Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,176,400
Increase since 31 December 1979: 12,500 (0.40%)
Males per 100 females: 99.2
Regal and viceregal
Head of State - Elizabeth II
Governor-General - The Rt Hon Sir Keith Holyoake KG GCMG CH QSO, followed by The Hon Sir David Beattie GCMG GCVO QSO QC.
The 39th New Zealand Parliament continued. The third National Party government was in power.
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 - Jim McLay.
An attempt by high-ranking ministers Derek Quigley, Jim McLay, and Jim Bolger to replace Muldoon as prime minister (known as the "colonels' coup") with the deputy prime minister Talboys collapsed as a result of Talboys' unwillingness to actively campaign against Muldoon.
Three by-elections occurred.
In East Coast Bays, the sitting National MP Frank Gill resigned to take up the post of New Zealand's ambassador to the United States. The seat was won by Gary Knapp for the Social Credit Party.
In Northern Maori the MP Matiu Rata, who had left Labour the year before, resigned and recontested the seat for Mana Motuhake. The seat was won by the Labour Party candidate Bruce Gregory.
In Onehunga a by-election was called after the death of Labour MP Frank Rogers. The seat was won again for the Labour Party by Fred Gerbic.
Leader of the Opposition - Bill Rowling (Labour).
Social Credit Party - Bruce Beetham
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland - Dove-Myer Robinson then Colin Kay
Mayor of Hamilton - Ross Jansen
Mayor of Wellington - Michael Fowler
Mayor of Christchurch - Hamish Hay
Mayor of Dunedin - Clifford George (Cliff) Skeggs
A strike at Kinleith Mill lasted for 80 days, and broke the government's wage and price freeze.
Saturday trading was partially legalised.
The first Sweetwaters Music Festival was held near Ngaruawahia.
The carless days scheme finished.
Arts and literature
Philip Temple wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
See 1980 in art, 1980 in literature, Category:1980 books
New Zealand Music Awards
ALBUM OF THE YEAR Sharon O'Neill - Sharon O'Neill
SINGLE OF THE YEAR Jon Stevens – Montego Bay
TOP MALE VOCALIST Jon Stevens
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST Sharon O'Neill
TOP GROUP The Crocodiles
MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Jon Stevens
MOST PROMISING GROUP Crocodiles
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Dave MaCrae & Kevin Oliff – Pacific Eardrum (Pacific Eardrum)
ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Tony Burns - Pacific Eardrum (Pacific Eardrum)
BEST COVER Peter Burt – Pacific Eardrum (Pacific Eardrum)
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION Terence O’Neill-Joyce
See: 1980 in music
Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Peter Evans.
Radio and television
Television One and South Pacific Television are merged into Television New Zealand.
The national newsroom is moved from Avalon in Lower Hutt to Auckland. [1]
Feltex Television Awards:
Best Information: Country Calendar
Best Documentary: From the Ocean to the Sky
Best Drama: Children of Fire Mountain
Best Speciality: 1979 SPT International Track Series
Best Children's: Spot On
Best Script: Episode five of Children of Fire Mountain
Best Actor: Terence Cooper in Children of Fire Mountain
Best Actress: Ginette McDonald as Sandra Allenby in It's Your Child
Best Television Entertainer: David McPhail
See: 1980 in New Zealand television, 1980 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand
Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Goodbye Pork Pie
Lincoln County Incident
Squeeze (film)
See: Category:1980 film awards, 1980 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1980 films
Don Greig wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:17:08 on 15 March in Christchurch, while the first women's championship is won by Beverley Shingles in 2:44:48.
The 87th New Zealand Chess Championship is held in Upper Hutt. There is a three-way tie between Ewen McGowen Green, Ortvin Sarapu, and Vernon A. Small.
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Hands Down
Auckland Trotting Cup: Delightful Lady
New Zealand at the 1980 Summer Olympics Only four of the 98 competitors originally selected went from New Zealand because of the Western boycott.
