← 1939 1938 1937 1940 in New Zealand → 1941 1942 1943
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 1940 in New Zealand.

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 1,633,600.^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1939: -8000 (−0.49%).^[1]
• Males per 100 females: 99.1.^[1]

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

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 then Peter Fraser
• Minister of Finance – Walter Nash
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Michael Joseph Savage then Frank Langstone
• Attorney-General – Rex Mason
• Chief Justice – Sir Michael Myers

• Leader of the Opposition – Adam Hamilton (National Party) until 26 November, then Sidney Holland (National).^[3]

• Mayor of Auckland – Ernest Davis
• Mayor of Hamilton – Harold David Caro
• Mayor of Wellington – Thomas Hislop
• Mayor of Christchurch – Robert M. Macfarlane
• Mayor of Dunedin – Andrew Henson Allen

• 25 March: John A. Lee is expelled from the governing Labour caucus following his outspoken criticism of dying leader Michael Joseph Savage
• 27 March: New Zealand's first Labour Prime Minister, Michael Joseph Savage dies from cancer in Wellington.
• 19 June: The liner RMS Niagara is sunk by a mine laid by the German auxiliary cruiser Orion off Whangarei. She was carrying British gold destined for America.
• 12 July: Pan American Airways flying boat service from Hawaii to Auckland via Canton Island (not Kingman Reef) commences.
• 14 December: The Canterbury Pioneer Women's Memorial was formally opened.
• German surface raiders operated in New Zealand waters in 1940 and 1941, sinking four ships.

See 1940 in art, 1940 in literature

See: 1940 in music

See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand

• Rewi's Last Stand (1940)
• One Hundred Crowded Years

See: Category:1940 film awards, 1940 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1940 films

• The 49th National Chess Championship was held in Wellington, and was won by John Dunlop of Dunedin (his 6th and last title).^[4]

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Marlene^[5]
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Ned Worthy^[6]

The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Wellington.^[7]

• Men's singles champion – G.A. Deare (Carlton Bowling Club)
• Men's pair champions – L.G. Donaldson, Bill Bremner (skip) (West End Bowling Club, Auckland)
• Men's fours champions – Bill Whittaker, J.W.T. Macklow, Alec Robertson, Frank Livingstone (skip) (Onehunga Bowling Club)

• The Chatham Cup is won by Waterside who beat Mosgiel 6–2 in the final.^[8]
• Provincial league champions:^[9]
  • Auckland: Comrade
  • Canterbury: Western
  • Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB
  • Nelson: No competition
  • Otago: Mosgiel
  • South Canterbury: No competition
  • Southland: No competition
  • Taranaki: RNZAF
  • Waikato: No competition
  • Wanganui: Technical College Old Boys
  • Wellington: Waterside

• 12 January: Dick Motz, cricketer (d. 2007)
• 13 February: Stan Rodger, politician (d. 2022)
• 17 February: James Laurenson, actor (d. 2024)
• 23 March: Brian Hastings, cricketer (d. 2024)
• 14 April: Robin Tait, discus thrower (d. 1984)
• 7 June: Felicity Riddy, author and academic
• 10 June (in the USA): Augie Auer, meteorologist (d. 2007)
• 23 June: Mike Shrimpton, cricketer (d. 2015)
• 1 July (in Australia): Judith Binney, historian (d. 2011)
• 8 July: Waka Nathan, rugby union player (d. 2021)
• 15 July: Ian Athfield, architect (d. 2007)
• 11 August: Glenys Page, cricketer (d. 2012)
• 31 August: Maurice (John) Belgrave, public servant and chief ombudsman (d. 2007)
• 3 September: Brian Lochore, rugby player (d. 2019)
• 18 September
  • Bruce Murray cricketer
  • Jon Trimmer, ballet dancer.
• 24 September: Don Brash, Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, politician
• 6 October: Merv Wellington, politician (d. 2003)
• 24 October: Martin Campbell, film and TV director
• date unknown
  • David Baragwanath, High Court judge.
  • Robyn Donald, writer.
  • Tessa Duder, writer.
  • Joe Hawke, politician.
• Michael Jackson, poet, anthropologist
  • Maurice McTigue, politician and diplomat.

• 12 January: Taurekareka Henare, politician.
• 27 March: Michael Joseph Savage, Prime Minister.
• 28 May: Florence Young, missionary.
• 6 June: F.O. Edgar "Cobber" Kain, first RAF ace of WWII.
• 17 November: Frank Moore, political activist.
• Hannah Retter, New Zealand centenarian (born 1839)^[10]

• History of New Zealand
• List of years in New Zealand
• Military history of New Zealand
• Timeline of New Zealand history
• Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica
• Timeline of the New Zealand environment

For world events and topics in 1940 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1940

Media related to 1940 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons