Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,091,900
Increase since 31 December 1973: 65,200 (2.20%)
Males per 100 females: 99.7
Regal and viceregal
Head of State - Elizabeth II
Governor-General - Sir Denis Blundell GCMG GCVO KBE QSO.
The 37th New Zealand Parliament continued. 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 then Bill Rowling
Deputy Prime Minister - Hugh Watt then Bob Tizard
Minister of Finance - Bill Rowling then Bob Tizard.
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Norman Kirk then Bill Rowling.
Attorney-General - Martyn Finlay.
Leader of the Opposition - Jack Marshall (National) until 4 July, then Robert Muldoon (National).
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland - Dove-Myer Robinson
Mayor of Hamilton - Mike Minogue
Mayor of Wellington - Frank Kitts then Michael Fowler
Mayor of Christchurch - Neville Pickering then Hamish Hay
Mayor of Dunedin - Jim Barnes
24 January – 2 February: Christchurch hosts the 1974 British Commonwealth Games.
30 January – 8 February: Royal visit by the Queen for the Commonwealth Games and Waitangi Day accompanied by the Duke, Princess Anne, Captain Mark Phillips and the Prince of Wales
6 February – Waitangi Day, then named New Zealand Day, is first celebrated as a nationwide public holiday.
1 April – The Accident Compensation Commission is established, providing universal no-fault accidental injury cover to all New Zealanders.
31 August – Prime Minister Norman Kirk dies of heart complications, aged 51. He was replaced by Bill Rowling, see New Zealand Labour Party leadership election, 1974.
September – The country's first Pizza Hut restaurant opens in New Lynn, Auckland.
The voting age is lowered from 20 to 18.
Arts and literature
Hone Tuwhare wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
See 1974 in art, 1974 in literature, Category:1974 books
New Zealand Music Awards
BEST NEW ARTIST Bunny Walters
RECORDING ARTIST / GROUP OF THE YEAR Bull Dogs All-Star Goodtime Band
BEST NZ RECORDED COMPOSITION John Hanlon - Is It Natural
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Mike Harvey - Is It Natural
ARRANGER OF THE YEAR Mike Harvey - Is It Natural
See: 1974 in music
Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Les Andrews.
Radio and television
The target delivery date for colour television for all New Zealanders was when the country hosted the 1974 Commonwealth Games. [1]
Feltex Television Awards:
Best Programme: Richard John Seddon - Premier
Best Performer: Bill McCarthy
Best Actor: Tony Currie as Seddon
Writing: Alexander Guyan in Lunch with Richard Burton
Allied Crafts: Janice Wharekawa - Vision Mixer for Happen Inn and others
Special Award: Television team for the 1974 Commonwealth Games
See: 1974 in New Zealand television, 1974 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television programmes, Public broadcasting in New Zealand
See: Category:1974 film awards, 1974 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1974 films
The 81st National Chess Championship is held in Christchurch. The title is shared by P.A. Garbett and Ortvin Sarapu, both of Auckland.
Robalan defeats hot favorite Young Quinn to win the New Zealand Trotting Cup
Auckland Trotting Cup: Young Quinn
New Zealand National Soccer League won by, Mount Wellington
The Chatham Cup is won by Christchurch United who beat Wellington Diamond United 2—0 in the final.
6 January: Dion Waller, rugby player
10 January: Jemaine Clement, comedian
28 February: Moana Mackey, politician
27 April (in Australia): Richard Johnson, soccer player
6 May: Sean Pero Cameron, basketball player
2 June: Andy Booth, motor racing driver
15 June: Andrew Timlin, field hockey player
10 July: Chris Drum, cricketer
14 July (in Bulgaria): Pavlina Nola, tennis player
26 July: Kees Meeuws, rugby player
1 August: Michelle Turner, field hockey player
27 August: Michael Mason, cricketer
15 September: Emily Drumm, cricketer
11 October: Liz Couch, skeleton racer
23 October: Beatrice Faumuina, discus thrower
5 November: Taine Randell, rugby player
13 November: Carl Hoeft, rugby player
2 December: Robbie Hart, cricketer
7 December: Jason Spice, rugby and cricket player
10 December: Chris Martin, cricketer
Kate Duignan, novellist
Tim Selwyn, activist
Category:1974 births
12 February: Alice Bush, doctor and medical activist.
13 February: Murray Hudson GC, soldier.
13 February: Sir Leslie Munro, diplomat and politician.
14 February: Charles 'Stewie' Dempster, cricketer.
5 August: Robert McKeen, politician - 12th Speaker of the House of Representatives.
12 August: James Fletcher, industrialist.
30 August: Professor George Jobberns, academic.
31 August: Norman Kirk, Prime Minister.
12 September: Hector Bolitho, writer and biographer.
26 October: Dan Riddiford, politician.
28 October: Charles Elliot Fox, missionary.
11 December: Maurice Duggan, writer.
Category:1974 deaths
