1984 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1984 in New Zealand.

Population

 * Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,293,000.
 * Increase since 31 December 1983: 28,200 (0.86%).
 * Males per 100 Females: 98.3.

Regal and viceregal

 * Head of State – Elizabeth II
 * Governor-General – The Hon Sir David Beattie GCMG GCVO QSO QC.

Government
The 40th New Zealand Parliament, led by the National Party, concluded, and in the general election the Labour Party was elected in the 41st New Zealand Parliament.


 * Speaker of the House – Richard Harrison then Basil Arthur
 * Prime Minister – Robert Muldoon then David Lange
 * Deputy Prime Minister – Duncan MacIntyre then Jim McLay then Geoffrey Palmer
 * Minister of Finance – Robert Muldoon then Roger Douglas
 * Minister of Foreign Affairs – Warren Cooper then David Lange
 * Chief Justice – Sir Ronald Davison

Parliamentary opposition

 * Leader of the Opposition – David Lange (Labour) until 26 July, then Robert Muldoon (National) until 29 November, then Jim McLay.
 * Social Credit Party – Bruce Beetham until 26 July, then not represented in Parliament.

Main centre leaders

 * Mayor of Auckland – Catherine Tizard
 * Mayor of Hamilton – Ross Jansen
 * Mayor of Wellington – Ian Lawrence
 * Mayor of Christchurch – Hamish Hay
 * Mayor of Dunedin – Cliff Skeggs

Events

 * 27 January – A state of emergency is declared in Southland as record rainfall causes flooding which forces the evacuation of 4000 people and leaves damage totalling $55 million.
 * 3–6 February – The fifth Sweetwaters Music Festival is held in Pukekawa, with the satellite Sweetwaters South held in Christchurch on 6 February.
 * 6 February – Te Hikoi ki Waitangi march disrupts Waitangi Day celebrations.
 * 27 March – A suitcase bomb explodes at the Wellington Trades Hall, killing the caretaker, Ernie Abbott. No arrest has been made, see Terrorism in New Zealand.
 * 24 June – New Zealand's first IVF-conceived baby, Amelia Bell, is born at Auckland's National Women's Hospital.
 * 14 July – 1984 general election: The Labour Party, led by David Lange, wins 56 of the 95 seats in the House of Representatives. The Fourth Labour Government is formed, ending 9 years of National rule.
 * 18 July – Government devalues New Zealand dollar by 20 percent. See New Zealand constitutional crisis, 1984.
 * 20 August – New Zealand reestablishes diplomatic relations with Argentina at a consular level.

Unknown dates

 * New Zealand signs the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
 * Auckland's population exceeds that of the South Island.

Arts and literature

 * Brian Turner wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

See 1984 in art, 1984 in literature, Category:1984 books

New Zealand Music Awards
Winners are shown first with nominees underneath.
 * ALBUM OF THE YEAR Dance Exponents – Prayers be Answered
 * The Mockers – Swear It's True
 * Patsy Riggir – You'll Never Take The Country Out of Me
 * SINGLE OF THE YEAR The Narcs – You Took Me Heart and Soul
 * Pātea Māori Club and Dalvanius Prime – "Aku Raukura"
 * Dance Exponents – I'll Say Goodbye (Even Though I'm Blue)
 * TOP MALE VOCALIST Jordan Luck (Dance Exponents)
 * Andy Dickson (The Narcs)
 * Andrew Fagan (The Mockers)
 * TOP FEMALE VOCALIST Patsy Riggir
 * Jodi Vaughan
 * Suzanne Prentice
 * TOP GROUP Dance Exponents
 * The Mockers
 * Pātea Māori Club and Dalvanius Prime
 * MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Martin Phillips (The Chills)
 * Ross McKenzie (The Idles)
 * Wayne Gillespie
 * MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Meryl Yvonne
 * Janice Lampen
 * Sharon Dubont
 * MOST PROMISING GROUP The Chills
 * Jive Bombers
 * You're A Movie
 * BEST JAZZ ALBUM Brian Smith Quartet – Southern Excursio
 * Ken Avery/ Darktown Strutters – Jazz The Way It Used to Be
 * Rodger Fox – Something Juicy
 * BEST COUNTRY ALBUM Patsy Riggir – You'll Never Take the Country Out of Me
 * Suzanne Prentice – So Precious To Me
 * Jodi Vaughn – Rodeo Eyes
 * BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM NZSO & Others – Music By Larry Pruden
 * Michael Houston – Michael Houston
 * Schola Musica – NZ Music For Strings
 * BEST POLYNESIAN ALBUM Pātea Māori Club & Dalvanius Prime – "Aku Raukura"
 * The Five Stars – Musika Malie (Good Music)
 * Rosalio – Samoan Serenade
 * BEST FOLK ALBUM Phil Garland – Springtime in the Mountains
 * Michael Warmuth – Hammered Duclimer
 * Wayne Gillespie – Wayward Son
 * PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Dave MCartney – You Took Me Heart & Soul
 * Glyn Tucker Jnr / Trevor Reekie – Swear It's True
 * Glyn Tucker Jnr / Trevor Reekie – You Fascinate
 * ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Graham Myhre – You Took Me Heart & Soul
 * Graham Myhre/ Gyn Tucker Jnr – Caught in the Act
 * Glyn Tucker Jnr – You Fascinate
 * BEST COVER DESIGN Joe Wylie – Aku Raukura (Pātea Māori Club)
 * Murray Vincent – Music By Larry Purden
 * Mike Hutton – Vocal at the Local
 * BEST MUSIC VIDEO Bruce Morrison – I'm in Heaven
 * William Keddell – Elephunk in My Soup
 * Tom Parkinson – I'll Say Goodbye (Even Though I'm Blue) (Dance Exponents)
 * BEST FILM SOUNDTRACK Jenny Mcleod – The Silent One
 * Mike Nock – Strata
 * John Charles/ Dave Fraser – Constance
 * INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Tim Finn
 * Dragon
 * Split Enz
 * OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY Eldred Stebbing – (For his Lifelong Contribution to the Recording Arts in New Zealand)
 * Jacqui Fitzgerald
 * Peter Blake & TVNZ
 * MOST POPULAR SONG The Narcs – You Took Me Heart and Soul

