Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,264,800Increase since 31 December 1982: 38,000 (1.18%)Males per 100 females: 98.6Regal and viceregal
Head of State - Elizabeth IIGovernor-General - The Hon. Sir David Beattie GCMG GCVO QSO QC.The 40th New Zealand Parliament continued. The third National Party government was in power.
Speaker of the House - Richard HarrisonPrime Minister - Robert MuldoonDeputy Prime Minister - Duncan MacIntyreMinister of Finance - Robert MuldoonMinister of Foreign Affairs - Warren CooperLeader of the Opposition - David Lange (Labour).Social Credit Party - Bruce BeethamMain centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland - Colin Kay then Catherine TizardMayor of Hamilton - Ross JansenMayor of Wellington - Michael Fowler then Ian LawrenceMayor of Christchurch - Hamish HayMayor of Dunedin - Cliff SkeggsThe fourth Sweetwaters Music Festival is held near Pukekawa.The visit of the United States nuclear-powered frigate Texas sparks widespread protests.The Official Information Act 1982 replaces the 1951 Official Secrets Act.1 January: The Closer Economic Relations Free trade agreement between Australia and New Zealand comes into force.March: The Prince and Princess of Wales visit New Zealand, bringing their baby son Prince William with them.28 March: Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Minister for Trade, Lionel Bowen and New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia, Laurie Francis sign the Closer Economic Relations agreement in Canberra, Australia.1 July: Lorraine Downes, Miss New Zealand, is crowned Miss Universe in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.22 August: The New Zealand Party is launched.1 September: Disappearance (and presumed death) of 14-year-old Kirsa Jensen.Arts and literature
Rawiri Paratene wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.See 1983 in art, 1983 in literature, Category:1983 books
New Zealand Music Awards
Winners are shown first with nominees underneath.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR DD Smash - Deep in the Heart Of TaxesHerbs - Light of the PacificDance Exponents - The Legionaires - Live at MainstreetSINGLE OF THE YEAR DD Smash - Outlook For ThursdayMonte Video - Shoop Shoop Diddy Wop Cumma Cumma Wang DangCoconut Rough - Sierra LeoneTOP MALE VOCALIST Dave Dobbyn (DD Smash)Malcolm McNeillMonte VideoTOP FEMALE VOCALIST Suzanne PrenticeTrudi GreenPatsyTOP GROUP OF THE YEAR DD SmashHerbsThe NarcsMOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Andrew Mclennan (Coconut Rough)Dick Driver (Hip Singles)Gary Smith (The Body Electric)MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Sonya WatersRhonda JonesBronwyn Jones (Precious)MOST PROMISING GROUP Coconut RoughHip SinglesThe Body ElectricBEST POLYNESIAN ALBUM The Radars - Chulu ChululuPatea Maori Club (featuring Dalvanius) - Poi EKaiwhaiki Cultural Club - The Valley Of Voices Vol 2BEST FILM SOUNDTRACK/ CAST RECORDING/ COMPILATION Sharon O'Neill - Smash PalaceSchtung - The ScarecrowJohn Charles - UtuBEST MUSIC VIDEO Andrew Shaw - Outlook For Thursday (DD Smash)Greg Rood - Sierra Leone (Coconut Rough)Mark Ackerman, Craig Howard - Shoop Shoop Diddy Wop Cumma Cumma Wang Dang (Monte Video)ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Dave Marett - Sierra Leone (Coconut Rough)Graeme Myhre - Live: Deep in the Heart Of Taxes (DD Smash)Paul Streekstra - Outlook For Thursday (DD Samsh)PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Dave Marett - Sierra Leone (Coconut Rough)Dave Dobbyn - Outlook For Thursday (DD Smash)Monte Video/ Bruce Lynch - Shoop Shoop Diddy Wop Cumma Cumma Wang Dang (Monte Video)MOST POPULAR SONG Patsy Riggir - Beautiful LadyMOST POPULAR ARTIST DD SmashOUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION Murray CammickBEST COVER DESIGN Simon & Suzy Clark - Daring FeatsMatthew Aitken - The Tin SyndromeVan Heusen/ O'Neill-Joyce - Space Case TwoCLASSICAL RECORD OF THE YEAR Louise Malloy – LouiseKiri Te Kanawa/ National Youth Choir of New Zealand - Royal OccasionSchools Polyphonics of Wellington - Tenebrae Responsorie 1585JAZZ RECORD OF THE YEAR Rodger Fox Big Band - Heavy CompanySpace Case - Space Case TwoPhil Broadhurst - SustenanceCOUNTRY RECORD OF THE YEAR Suzanne Prentice - When I DreamPatsy Riggir - Are You AloneBrendan Duggan - Hands on the WheelSee: 1983 in music
Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Russell Middlebrook.Radio and television
