2006) 12 November – Peter Wilkinson, politician (died 1987) 13 November – Peter Arnett, TV journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner December 1 December – Peter Williams, lawyer, penal reform advocate (died 2015) 6 December – Johnny Hanks, boxer (died 2013) 11 December Tom Hadfield, rugby league player (died 2018) Ross McNabb, mycologist (died 1972) 25 December – John Shrapnell, journalist, actor, singer (died 2020) 26 December – Don Hunn, diplomat and public servant 27 December – Ron Ackland, rugby league player and coach (died 2013) 28 December – Bob Skelton, jockey (died 2016) 30 December Barry Briggs, speedway rider Eddie Tonks, rugby union administrator (died 2020) Undated Gillian Cowlishaw, anthropologist James Flynn, intelligence researcher, politician (died 2020) Gil Hanly, artist Olaf Keil, musician Leo McKendry, politician Norma Restieaux, cardiologist Tepaeru Tereora, artist, Cook Islands Māori language advocate Ted Thomas, jurist Ann Verdcourt, potter (died 2022) Deaths January–February 6 January – Hikapuhi, Ngāti Pikiao tohunga (born ) 7 January – Alfred West, rugby union player (born 1893) 9 January – George Smailes, politician, clergyman (born 1862) 10 January – Lawrence Grace, politician (born 1854) 18 January – Jessie Aitken, community worker, political activist (born 1867) 20 January – Joseph Lawton, cricket player and coach (born 1857) 27 January – Spencer Gollan, rower, golfer (born 1860) 31 January – Duncan Sommerville, mathematician and astronomer (born 1879) 8 February– Herbert Izard, Anglican clergyman (born 1869) 15 February – John Fletcher, businessman, politician (born 1888) 22 February Rosetta Baume, feminist, community leader (born 1871) George Witters, conservationist (born 1876) March–April 5 March – Sir Arthur Dobson, surveyor, engineer, explorer (born 1841) 12 March – Fanny Osborne, botanical illustrator (born 1852) 31 March – James Mackintosh Bell, geologist, writer (born 1877) 5 April – Thomas Davey, politician (born 1856) 9 April – John Charles Thomson, politician (born 1866) 11 April Harry Beswick, politician (born 1860) Sir Edwin Mitchelson, politician (born 1846) Alexander Peebles, politician (born 1856) 29 April – Bert Pither, cyclist, aviation experimenter (born 1871) 30 April – James Testro, cricketer (born 1851) May–June 5 May – Ann O'Donnell, hotel proprietor (born ) 6 May William McGirr, cricketer (born 1859) Sir Henry Wigram, businessman, politician, aviation pioneer (born 1857) 14 May – George Fowler, cricketer (born 1860) 26 May – John Anderson, rugby union player, engineer, politician (born 1849) 2 June – David Ashby, cricketer (born 1852) 7 June William Vorrath, cricketer, rugby league player