in a night-time fire – the country's worst fire disaster at that time. 13 December – Abel Tasman's first sighting of New Zealand 300 years earlier is commemorated in Hokitika (initially this was planned for Ōkārito but this was changed after it was cut off by flooding) by a Dutch delegation led by Charles van der Plas and hosted by the New Zealand government Date unknown Japanese submarines operate in New Zealand waters in 1942 and 1943. They send reconnaissance aircraft over Auckland and Wellington, but do not carry out any attacks. Arts and literature See 1942 in art, 1942 in literature, :Category:1942 books Music See: 1942 in music Radio See: Public broadcasting in New Zealand Film See: :Category:1942 film awards, 1942 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :Category:1942 films Sport Most sports events were on hold due to the war. Horse racing Harness racing New Zealand Trotting Cup: Haughty Auckland Trotting Cup: Loyal Friend Rugby :Category:Rugby union in New Zealand, Category:All Blacks Ranfurly Shield Rugby league New Zealand national rugby league team Soccer Chatham Cup competition not held Provincial league champions: Auckland: Mount Albert Grammar School Old Boys Canterbury: Western Hawke's Bay: Napier HSOB Nelson: No competition Otago: Army South Canterbury: No competition Southland: No competition Waikato: No competition Wanganui: No competition Wellington: Hospital Births 5 January: Trish McKelvey, cricketer. 12 January: Doug Graham, politician 23 January: Phil Clarke (rugby union), rugby union player 23 February: John Lewis, headmaster 16 March: Gordon Whiting, Judge 24 March: Kerry Burke, politician. 21 April: Geoffrey Palmer, 33rd Prime Minister of New Zealand 19 June: Merata Mita, filmmaker 18 July: Mike Ward, politician 4 August: David Lange, 32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand 25 September: Peter Petherick, cricketer 25 November: Barbara Bevege, cricketer Susan Wakefield, Tax expert Judith Potter, high court judge. Roger Walker. architect. :Category:1942 births Deaths 28 July: James Allen, politician and diplomat. 15 July: Denis 'Sonny' Moloney, cricketer. 17 July Robina Nicol, photographer and suffragist 27 August: Francis Mander, politician 12 October: Douglas Lysnar, politician. 8 November: Tim Armstrong''', politician. :Category:1942 deaths See also List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history History of New Zealand Military history of New Zealand Timeline of the New Zealand environment Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica References Years of the 20th century in New Zealand