Te Karere becomes a regular Māori language news program.Northern Television ceases transmission. [1]Feltex Television Awards:Best Television Entertainer: Howard MorrisonBest Actor: Michael on Gliding OnBest Actress: Sarah Peirse on A Woman of Good CharacterBest Drama: Gliding OnBest New Talent: Heath Lees on Opus and KaleidoscopeBest Entertainment: McPhail and GadsbyBest Documentary: Wild South - Black RobinBest Information: Country CalendarBest Speciality: KaleidoscopeBest News and Current Affairs: Close UpBest Script: ProtestersSteve Hosgood Award for Allied Craft: Errol Samuelson, film sound operator on National History ProgrammesSee: 1983 in New Zealand television, 1983 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand
Bad BloodHang on a Minute Mate!Merry Christmas, Mr. LawrencePatu!Strata (film)Savage Islands (film)UtuSee: Category:1983 film awards, 1983 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1983 films
Graham Macky wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:21:22 in Mosgiel, while Val Lindsay does the same in the women's championship (3:11:35).NBL won by AucklandWorld Series Cup, New Zealand finished first in the preliminary stages of this annual triangular one-day competition in Australia, which in 1982/83 received unprecedented interest and record television audiences. England missed out on a finals berth, with Australia coming qualifying second.New Zealand's star allrounder, Richard Hadlee, tore a hamstring on the eve of the lucrative and much anticipated finals series with Australia and was forced out of the side. A demoralised New Zealand were then well beaten by the rejuvenated Australians, 2-0. Lance Cairns hit his memorable 6 sixes in front of 71, 000 in the second final at the MCG.
Glenn Turner made his long-awaited international comeback in this series after six years of self-imposed exile from the New Zealand team due to a financial disagreement with the NZCC.
In February, New Zealand whitewashed England 3-0 in the Rothmans Cup one-day series in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, witnessed by sell-out crowds. Sri Lanka was then convincingly beaten in both the test and one-day series at home to cap off a memorable summer of cricket.
In July history was made when the Geoff Howarth-led side won their first test match against England in England, with a five wicket victory in the second test at Headingley in Leeds. However, they lost the four match series 1-3. Prior to this series, New Zealand played in the 1983 World Cup. In a tough group with both England and Pakistan, New Zealand narrowly missed out on a semi-final place at the World Cup for the first time, after being successful in the two prior tournaments in 1975 and 1979. Glenn Turner retired from international cricket after New Zealand's exit.
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Steel JawAuckland Trotting Cup: ArmalightKiwi wins a memorable 1983 Melbourne Cup at Flemington in a last-to-first finish in the home straight.
The 6th Netball World Championships were held in Singapore. New Zealand lost to Australia in the final.Ballinger Belt – Rex Chilcott (Clevedon)New Zealand National Soccer League won by ManurewaThe Chatham Cup is won by Mount Wellington who beat Gisborne City 2—0 in the final.18 January – George Bridgewater, rower19 January – Glen Moss, football (soccer) player24 January – Wyatt Crockett, rugby union player, All Black (2009–)27 January – Dene Halatau, rugby league player8 FebruaryJames Ryan, rugby union playerCory Jane, rugby union and sevens player13 February – Bradley Shaw, field hockey player1 March – James Mortimer, hurdler16 March – Melody Cooper, field hockey player7 April – Allan Pearce, football (soccer) player15 April – Anna Scarlett, netballer25 April – Nick Willis, middle distance runner, Olympic silver medallist (2008 Beijing)30 April – David Faiumu, rugby league player5 May – Ben Atiga, rugby union player22 May – Jeremy Christie, football (soccer) player6 June – Joe Rokocoko, rugby union player10 June – Gavin Williams, rugby union player17 June – James Dolphin, sprinter29 June – Jimmy Gopperth, rugby union player6 July: Brent Fisher, football (soccer) player10 August – Rebecca Scown, rower, Olympic bronze medallist (2012 London)28 August: Luke McAlister, rugby union player7 September: Piri Weepu, rugby union player8 SeptemberJohn Ling, writerToni Street, television presenter and sports commentator15 September: Richard Sherlock, cricketer28 September: John Schwalger, rugby union player17 October: Michelle Ang, actor18 October Jonny Reid, A1GP driver8 November: Chris Rankin, actor29 November: Jeremy Mayall, composer.2 December: Michael Wesley-Smith, actor15 December: Brooke Fraser, singer-songwriterDecember: Aaradhna, hip-hop artist7 January: Eliza Amy Hodgson, botanist23 July: Tex Morton, musician.12 August: Giff Vivian, cricketer.26 October: Edward Blaiklock, academic.8 December: Sir Keith Holyoake, former Prime Minister.Sir William Liley, pioneering surgeon.Lancelot Eric Richdale, ornithologist.Sir William Stevenson, industrialist and philanthropist. 