Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,166,400
Increase since 31 December 1976: 3000 (0.09%)
Males per 100 females: 99.4
Regal and viceregal
Head of State - Elizabeth II
Governor-General - Sir Denis Blundell GCMG GCVO KBE QSO, followed by The Rt Hon. Sir Keith Holyoake KG GCMG CH QSO.
1977 was the second full year of the 38th Parliament. The Third National Government was in power.
Speaker of the House - Roy Jack.
Prime Minister - Robert Muldoon
Deputy Prime Minister - Brian Talboys.
Minister of Finance - Robert Muldoon.
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Brian Talboys.
Attorney-General - Peter Wilkinson.
Leader of the Opposition - Bill Rowling (Labour).
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland - Dove-Myer Robinson
Mayor of Hamilton - Bruce Beetham then Ross Jansen
Mayor of Wellington - Michael Fowler
Mayor of Christchurch - Hamish Hay
Mayor of Dunedin - Jim Barnes then Clifford George (Cliff) Skeggs
5 January – Led by Joe Hawke, members of Ngati Whatua occupy Bastion Point reserve (Takaparawha) to protest crown sales of land taken from Māori.
21 November – God Defend New Zealand becomes the second official national anthem of New Zealand, in conjunction with God Save The Queen.
6 December – The meat pie-based fast food chain Georgie Pie opens its first restaurant in Kelston, Auckland.
23 December – the Wild Animal Control Act 1977 passed into law
New Zealand proclaims an Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 nautical miles (370 km) - the seventh largest in the world at 4.3 million km²
The new Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament, nicknamed the "Beehive" due to its shape, is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, despite not being fully complete yet.
Arts and literature
Keri Hulme and Roger Hall win the Robert Burns Fellowship.
See 1977 in art, 1977 in literature, Category:1977 books
The New Zealand Music Awards were not held this year.
Waikino music festival at Bicknel's farm, Waitawheta Valley, between Waihi and Waikino. Attendance 5500.
See: 1977 in music
Radio and television
April: Fair Go airs for the first time.
June: Wellington's Radio Active 89FM first hits the airwaves
Feltex Television Awards:
Best Current Affairs: 'News at Ten
Best Documentary Series: Black Future
Best Light Entertainment: Blerta
Best Play: The God Boy
Best Drama: Moynihan
Best Speciality: Country Calendar
Best Actor: Ian Mune in Winners and Losers and Moynihan
Best Actress: Judy Douglas in The God Boy
Best Script: The God Boy
Best Personality: Roger Gascoigne
Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Max Cryer.
See: 1977 in New Zealand television, 1977 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand
Landfall (film)
Off the Edge
Sleeping Dogs
Solo (1977 film)
Wild Man
See: Category:1977 film awards, 1977 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1977 films
Terry Manners wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:20:40 in Hawera.
New Zealand National Soccer League won by North Shore United
The Chatham Cup is won by Nelson United who beat Mount Wellington 1—0 in the final.
The 84th New Zealand Chess Championship is held in North Shore, and is won by Ortvin Sarapu of Auckland.
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Sole Command
There was no 1977 running of the Auckland Trotting Cup as the race was being rescheduled from December (1976) to February (1978)
22 January: Jono Gibbes, rugby player
25 February: Matthew Bell, cricketer
25 March: Brooke Walker, cricketer
16 May: Melanie Lynskey, actress
20 May: Raf de Gregorio, soccer player
25 May: Michael Bevin, field hockey goalkeeper
9 July (in South Africa): Leana du Plooy, netball player
5 July: Dale Rasmussen, rugby player
11 July: Matai Smith, television presenter
13 July: Xavier Rush, rugby player
5 September: Emily Gillam, field hockey player
8 September: Sheryl Scanlan, netball player
9 September: Caleb Ralph, rugby player
13 November: Chanel Cole, musician
28 November: Greg Somerville, rugby player
15 December: Dominic Bowden, television presenter
21 December: Leon MacDonald, rugby player
Category:1977 births.
18 February: Ron Jarden, rugby player.
7 June (in England): Sir Rex Nan Kivell, art collector.
24 December: Sir Roy Jack, politician and 16th Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Category:1977 deaths
