1998 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1998 in New Zealand.

Population

 * Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,829,200.
 * Increase since 31 December 1997: 26,500 (0.70%).
 * Males per 100 Females: 96.8.

Regal and viceregal

 * Head of State - Elizabeth II
 * Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO

Government
The 45th New Zealand Parliament continued, with the Fourth National Government in power.


 * Speaker of the House - Doug Kidd
 * Prime Minister - Jenny Shipley
 * Deputy Prime Minister - Winston Peters then Wyatt Creech
 * Minister of Finance - Bill Birch
 * Minister of Foreign Affairs - Don McKinnon
 * Chief Justice — Sir Thomas Eichelbaum

Opposition leaders
See: Category:Parliament of New Zealand, New Zealand elections


 * National - Prime Minister Jenny Shipley
 * Act - Richard Prebble
 * New Zealand First - Winston Peters
 * United New Zealand - Peter Dunne
 * Labour - Helen Clark (Leader of the Opposition)
 * The Alliance - Jim Anderton and Sandra Lee

Main centre leaders

 * Mayor of Auckland – Les Mills then Christine Fletcher
 * Mayor of Hamilton – Margaret Evans then Russ Rimmington
 * Mayor of Wellington – Mark Blumsky
 * Mayor of Christchurch – Vicki Buck then Garry Moore
 * Mayor of Dunedin – Sukhi Turner

Events

 * 2 May – By-election in Taranaki-King Country after the former Prime Minister Jim Bolger resigned. Shane Ardern retained the seat for National.
 * 14 August – Prime Minister Jenny Shipley sacks Winston Peters from Cabinet after a dispute over the privatisation of Wellington International Airport. Peters subsequently cancels New Zealand First's coalition agreement with National.
 * 22 October – Magnum Photo Supplies Ltd v Viko New Zealand Ltd, [1999] (1 NZLR 395) case is decided.
 * New Zealand appoints a resident ambassador to Argentina and establishes an embassy in Buenos Aires.
 * Until 2016, this year was New Zealand's warmest year on record.

Arts and literature

 * Michael King wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
 * Montana New Zealand Book Awards:
 * Montana Medal: Harry Orsman (ed.), Dictionary of New Zealand English
 * Deutz Medal: Maurice Gee, Live Bodies
 * Reader's Choice: Malcolm McKinnon(ed.), New Zealand Historical Atlas
 * First Book Awards
 * Fiction: Catherine Chidgey, In a fishbone church
 * Poetry: Kapka Kassabova, All Roads Lead to the Sea
 * Non-Fiction: Genevieve Noser, Olives: The new passion

