league player and coach 28 June – Charles Willocks, rugby union player July–August 6 July – Ray Dowker, cricketer, association footballer 14 July – Ray Dalton, rugby union player 17 July – Alex Moir, cricketer 20 July – Edmund Hillary, mountaineer, explorer, philanthropist 22 July – Angus Tait, electronics innovator and businessman 1 August – Colin McCahon, artist 3 August – David Aubrey Scott, diplomat 8 August – Hōri Mahue Ngata, lexicographer 10 August – Murray Beresford Roberts, confidence trickster 22 August – Dick Brittenden, sports journalist 24 August – Colin Aikman, public servant, lawyer, diplomat, academic September–October 5 September – John Rangihau, academic, Māori leader 24 September – Gordon Walters, artist, graphic designer 25 September – Tony George, weightlifter 29 September – Ruth Dallas, poet, children's author 30 September – John Stacpoole, architect, historian 7 October – James Boyer Brown, endocrinologist 8 October – Mac Anderson, cricketer, air force officer 11 October – John Warham, photographer, ornithologist 20 October – John Karlsen, actor 25 October George Burns, rower George Cawkwell, classical scholar November–December 6 November – Allen Lissette, cricketer 7 November – Levi Borgstrom, carver 9 November – Janet Paul, publisher, painter, art historian 11 November – Lance Adams-Schneider, politician, diplomat 25 November – Keith Lawrence, World War II pilot 6 December – Cedric Hassall, chemist, academic 10 December – Walter Robinson, Anglican bishop 11 December – Lady Anne Berry, horticulturalist 12 December – Ida Gaskin, school teacher, quiz show contestant, politician 17 December – Rei Hamon, artist 20 December – Bubbles Mihinui, tourist guide, community leader 21 December – Jack Williams, politician 29 December – Thomas Horton, air force pilot Deaths January–March 21 January – Thomas Thompson, politician (born 1832) 22 January – Carrick Paul, World War I flying ace (born 1893) 2 February – Charles Begg, surgeon, army health administrator (born 1879) 7 February – Donald Reid, farmer, landowner, businessman, politician (born 1833) 13 February – William Temple, soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1833) 18 February – Searby Buxton, politician (born 1832) 19 February – William Tucker, soldier, farmer, politician, mayor of Gisborne (1887–88) (born 1843) 24 February – Alfred Fraser, politician (born 1862) 18 March – Isabella Siteman, farmer, philanthropist (born 1842) 25 March – Harry Burnand, engineer, sawmiller (born 1850) April–June 3 April Charlie Frith, cricket player and umpire (born 1854) Mary Hames, farmer, dressmaker (born 1827) 23 April – Archie McMinn, rugby union player