Harman Patil (Editor)

1978 in New Zealand

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Decades:
  
1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s

See also:
  
Other events of 1978Timeline of New Zealand history

Population

  • Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,165,200
  • Decrease since 31 December 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).

    • Regal and viceregal

  • Head of State - Elizabeth II
  • Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Keith Holyoake KG GCMG CH QSO.

    • Government

  • Speaker of the House - Richard Harrison.
  • 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).
  • 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

  • The Pureora Forest Park was established after a series of protests and tree sittings.
  • 18 February: The Rangitikei by-election was won by Bruce Beetham for Social Credit.
  • 1 April: Flag carriers Air New Zealand and the National Airways Corporation merge to form a single airline under the Air New Zealand name.
  • 12 September: Kaimai Rail Tunnel on the East Coast Main Trunk Railway, at 8896 m the longest tunnel in New Zealand, opened.
  • December: Holy Name Seminary, Christchurch (Catholic) closed.

    • Arts and literature

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

    • See 1978 in art, 1978 in literature, Category:1978 books

    Contents

    January

  • Nambassa, three-day music, crafts and alternative lifestyles festival on Phil and Pat Hulses' 400-acre (1.6 km2) 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.

    • New Zealand Music Awards

    Winners were as follows:

  • 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

    Performing arts

  • Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to George Tumahai.

    • Radio and television

  • The AM broadcast band moves from 10 kHz spacing to 9 kHz spacing.
  • 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, Category:New Zealand television, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

    Film

  • Angel Mine
  • Skin Deep

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

    Athletics

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

    • Chess

  • The 85th New Zealand Chess Championship is held in Wellington, and is won by Craig Laird of Tauranga.

    • 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.

    • Harness racing

  • New Zealand Trotting Cup: Trusty Scot
  • Auckland Trotting Cup: Sole Command. From 1978-86 the race was over 2700m and there was no handicapping.

    • Soccer

  • New Zealand National Soccer League won by Christchurch United
  • The Chatham Cup is won by Manurewa who beat Nelson United 1—0 in the final.

    • Births

  • 2 January: Dan Ward-Smith, rugby union player
  • 5 January: Adi Dick, musician.
  • 21 January (in the United States): Mike Chappell, basketballer.
  • 3 February: Keith Cameron, rugby union player.
  • 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 and winner of New Zealand Idol (season 1).
  • 11 June: Daryl Tuffey, cricketer.
  • 4 July: Bianca Russell, field hockey player.
  • 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.
  • 18 September: Iain Lees-Galloway, politician.
  • 21 September: Doug Howlett, rugby union player.
  • 10 October: Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell (twins), rowers, Olympic gold medallists (2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing)
  • 26 October: Ricky Cockerill, figure skater.
  • 6 November: Dean Kent, swimmer.
  • 11 November: Lou Vincent, cricketer.
  • 19 November (in Australia): Mahé Drysdale, rower, Olympic gold medallist (2012 London)
  • 21 November: Paul Urlovic, soccer player.
  • William Dwane Bell, convicted murderer.
  • Mok TzeMing, writer.

    • Category:1978 births

    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

    • Category:1978 deaths

    References

    1978 in New Zealand Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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