television Workshop awards:
• *Best Factual: Compass
• *Best Light Entertainment: In the Groove
• *Best Children's Series: Junior Magazine with Jasmine

Film

Sport

Athletics

Chess

• The 72nd National Chess Championships are held in Wellington. The winner is J.R. Phillips of Wellington

  Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Gary Dillon
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Robin Dundee

  Lawn bowls

• Men's singles champion – Ron Buchan
• Men's pair champions – Norm Lash, C.D. McGarry
• Men's fours champions – J. Miller, G. MacRae, A. Cotton, P. Jones

  Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Eastern Suburbs of Auckland who beat Saint Kilda 4–1 in the final.
• Provincial league champions:
• * Bay of Plenty: Rangers
• * Buller: Granity Athletic
• * Canterbury: Christchurch City
• * Hawke's Bay: Napier Rovers
• * Manawatu: Kiwi United
• * Marlborough: Woodbourne
• * Nelson: Rangers
• * Otago: St Kilda
• * Poverty Bay: Eastern Union
• * South Canterbury: West End
• * Southland: Invercargill Thistle
• * Taranaki: Moturoa
• * Wairarapa: Masterton Athletic
• * Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
• * Wellington: Diamond
• * West Coast: Cobden-Kohinoor
• The Northern League is formed, incorporating top teams from Northland, Auckland, Franklin and Waikato. The first League champions are Eastern Suburbs of Auckland.

  Births

• 10 January: John Radovonich, field hockey player.
• 11 February: Eric Rush, rugby union and rugby sevens player.
• 14 February: Zinzan Brooke, rugby player.
• 15 February: Jamie Smith, field hockey player.
• 15 March: Robyn Malcolm actor
• 4 April: Gail Jonson, swimmer.
• 8 April: Michael Jones, rugby player.
• 22 April: Carmel Clark, swimmer.
• 28 May : Alan Henderson, bobsleigh pilot
• 28 June: Duane Mann, rugby league player.
• 29 July: Paresh Patel, field hockey player.
• 31 August: Willie Watson, cricketer.
• 1 September: Tania Roxborogh, writer.
• 7 September: Tea Ropati, rugby league player.
• 21 September: Belinda Cordwell, tennis player.
• 26 October: Ken Rutherford, cricketer.
• 24 November: Nyla Carroll, long-distance runner.
• 18 December: Anna Doig, freestyle and butterfly swimmer.
• John Leigh, actor.
• Se'e Solomona, rugby league player.
• Hilary Timmins, television presenter.

Deaths

• 21 June: Thomas Hislop, Jr., Mayor of Wellington 1931-45.
• 10 September: John Weeks, painter.
• 10 September: Walter Broadfoot, politician.