New Zealand at the 1980 Winter Olympics
In the 1980 New Zealand rugby union tour of Australia in June / July Australia won two of the three tests, retaining the Bledisloe Cup
23 July: The All Blacks beat Fiji 30—6 at ANZ National Stadium
13 September: The All Blacks beat Fiji 33—0 at Eden Park
8 October—1 November: All Blacks tour of North America and Wales
Auckland defend the Ranfurly Shield against five challengers (Horowhenua 37—3, King Country 29—3, Poverty Bay 19—12, Southland 25—3, and Otago 43—13) before losing to Waikato 3—7. Waikato then beat Thames Valley 16—7 and Taranaki 15—0 to retain the shield at the end of the season.
National Provincial Championship winners:Division 1: Manawatu.
Division 2 North: Waikato
Division 2 South: Mid Canterbury
The North vs South match is played in Palmerston North and is won 13-9 by North.
New Zealand National Soccer League won by Mount Wellington
The Chatham Cup is won by Mount Wellington who beat Dunedin City 2—0 in the final.
New Zealand was unplaced in the Oceania Cup tournament held in New Caledonia
15 January: Jason Cayless, rugby league player.
31 January: Sam Harris, rugby league and rugby union player.
2 February: Kyle Pontifex, hockey player.
10 February: Riki Flutey, rugby union player.
21 February: Clinton Toopi, rugby league player.
4 March: Scott Hamilton, rugby union player.
6 March: Gareth Fleming, musician.
9 March: Trent Croad, Australian rules footballer.
14 April: Jeremy Smith, rugby league player.
15 April: Willie Mason, rugby league player.
16 April: David Hall, rugby union player.
22 April: Clarke Dermody, rugby union player.
25 April: Phillip Burrows, hockey player.
25 April: Bruce Martin, cricketer.
7 May: Jeetan Patel, cricketer.
8 May: Steven Ferguson, canoer and swimmer.
10 May: Brad Carter, musician.
13 May: Ken Uprichard, archer.
21 May: Anika Moa, singer/songwriter.
24 May: William Trubridge, free-diver.
30 May: Henry Fa'afili, rugby league player.
16 June: Henry Perenara, rugby league player.
7 July: Benjamin Mitchell, actor.
22 July: Scott Dixon, racing car driver.
31 July (in Samoa): Mils Muliaina, rugby union player.
10 August: Pua Magasiva, actor.
12 August: Blair Hopping, hockey player.
14 August: Nick Evans, rugby union player.
31 August: Hayden Shaw, hockey player.
1 September: Ryan Archibald, hockey player.
4 September: Lucie Silvas, singer/songwriter.
9 September: David Fa'alogo, rugby player.
12 September: Clifford Manua, rugby player.
23 September: Shannon Paku, rugby player.
25 September: Luc Mullinder, Canadian Football player.
10 October: Tasesa Lavea, rugby union and rugby league player.
29 October: Kaine Robertson, rugby player.
4 November: Jerry Collins, rugby player.
7 November: James Franklin, cricketer.
8 November: Brent Webb, rugby player.
23 November: Kirk Penney, basketball player.
25 November: Michael Wilson, soccer player.
29 November: Aaron Mauger, rugby player.
5 December: Heath Blackgrove, cyclist.
17 December: Tim Youngson, musician.
24 December: Andrew Barron, football (soccer) player.
31 December: Richie McCaw, rugby player.
Mike Mayhew, artist.
Ben Goodger, lead developer of the Firefox web browser.
8 January: Logan Sloane, politician.
12 April: Clark McConachy, snooker and billiards player.
15 May: Len Lye, sculptor, artist, writer and film-maker.
14 July:Norman Shelton, politician.
2 August: Verdun Scott, cricketer.
9 August: Denis Glover, poet and publisher.
28 November: Air Commodore Keith Caldwell MC DFC, WWI flying ace.
28 November: Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae, Governor-General.
5 December: Don Taylor, cricketer.