See 1998 in art, 1998 in literature, Category:1998 books

New Zealand Music Awards
Winners are shown first with nominees underneath. were:
 * Album of the Year: Bic Runga - Drive
 * Salmonella Dub - Calming of the Drunken Monkey
 * Rob Guest - Standing Ovation
 * The Stereobus - Stereobus
 * Greg Johnson - Chinese Whispers
 * Single of the Year: Bic Runga - Sway
 * Shihad - Home Again
 * The Feelers - Pressure Man
 * Darcy Clay - Jesus I Was Evil
 * Moizna - Just Another Day
 * Best Male Vocalist: Jon Toogood – (Shihad)
 * Greg Johnson (Greg Johnson Set)
 * Booga Beazley (Head Like A Hole)
 * Best Female Vocalist: Bic Runga
 * Sulata
 * Annie Crummer
 * Best Group: Shihad
 * The Mutton Birds
 * Dam Native
 * Most Promising Male Vocalist: Darcy Clay
 * Dave Yetton (The Stereobus)
 * James Reid (The Feelers)
 * Most Promising Female Vocalist: Alesha Siosiua (Miozna)
 * Maisey Rika (St Josephs Maori Girls College)
 * Jordan Reyne
 * Most Promising Group: Moizna
 * The Feelers
 * The Stereobus
 * International Achievement: OMC
 * The Mutton Birds
 * Garageland
 * Best Video: Mark Hurley - Home Again (Shihad)
 * Joe Lonie - Pressure Man (The Feelers)
 * Wayne Conway - Suddenly Strange (Bic Runga)
 * Best Producer: Malcolm Welsford - Pressure Man (The Feelers)
 * Chris Sinclair - Kia Koe (Sulata)
 * Debbie Harwood & Stephen Small - So This Is Love
 * Best Engineer: Simon Sheridan - Sway (Bic Runga)
 * Chris Sinclair - Kia Koe (Sulata)
 * Malcolm Welsford - Pressure Man (The Feelers)
 * Best Jazz Album: the New Loungehead - Came a Weird Way
 * Trip to the Moon - Jazz Hop
 * Sustenance - Food For Thought
 * Best Classical Album: Daniel Poynton - You Hit Him, He Cry Out
 * Alexander Ivashkin - Shostakovich Cello Concertos
 * Keith Lewis And NZ Chamber Orchestra - Opera Kings Gods And Mortals
 * Best Country Album: Kylie Harris - Fancy
 * Best Folk Album: Paul Ubana Jones - Blessings and Burdens
 * T&D Bigger Band - Hillingdon
 * AJ Bell - Ragwort Touch
 * Best Gospel Album: Parachute Band - You Alone
 * Dennis Marsh - Faith
 * Invasion Band - You Call My Name
 * Best Mana Maori Album: Te Matapihi – Te Matapihi
 * Maori Volcanics - Kia Ora
 * Dam Native - Kaupapa Driven Rhymes Uplifted
 * Best Mana Reo Album: St Josephs Maori Girls College - E Hine
 * The Willie Matthews Quartet - A Treasury of Maori Songs
 * Nga Kura O Hananah - Nga Kura O Hananah
 * Best Children's Album: Kids TV - Sing Something Simple
 * Tessa Grigg & Brian Ringrose - Where Are You Going Colin
 * Jules Riding - Kids Time With Jules Riding
 * Best Songwriter: Bic Runga - Sway
 * Greg Johnson - Liberty
 * Jordan Luck - Change Your Mind
 * Best Cover: Wayne Conway - Drive (Bic Runga)
 * Crispin Schuberth - Came A Weird Way (The New Loungehead)
 * A Penman & Ross (Finnart) - Calming of the Drunken Monkey (Salmonella Dub)
 * New Zealand Radio Programmer Award: John Diver - Channel Z (Wellington)
 * Melanie Wise - Q92FM (Queenstown)
 * Kaye Glamuzina - National Radio

See: 1998 in music

Performing arts

 * Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Dame Malvina Major ONZ GNZM DBE.

Radio and television

 * 16 March: British children's television series Teletubbies premieres on TV3.
 * 30 August: Prime Television New Zealand begins transmission.

See: 1998 in New Zealand television, 1998 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

 * Memory and Desire
 * Saving Grace

See: Category:1998 film awards, 1998 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1998 films

Internet
See: NZ Internet History

Sport

 * See: 1998 in sports, Category:1998 in sports

Athletics

 * Mark Hutchinson wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:24:51 on 25 October in Auckland while Bernardine Portenski claims her second in the women's championship (2:44:52)

Basketball

 * the NBL was won by the Nelson Giants

Cricket
Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team
 * The Shell Trophy for 1998-99 was won by Canterbury, with Northern Districts runners-up.

Golf
New Zealand Open Category:New Zealand golfers

Harness racing

 * New Zealand Trotting Cup: Christian Cullen
 * Auckland Trotting Cup: Christian Cullen

Netball

 * Silver Ferns
 * National Bank Cup
 * Netball World Championships

Olympic Games

 * New Zealand sends a team of eight competitors in six sports.

