The following lists events that happened during 1965 in New Zealand. Population Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,663,800 Increase since 31 December 1964: 46,800 (1.79%) 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 The 34th Parliament of New Zealand continued, with the 2nd National government in power. 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 (Labour) until 16 December, then Norman Kirk (Labour). Main centre leaders Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson then Roy McElroy Mayor of Hamilton – Denis Rogers Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts Mayor of Christchurch – George Manning Mayor of Dunedin – Stuart Sidey then Russell Calvert Events 27 March – A Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) Lockheed L-188 Electra on a training flight crashes and catches fire on landing at Whenuapai Airport. All occupants escape with only one minor injury. 1 April – TEAL is renamed Air New Zealand. 11 April – Qantas launches the first trans-Tasman jet service, between Christchurch and Sydney using Boeing 707 aircraft. 13 April – An explosion and fire at the General Plastics factory in Masterton kills four people and injures four others. 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 is officially opened by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake. 27 May – Vietnam War: Prime Minister Keith Holyoake announces New Zealand will send its first combat forces, an artillery battery, to South Vietnam. 20 July – A 33-hour prison riot breaks out at Mount Eden Prison, Auckland, with inmates setting fire to large parts of the prison.. 31 August – New Zealand Australia Free Trade Agreement signed. 3 November – Riccarton Mall, the South Island's first indoor shopping mall, opens to shoppers. Arts and literature Janet Frame wins the Robert Burns Fellowship. See 1965 in art, 1965 in literature, :Category:1965 books Music New Zealand Music Awards Loxene Golden Disc Ray Columbus & The Invaders – Till We Kissed See: 1965 in music Radio and television Television in the "four main