1986 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1986 in New Zealand.

Population

 * Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,313,500.
 * Increase since 31 December 1985: 10,400 (0.31%).
 * Males per 100 Females: 97.9.

Regal and viceregal

 * Head of State – Elizabeth II
 * Governor-General – The Rt Revd. Sir Paul Reeves GCMG GCVO QSO

Government
The 41st New Zealand Parliament continued. The fourth Labour Party government was in power.
 * Speaker of the House – Gerard Wall
 * Prime Minister – David Lange
 * Deputy Prime Minister – Geoffrey Palmer
 * Minister of Finance – Roger Douglas
 * Minister of Foreign Affairs – David Lange
 * Chief Justice – Sir Ronald Davison

Parliamentary opposition

 * Leader of the Opposition – Jim McLay (National) until 26 March, then Jim Bolger (National).

Main centre leaders

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

Events

 * 16 February – Soviet cruise ship Mikhail Lermontov sinks in the Marlborough Sounds.
 * 22 February–2 March – The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visit New Zealand.
 * 26 March – Jim Bolger replaces Jim McLay as leader of the National Party.
 * 21 June – The Wanganui Herald publishes its last issue. The paper started in 1865 as The Evening Herald.
 * 9 July – Parliament passes the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, 49 votes to 44; the law comes into effect on 8 August.
 * 1 October – GST is introduced at a rate of 10%.
 * 22 November – Pope John Paul II visits New Zealand for two days.
 * December – The Royal Commission on the Electoral System produces a report recommending the adoption of a mixed member proportional electoral system.
 * 13 December – The Constitution Act is passed, ending the right of the British Parliament to pass laws on behalf of New Zealand.
 * 16 December – Māori loan affair raised by Winston Peters in Parliament.

Arts and literature

 * Cilla McQueen wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

See 1986 in art, 1986 in literature, Category:1986 books

New Zealand Music Awards
Winners are shown first with nominees underneath.
 * ALBUM OF THE YEAR Peking Man – Peking Man
 * The Verlaines – Halleujah
 * Patsy Riggir – Patsy Riggir Country
 * SINGLE OF THE YEAR Peking Man – "Room That Echoes"
 * Ardijah – Give Me Your Number
 * Patea Maori Club featuring Dalvanius – E Papa
 * BEST MALE VOCALIST Pat Urlich
 * Malcolm McNeill
 * Sonny Day
 * BEST FEMALE VOCALIST Margaret Urlich
 * Betty Monga
 * Annie Crummer
 * BEST GROUP Peking Man
 * The Patea Maori Group
 * Satellite Spies
 * MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Tex Pistol
 * Simon Alexandra
 * Lyonel Grant
 * MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Tania Rowles
 * Ainsley Day
 * Liz Diamond
 * MOST PROMISING GROUP Ardijah
 * Chrome Safari
 * Wentworth Brewster & Co
 * INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Herbs
 * The Chills
 * Michael Roy Croft
 * BEST VIDEO Kerry Brown – As The Sun Goes Down (Everything that Flies)
 * Stuart Dryborough – Good Luck To You
 * Fetus Productions/MEC – Flicker
 * BEST PRODUCER Bruce Lynch – Peking Man
 * Ryan Monga/ Dave McArtney/ Trevor Reekie – Give Me Your Number (Ardijah)
 * Glyn Tucker – I Wish I'd Asked – (Satellite Spies)
 * BEST ENGINEER Graeme Myhre – Peking Man
 * Ian Morris – Ballad of Buskin Bob
 * Paul Streekstra/Graham Myhre – Give Me Your Number
 * Graham Myhre – Drive Baby Drive
 * BEST JAZZ ALBUM Phil Broadhurst Trio–Iris
 * John Niland – Inside
 * Alan Broadbent Trio – Further Down The Road
 * BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM NZ Symphony Orchestra – A Song of Islands
 * Besser & Prosser – Dark Wind/Spring Rain
 * Eugene & Nicolai Albulescu – Rhapsody
 * Mina Foley / Michael Gifford – Mina Foley / Michael Gifford
 * BEST COUNTRY ALBUM Patsy Riggir – Patsy Riggir Country
 * Suzanne Prentice – In Concert
 * Michael Roy Croft – Slow Burnin'
 * BEST FOLK ALBUM Various Artists – Send The Boats Away
 * Chris and Lyn Thompson – Together
 * Boys of Spirit NZ Trust – Sea Shanties
 * BEST GOSPEL ALBUM Samoan Congregational Christian Church Choir – Matou Te Fia Sauna
 * Paul and Colleen Trenwith and Friends – Brand New Day
 * Ray Watson – Asaph -Throne of Love
 * BEST POLYNESIAN ALBUM The Five Stars – Flower of Samoa
 * O Savali A Keriso – E Le Mavae Le Alofa
 * Mahia Blackmore – Little Tui
 * BEST SONG OF THE YEAR Dave Dobbyn – Slice of Heaven
 * Ryan Monga – Give Me Your Number
 * Dance Exponents – Caroline Skies
 * BEST COVER Phil O'Reilly – Peking Man
 * Ngila Dickson – As the Sun Goes Down
 * Paula & Graham Reid – This Sporting Life