Paralympic Games

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

Rugby league

 * The Auckland Warriors finished 15th out of 20 teams in the first season of the National Rugby League premiership.
 * Auckland won the National Provincial Competition by defeating Canterbury 44-8 while Waikato ended the season holding the Rugby League Cup.
 * 24 April, New Zealand defeated Australia 22-16
 * 9 October, New Zealand lost to Australia 12-30
 * 31 October, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 22-16
 * 7 November, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 36-16
 * 14 November, New Zealand drew with Great Britain 23-all

Rugby union
Category:Rugby union in New Zealand,
 * Super 12 - was won by the Canterbury Crusaders who defeated the Auckland Blues 20–13 in the final. Season summary
 * National Provincial Championship - won by Otago
 * Bledisloe Cup - won 3-0 by Australia
 * Tri Nations Series - won by South Africa. New Zealand came last with no wins and only 2 bonus points
 * Ranfurly Shield - Waikato held the shield all season, beating Poverty Bay 121–0, King Country 76–0, Bay of Plenty 25–18, Auckland 24–23, Southland 95–7, Nth Harbour 39–22, Northland 63–22, and Canterbury 29-23

Shooting

 * Ballinger Belt – Mike Collings (Te Puke)

Soccer

 * The second National Summer Soccer League was won by Napier City Rovers
 * The New Zealand national soccer team won the OFC Nations Cup tournament held in Australia, beating the host nation 2–0 in the final.
 * The Chatham Cup is won by Central United who beat Dunedin Technical 5–0 in the final.
 * New Zealand U-16 team coached by Wynton Rufer travels to unofficial U-16 World Cup in France to coincide with 1998 FIFA World Cup. Achieve mixed results (0-3 v Italy, 0-2 v Cameroon, 1-1 v Austria, 0-1 v USA, 0-1 v Israel, 1-0 v Norway)

January–March

 * 6 January – Eleanor Epke, squash player
 * 11 January – Thomas Mikaele, rugby league player
 * 25 January – Sione Havili, rugby union player
 * 4 February – Tevita Mafileo, rugby union player
 * 5 February – Tai Wynyard, basketballer
 * 6 February – Hayden Phillips, field hockey player
 * 11 February – Ben Sears, cricketer
 * 20 February
 * Emma Cumming, racing cyclist
 * Nicole Fujita, model and tarento
 * 24 February – Will Jordan, rugby union player
 * 3 March – Sione Asi, rugby union player
 * 4 March – Tom Christie, rugby union player
 * 28 March – James Fouché, racing cyclist

April–June

 * 2 April – Sam Fischli, rugby union player
 * 5 April – Michaela Drummond, racing cyclist
 * 9 April – James McGarry, association footballer
 * 13 April – Paige Satchell, association footballer
 * 17 April – Vilimoni Koroi, rugby union player
 * 18 April – Liana Dance, water polo player
 * 21 April – Jackson Wells, freestyle skier
 * 29 April – Fraser Sheat, cricketer
 * 30 April – Liam Wood, association footballer
 * 4 May – Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa, rugby union player
 * 7 May – Jess Watkin, cricketer
 * 12 May – Campbell Stewart, racing cyclist
 * 18 May – Brianna Fruean, environmental activist
 * 28 May – Logan Rogerson, association footballer
 * 16 June – Tanielu Tele’a, rugby union player
 * 19 June
 * Ali Galyer, swimmer
 * Harry Plummer, rugby union player

July–September

 * 4 July – Olivia Ray, racing cyclist
 * 6 July – Ma'ava Ave, cricketer
 * 9 July – Mikayla Harvey, racing cyclist
 * 12 July – Hoskins Sotutu, rugby union player
 * 15 July – Nathan Smith, cricketer
 * 18 July – Ella Harris, racing cyclist
 * 1 August – Rosie Cheng, tennis player
 * 2 August – Ricky Jackson, rugby union player
 * 7 August – Jesse Arthars, rugby league player
 * 22 August
 * Leica Guv, Thoroughbred racehorse
 * Adam Pompey, rugby league player
 * 28 August
 * Morgan Harper, rugby league player
 * Sarah Morton, association footballer
 * 30 August – Ngane Punivai, rugby union player
 * 3 September – Bailyn Sullivan, rugby union player
 * 13 September – Evelina Afoa, swimmer
 * 20 September – Isaiah Papali'i, rugby league player
 * 23 September – Bradley Slater, rugby union player

