1978 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1978 in New Zealand.

Population

 * Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,165,200.
 * Change since 31 December 1977: -1,200 (-0.04%).
 * Males per 100 females: 99.2.
 * This was the first year since 1941 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.
 * Chief Justice — Sir Richard Wild (until 20 January), Sir Ronald Davison (starting 3 February)

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.
 * 25 April – A 506 day long Māori occupation of and protest in Bastion Point ends.
 * 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

January

 * Nambassa, three-day music, crafts and alternative lifestyles festival on Phil and Pat Hulses' 400 acre 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

 * 23 November – the AM broadcast band moves from 10 kHz spacing to 9 kHz spacing, in line with the Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975.
 * 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:Television in New Zealand, 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
Category:1978 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 Hipkins, politician.
 * 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.

Deaths
Category:1978 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