See: 1986 in music

Performing arts

 * Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Johnny Bond.

Radio and television

 * 16 February – Radio U switches to broadcasting on FM, becoming the first FM radio station in Christchurch.
 * 31 May – Christchurch's 3ZM switches to broadcasting on FM.
 * The State Owned Enterprises Act requires all State-owned enterprises, including Television New Zealand, to operate as commercially successful businesses.

See: 1986 in New Zealand television, 1986 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:Television in New Zealand, TV3 (New Zealand), Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

 * Mark II
 * Pallet on the Floor
 * Queen City Rocker

See: Category:1986 film awards, 1986 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1986 films

Athletics

 * John Campbell wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:15:19 on 1 June in Christchurch, while Sharon Higgins claims her first in the women's championship (2:45:44).

Cricket

 * New Zealand achieve historic test series wins over Australia and England.

Their 1–0 victory over Alan Border's Australians in February/March 1986 was their first series win over Australia at home with a 5 wicket win in the third test at Eden Park. This followed on from their 2-1 series win in Australia in November/December 1985, where Richard Hadlee took a record 33 wickets in three tests.

In June/July 1986 New Zealand achieved their first test series win in England, 1-0, winning the second test at Trent Bridge.

Harness racing

 * New Zealand Trotting Cup: Master Mood
 * Auckland Trotting Cup: Comedy Lad

Shooting

 * Ballinger Belt –
 * Mark Buchanan (Australia)
 * Chester Burt (Ashhurst), second, top New Zealander

Soccer

 * The Chatham Cup is won by North Shore United who beat Mount Maunganui 4–2 on aggregate in the two-legged final.

Births
Category:1986 births
 * 2 January: Nathan Cohen, rower, Olympic gold medallist (2012 London)
 * 15 January: Isaia Toeava, rugby player.
 * 29 January: Steven Broad, singer.
 * 31 January: Olli Harder, association football coach and former player
 * 13 February: Hamish Bond, rower, Olympic gold medallist (2012 London)
 * 17 February: Steven Old, soccer player.
 * 4 March: Manu Vatuvei, rugby league player.
 * 5 March: Sean Eathorne, cricketer.
 * 17 March (in South Africa): Corney Swanepoel, swimmer.
 * 4 April: Richard Petherick, field hockey player.
 * 20 April: Cameron Duncan, director and screenwriter (d. 2003)
 * 21 April (in Australia): Ryan Kersten, basketballer.
 * 5 May: Cole Tinkler, soccer player.
 * 6 May: Tanerau Latimer, rugby player
 * 15 May: Jo Aleh, sailor, Olympic gold medallist (2012 London)
 * 4 September: Michael Murphy, singer.
 * 16 September: Willie Lonsdale, cricketer.
 * 24 September: Todd Astle, cricketer.
 * 30 September: Martin Guptill, cricketer.
 * 7 October: Amy Satterthwaite, cricketer.
 * 14 October: Teresa Bergman, singer.

Deaths

 * 25 January: Dennis Smith, cricketer. (born 1913)
 * 24 April: Garnet Mackley, businessman and politician. (born 1883)
 * 16 May: Joe Bootham, painter. (born 1911)
 * 19 May: Leonard Trent, RNZAF pilot and Victoria Cross winner. (born 1915)
 * 27 June: George Nēpia, rugby player. (born 1905)
 * 10 August: Don McRae, cricketer and soccer player. (born 1914)
 * 11 August: Peter Mahon, Queen's Counsel, judge. (born 1923)
 * 25 September: Geoff Alley, rugby player, National Librarian. (born 1903)
 * 16 October: Harold Beamish, World War I flying ace. (born 1896)