See: 1984 in music

Performing arts

 * Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to John Maybury Senior.

Radio and television
See: 1984 in New Zealand television, 1984 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:Television in New Zealand, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

 * Came a Hot Friday
 * Constance
 * Other Halves
 * The Silent One
 * Vigil
 * The Bounty

See: Category:1984 film awards, 1984 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1984 films

Athletics

 * Barry Thompson wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:19:03 on 25 March in Wanganui, while Mary Belsey does the same in the women's championship (2:41:39).

Basketball

 * NBL won by Wellington.

Harness racing

 * New Zealand Trotting Cup: Camelot
 * Auckland Trotting Cup: Enterprise

Summer Olympics

 * New Zealand sends a team of 130 competitors across 18 sports.

Winter Olympics

 * New Zealand sends a team of six alpine skiers.

Winter Paralympics

 * New Zealand sends a team of eight competitors in one sport.

Shooting

 * Ballinger Belt – Peter Cromwell (Cheltenham)

Soccer

 * New Zealand National Soccer League won by Gisborne City
 * The Chatham Cup is won by Manurewa who beat Gisborne City 2–1 in the final.

Births
Category:1984 births
 * 27 January: Vince Mellars, rugby league player.
 * 14 February: Jared Wrennall, musician.
 * 17 February: Timothy Gudsell, cyclist.
 * 21 February: Andy Ellis, rugby union player.
 * 25 February: Paul Vodanovich, soccer player.
 * 8 March: Ross Taylor, cricketer.
 * 16 March: Hosea Gear, rugby union player.
 * 25 March: Liam Messam, rugby union and rugby sevens player.
 * 2 April: Meryl Cassie, actor.
 * 6 April: Stacey Carr, field hockey player.
 * 20 April: Fraser Anderson, rugby league player.
 * 28 May: Beth Allen, actor.
 * 2 June: Jack Afamasaga, rugby league player.
 * 6 June: Antonia Prebble, actor.
 * 7 June: Jennyfer Jewell, actor.
 * 20 June: Jarrod Smith, soccer player.
 * 27 June: Emma Lahana, actor.
 * 28 June: Evarn Tuimavave, rugby league player.
 * 13 July: Gareth Williams, actor
 * 14 July: Fleur Saville, actor.
 * 6 August: Jesse Ryder, cricketer.
 * 12 September: Ben Townley, motocrosser.
 * 6 October: Valerie Adams, athlete, Olympic gold medallist (2008 Beijing and 2012 London)
 * 23 November: Jerome Ropati, rugby league player.
 * 14 December: Keshia Paulse, singer.
 * Vicki Lin, television presenter.

Deaths

 * 23 January: Dean Goffin, composer
 * 6 March: Ian Cromb, cricketer
 * 20 March: Robin Tait, discus thrower
 * 28 April: Sylvia Ashton-Warner, writer and educator
 * 13 June: Ken Armstrong, soccer player
 * 15 June: Tom Heeney, boxer
 * 21 July: Adam Adamson, former mayor of Invercargill
 * 13 September: Lois White, painter
 * 26 November: Eliot V. Elliott, trade unionist
 * 9 December: Guthrie Wilson, novelist and teacher (in Sydney)