Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,264,800
Increase since 31 December 1982: 38,000 (1.18%)
Males per 100 females: 98.6
Regal and viceregal
Head of State - Elizabeth II
Governor-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 Harrison
Prime Minister - Robert Muldoon
Deputy Prime Minister - Duncan MacIntyre
Minister of Finance - Robert Muldoon
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Warren Cooper
Leader of the Opposition - David Lange (Labour).
Social Credit Party - Bruce Beetham
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland - Colin Kay then Catherine Tizard
Mayor of Hamilton - Ross Jansen
Mayor of Wellington - Michael Fowler then Ian Lawrence
Mayor of Christchurch - Hamish Hay
Mayor of Dunedin - Cliff Skeggs
The 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 Taxes
Herbs - Light of the Pacific
Dance Exponents - The Legionaires - Live at Mainstreet
SINGLE OF THE YEAR DD Smash - Outlook For Thursday
Monte Video - Shoop Shoop Diddy Wop Cumma Cumma Wang Dang
Coconut Rough - Sierra Leone
TOP MALE VOCALIST Dave Dobbyn (DD Smash)
Malcolm McNeill
Monte Video
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST Suzanne Prentice
Trudi Green
Patsy
TOP GROUP OF THE YEAR DD Smash
Herbs
The Narcs
MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Andrew Mclennan (Coconut Rough)
Dick Driver (Hip Singles)
Gary Smith (The Body Electric)
MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Sonya Waters
Rhonda Jones
Bronwyn Jones (Precious)
MOST PROMISING GROUP Coconut Rough
Hip Singles
The Body Electric
BEST POLYNESIAN ALBUM The Radars - Chulu Chululu
Patea Maori Club (featuring Dalvanius) - Poi E
Kaiwhaiki Cultural Club - The Valley Of Voices Vol 2
BEST FILM SOUNDTRACK/ CAST RECORDING/ COMPILATION Sharon O'Neill - Smash Palace
Schtung - The Scarecrow
John Charles - Utu
BEST 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 Lady
MOST POPULAR ARTIST DD Smash
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION Murray Cammick
BEST COVER DESIGN Simon & Suzy Clark - Daring Feats
Matthew Aitken - The Tin Syndrome
Van Heusen/ O'Neill-Joyce - Space Case Two
CLASSICAL RECORD OF THE YEAR Louise Malloy – Louise
Kiri Te Kanawa/ National Youth Choir of New Zealand - Royal Occasion
Schools Polyphonics of Wellington - Tenebrae Responsorie 1585
JAZZ RECORD OF THE YEAR Rodger Fox Big Band - Heavy Company
Space Case - Space Case Two
Phil Broadhurst - Sustenance
COUNTRY RECORD OF THE YEAR Suzanne Prentice - When I Dream
Patsy Riggir - Are You Alone
Brendan Duggan - Hands on the Wheel
See: 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 Morrison
Best Actor: Michael on Gliding On
Best Actress: Sarah Peirse on A Woman of Good Character
Best Drama: Gliding On
Best New Talent: Heath Lees on Opus and Kaleidoscope
Best Entertainment: McPhail and Gadsby
Best Documentary: Wild South - Black Robin
Best Information: Country Calendar
Best Speciality: Kaleidoscope
Best News and Current Affairs: Close Up
Best Script: Protesters
Steve Hosgood Award for Allied Craft: Errol Samuelson, film sound operator on National History Programmes
See: 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 Blood
Hang on a Minute Mate!
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Patu!
Strata (film)
Savage Islands (film)
Utu
See: 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 Auckland
World 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 Jaw
Auckland Trotting Cup: Armalight
Kiwi 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 Manurewa
The Chatham Cup is won by Mount Wellington who beat Gisborne City 2—0 in the final.
18 January – George Bridgewater, rower
19 January – Glen Moss, football (soccer) player
24 January – Wyatt Crockett, rugby union player, All Black (2009–)
27 January – Dene Halatau, rugby league player
8 February
James Ryan, rugby union player
Cory Jane, rugby union and sevens player
13 February – Bradley Shaw, field hockey player
1 March – James Mortimer, hurdler
16 March – Melody Cooper, field hockey player
7 April – Allan Pearce, football (soccer) player
15 April – Anna Scarlett, netballer
25 April – Nick Willis, middle distance runner, Olympic silver medallist (2008 Beijing)
30 April – David Faiumu, rugby league player
5 May – Ben Atiga, rugby union player
22 May – Jeremy Christie, football (soccer) player
6 June – Joe Rokocoko, rugby union player
10 June – Gavin Williams, rugby union player
17 June – James Dolphin, sprinter
29 June – Jimmy Gopperth, rugby union player
6 July: Brent Fisher, football (soccer) player
10 August – Rebecca Scown, rower, Olympic bronze medallist (2012 London)
28 August: Luke McAlister, rugby union player
7 September: Piri Weepu, rugby union player
8 September
John Ling, writer
Toni Street, television presenter and sports commentator
15 September: Richard Sherlock, cricketer
28 September: John Schwalger, rugby union player
17 October: Michelle Ang, actor
18 October Jonny Reid, A1GP driver
8 November: Chris Rankin, actor
29 November: Jeremy Mayall, composer.
2 December: Michael Wesley-Smith, actor
15 December: Brooke Fraser, singer-songwriter
December: Aaradhna, hip-hop artist
7 January: Eliza Amy Hodgson, botanist
23 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.