October–December

 * 20 October – Tasmyn Benny, boxer
 * 29 October
 * Laghlan McWhannell, rugby union player
 * Felix Murray, cricketer
 * 7 November – Rosemary Mair, cricketer
 * 17 November – Courtney McGregor, artistic gymnast
 * 19 November – Thomas Sexton, racing cyclist
 * 29 November – Xavier Numia, rugby union player
 * 4 December – Just An Excuse, Standardbred racehorse
 * 11 December – Rakai Tait, snowboarder
 * 12 December – Elizabeth Anton, association footballer
 * 18 December – Jade Lewis, tennis player
 * 22 December – Ben Beecroft, cricketer
 * 24 December – Nikita Howarth, swimmer

Undated

 * Rupena Parkinson, rugby union player
 * Henry Williams, actor

January–March

 * 12 January – Neil Williams, water polo player (born 1918)
 * 14 January – Leonard Atkinson, public servant (born 1906)
 * 27 January – Gavin Downie, politician (born 1924)
 * 14 February – Peter Jacobson, poet (born 1925)
 * 20 February – Ces Blazey, rugby union and athletics administrator (born 1909)
 * 8 March – Kuini Te Tau, Ngāi Tahu kaumātua, welfare worker, community leader (born 1899)
 * 10 March – C. E. Beeby, educationalist (born 1902)
 * 15 March – Darcy Clay, singer–songwriter (born 1972)
 * 18 March – Vernon Clare, musician, cabaret owner, restaurateur, music teacher (born 1925)

April–June

 * 6 April – Sam Chaffey, alpine skier (born 1934)
 * 26 April – Sir Alan Boxer, air force officer (born 1916)
 * 30 April – William Newland, potter (born 1919)
 * 1 May – Brian Kendall, boxer (born 1947)
 * 14 May –
 * Ron Withell, boxer (born 1916)
 * Jade Wilson, squash player (born 1977)
 * 15 May – Jack Warcup, mycologist (born 1921)
 * 20 May – John Trenwith, novelist, marketing academic (born 1951)
 * 2 June – Brian Johnston, field hockey player (born 1933)
 * 13 June – Henry Tatana, rugby league player (born 1945)
 * 21 June – Peter Mander, sailor (born 1928)
 * 22 June – Brian Davis, Anglican archbishop (born 1934)

July–September

 * 3 July – Elizabeth Riddell, poet and journalist (born 1910)
 * 5 July – Frank Creagh, boxer (born 1924)
 * 7 July – Maurice Holmes, harness racing driver (born 1908)
 * 17 July
 * Marc Hunter, musician (born 1953)
 * Ronald Tremain, composer, music academic (born 1923)
 * 26 July – Dixie Cockerton, netball player and coach, cricketer, school principal (born 1925)
 * 29 July – Alex Griffiths, conservationist (born 1911)
 * 31 July – Athol Meyer, politician (born 1940)
 * 3 August – Ronnie Boon, rugby union player (born 1909)
 * 7 August – Bill Laney, politician (born 1913)
 * 27 August – Essie Summers, novelist (born 1912)
 * 30 August – Sir Toss Woollaston, painter and writer (born 1910)
 * 12 September – Neville Thornton, rugby union player (born 1918)
 * 13 September – Sir Frank Renouf, stockbroker, businessman, philanthropist (born 1918)
 * 15 September – Amy Harper, photographer (born 1900)
 * 18 September – Andy Wiren, cricketer (born 1911)
 * 23 September – Trevor Berghan, rugby union player (born 1914)

October–December

 * 1 October – Jim Kearney, rugby union player (born 1920)
 * 4 October – Tony Shelly, motor racing driver (born 1937)
 * 18 October – Ilse von Randow, weaver (born 1901)
 * 26 November – Sir Charles Bennett, broadcaster, military leader, public servant, diplomat, politician (born 1913)
 * 6 December – Ken Comber, politician (born 1939)
 * 8 December – Aaron Hopa, rugby union player (born 1971)
 * 12 December – Phillippe Cabot, rugby union player (born 1900)