1978 in New Zealand

Population

* Estimated Population as of 31 December: 3,165,200 http://www.stats.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/24107FC8-E7B5-4CF2-B17C-15E31CCA7D05/0/HistoricalPop.xls]
* Increase since 31/12/1977: -1,200 (-0.04%)
* Males per 100 Females: 99.2
* This was the first year in which New Zealand's population declined (due to emigration, largely to Australia).

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

*Head of State - Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand
*Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Keith Holyoake KG GCMG CH QSO. [Statistics New Zealand: "New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990". ISSN 0078-0170 page 52]

Government

*Speaker of the House - Richard Harrison. Lambert & Palenski: "The New Zealand Almanac", 1982. ISBN 0908570554]
*Prime Minister - Robert Muldoon
*Deputy Prime Minister - Brian Talboys.
*Minister of Finance - Robert Muldoon.
*Minister of Foreign Affairs - Brian Talboys.
*Attorney-General - Peter Wilkinson until 13 December, then Jim McLay.

Parliamentary opposition

* Leader of the Opposition - Bill Rowling (Labour). [Cite web|url=http://www.elections.org.nz/democracy/leaders-opposition.html|title=Elections NZ - Leaders of the Opposition|accessdate=2008-04-06]
*Social Credit Party - Bruce Beetham

Main centre leaders

*Mayor of Auckland - Dove-Myer Robinson
*Mayor of Hamilton - Ross Jansen
*Mayor of Wellington - Michael Fowler
*Mayor of Christchurch - Hamish Hay
*Mayor of Dunedin - Clifford George (Cliff) Skeggs

Events

* 12 September: Kaimai Rail Tunnel on the East Coast Main Trunk Railway, at 8896 m the longest tunnel in New Zealand, opened

Arts and literature

*Roger Hall and Peter Olds win the Robert Burns Fellowship.

See 1978 in art, 1978 in literature,

January

* Nambassa, three day music, crafts and alternative lifestyles festival on Phil and Pat Hulses' convert|400|acre|km2|sing=on farm in Golden Valley, north of Waihi. Attendance 25,000.

October

* Nambassa winter road show, toured the North Island of NZ, promoting the 1979 festival.

Music

New Zealand Music Awards

*ALBUM OF THE YEAR Hello Sailor – Hello Sailor
*SINGLE OF THE YEAR Golden Harvest – I Need Your Love
*TOP MALE VOCALIST John Rowles
*TOP GROUP Hello Sailor
*TOP FEMALE VOCALIST Sharon O’Neill
*ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Ian Morris – Hello Sailor
*PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Rob Aicken – Hello Sailor
*MOST PROMISING GROUP Citizen Band
*MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Kim Hart
*MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Dennis O’Brien

See: 1978 in music

Radio and Television

*Feltex Television Awards:
**Best Current Affairs: "Dateline Monday"
**Best Information: "Fair Go"
**Best Documentary: "Birth with R.D. Laing"
**Best Light Entertainment: "A Week of It"
**Best Drama: "The Governor"
**Best Speciality: "Sport on One"
**Best Actor: David McPhail on "A Week of It"
**Best Personality: Roger Gascoigne
**Best Script: "He Iwi Ko Tahi Tatou": episode four of "The Governor"

See: 1978 in New Zealand television, 1978 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, , , Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

*Angel Mine
*Skin Deep

See: , 1978 in film , List of New Zealand feature films , Cinema of New Zealand,

Appointments and awards

See: New Zealand Order of Merit , Order of New Zealand
*Archbishop of New Zealand
*Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia , see appointments to Diocese

port

* See: 1978 in sports , , Commonwealth Games
*Rugby: , National Provincial Championship , , Bledisloe Cup, Ranfurly Shield
*Golf: New Zealand Open , Check in overseas tourniments.
*Horse racing: See , list winners.
*Rugby league Bartercard Cup , New Zealand national rugby league team
*Netball: Silver Ferns , National Bank Cup , Netball World Championships

Athletics

* Paul Ballinger wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:17:33 on March 11 in Hastings.

Cricket

* 15 February: After 48 years of trying, New Zealand beats England in a Test match for the first time, winning the Test at the Basin Reserve. [ [http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/timeline&new_date=15/02 nzhistory.net.nz] ]

occer

* New Zealand National Soccer League won by Christchurch United
* Chatham Cup won by Manurewa

Births

* 5 January: Adi Dick, musician.
* 21 January (in the U.S.A.): Mike Chappell, basketballer.
* 3 February: Keith Cameron, rugby union player. [ [http://www.otagorugbyteam.co.nz/page.pasp?pageid=116 Keith Cameron profile] ]
* 26 February: Rico Gear, rugby union player.
* 8 April: Nathan Mauger, rugby union player.
* 29 April: Donna Loffhagen, netball and basketball player.
* 19 May: Willie Walker, rugby union player.
* 28 May: John Dennison, poet.
* 1 June: Ben Lummis, singer.
* 11 June: Daryl Tuffey, cricketer.
* 6 July: Kevin Senio, rugby union player.
* 12 July: Claire Chitham, actor.
* 26 July: David Kosoof, field hockey player.
* 28 July: Jacob Oram, cricketer.
* 14 August (in South Africa): Greg Rawlinson, rugby union player.
* 5 September: Chris Jack, rugby union player.
* 10 September: Nish Selvadurai, comedian.
* 13 September: Andrew Hore, rugby union player.
* 21 September: Doug Howlett, rugby union player.
* 10 October: Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell (twins), rowers.
* 26 October: Ricky Cockerill, figure skater.
* 6 November: Dean Kent, swimmer.
* 11 November: Lou Vincent, cricketer.
* 21 November: Paul Urlovic, soccer player.

* William Dwane Bell, convicted murderer.
* Mok TzeMing, writer.

Deaths

* 6 January: Burt Munro, record-setting motorcyclist
* 30 March: Sir Charles William Hamilton (Bill Hamilton), inventor of the jetboat.
* 13 May: Alby Roberts, cricketer.
* 22 May: Sir Richard Wild, 9th Chief Justice of New Zealand.
* 23 July: Sir Ronald Algie, politician and former [Speaker of the House of Representatives.
* 18 August: Ronald L. Meek, economist.

* John Hutton, glass engraver

References

ee also

*List of years in New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand history
*History of New Zealand
*Military history of New Zealand
*Timeline of environmental history of New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

"For world events and topics in 1978 not specifically related to New Zealand see": 1978