Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,024,900
Increase since 31 December 1970: 65,200 (2.20%)
Males per 100 females: 99.7
It took 21 years for the population to grow from 2 million to 3 million.
Regal and viceregal
Head of State – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Sir Denis Blundell GCMG GCVO KBE QSO.
The 37th New Zealand Parliament commenced. Government was by a Labour majority of 55 seats to the National Party's 32 seats.
Speaker of the House – Stanley Whitehead.
Prime Minister – Norman Kirk
Deputy Prime Minister – Hugh Watt.
Minister of Finance – Bill Rowling.
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Norman Kirk.
Attorney-General – Martyn Finlay.
Leader of the Opposition – Jack Marshall (National).
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson
Mayor of Hamilton – Mike Minogue
Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
Mayor of Christchurch – Neville Pickering
Mayor of Dunedin – Jim Barnes
2 January: description
Arts and literature
Graham Billing wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
See 1973 in art, 1973 in literature, Category:1973 books
New Zealand Music Awards
ALBUM OF THE YEAR John Donoghue – Spirit Of Pelorus Jack
RECORDING ARTIST / GROUP OF THE YEAR Shona Laing
BEST SINGLE / SINGLE OF THE YEAR John Hanlon – Damn The Dam
BEST NEW ARTIST Shona Laing
BEST NZ RECORDED COMPOSITION Anna Leah – Love Bug
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Keith Southern – Join Together
ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Peter Hitchcock – Only Time Could Let Us Know
ARRANGER OF THE YEAR Mike Harvey – Damn The Dam
See: 1973 in music
Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Ray Columbus.
Radio and television
Colour television broadcasts begin on 31 October. The licence fee for a colour television is NZ$35.
The Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips on 14 November is the first international live broadcast into New Zealand.
In December, Fred Dagg makes his first appearance.
Feltex Television Awards:
Natural History Programme: Bird of a Single Flight
Best News, Current Affairs: Election Night '72
Best Light Entertainment: Loxene Golden Disc 1972
Best Drama and the Arts: Gone Up North and An Awful Silence
Best Documentary: Deciding
Allied Crafts: Loxene Golden Disc set and work on Pop Co.
The first ZM radio stations were started in 1973 as 1ZM Auckland, 2ZM Wellington and 3ZM Christchurch.
See: 1973 in New Zealand television, 1973 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand
Rangi's Catch
See: Category:1973 film awards, 1973 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1973 films
Terry Manners wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:18:28.7 on 10 March in Inglewood. In the same year, on 1 December, the title is taken over by John Robinson who wins his first national title, clocking 2:15:03.6 in Christchurch.
The 80th National Chess Championship is held in Wellington, and is won by Ortvin Sarapu of Auckland (his 12th title).
From January 1973 all races were run at metric distances rather than imperial.
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Arapaho
Auckland Trotting Cup: Arapaho
New Zealand National Soccer League won by Christchurch United
The Chatham Cup is won by Mount Wellington who beat North Shore United 3—0 in the final.
New Zealand hosted and won the inaugural Oceania Cup tournament, beating Tahiti 2-0 in the final.
25 January: Ruben Wiki, rugby league footballer
20 February: Leisen Jobe, field hockey player
1 April: Stephen Fleming, cricketer
8 April: Nicholas Tongue, freestyle swimmer
27 May: Tana Umaga, rugby player
27 May: Ian Winchester, athlete
2 July: Andrew Buckley, field hockey player
10 July: Andrew McCormick, rugby union footballer
23 July: Adrian Cashmore, rugby player
31 July: Tasha Williams, hammer thrower
4 August: Hymie Gill, field hockey player
5 August: Justin Marshall, rugby player
13 August: Martin Moana, rugby league footballer
23 August: Kerry Walmsley, cricketer
5 September: Lesley Nicol, netball player
1 September: Trent Bray, freestyle swimmer
14 November: Darren Smith, field hockey player
15 November: Shayne O'Connor, cricketer
16 November: Brendan Laney, rugby player
29 December: Garth da Silva, boxer
Kirsten Cameron, swimmer
Category:1973 births
5 February – John Stewart, politician (born 1902)
11 April – Rongowhakaata Pere Halbert, Māori leader, interpreter, historian, genealogist (born 1894)
20 May – Charles Brasch, poet and literary editor (born 1909)
18 November – Peter McKeefry, Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal (born 1899)
19 November – Cyril Allcott, cricketer (born 1896)
15 December – Keith Buttle, mayor of Auckland (born 1900)
Category:1973 deaths
