The following lists events that happened during 1963 in New Zealand. Population Estimated Population as of 31 December: 2,566,900 Increase since 31 December 1962: 51,100 (2.03%) Males per 100 Females: 100.8 Incumbents Regal and Vice Regal Head of State – Elizabeth II Governor-General – Brigadier Sir Bernard Fergusson GCMG GCVO DSO OBE. Government The 33rd New Zealand Parliament concluded and a general election was held on 30 November. This saw the National Party returned with the loss of one seat to have a majority of 10 seats. 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 – Walter Nash (Labour) until 31 March, then Arnold Nordmeyer (Labour). Main centre leaders Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson Mayor of Hamilton – Denis Rogers Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts Mayor of Christchurch – George Manning Mayor of Dunedin – Stuart Sidey Events 6 February – Elizabeth II arrives in New Zealand on the Royal Yacht Britannia for the 1963 Royal Tour of New Zealand. 7 February – 15 people killed in a bus crash due to brake failure in the Brynderwyn Hills in Northland. 4 April – BOAC launches New Zealand's first jet-powered air service between Auckland Whenuapai and London Heathrow using the De Havilland Comet. The route takes 37.5 hours, with stops in Sydney, Darwin, Singapore, Rangoon or Calcutta, Karachi, Beirut or Damascus, and Rome or Dusseldorf. 17 April – Tauranga becomes a city. 3 July – New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 crashes into the Kaimai Ranges, killing all 23 aboard. 7 December – Two people are killed in the Bassett Road machine gun murders. Arts and literature Maurice Shadbolt wins the Robert Burns Fellowship. See 1963 in art, 1963 in literature, :Category:1963 books Music See: 1963 in music Radio and Television There are 80,000 television licences issued, and an estimated 300,000 television viewers in New Zealand. Broadcast relay stations at Mount Te Aroha, Wharite Peak and Otahoua are commissioned, extending television coverage to Waikato, Tauranga, Manawatu and Wairarapa. See: 1963 in New Zealand television, 1963 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, :Category:Television in New Zealand, :Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand Film See: :Category:1963 film