1979 in New Zealand

Population

* Estimated Population as of 31 December: 3,163,900 http://www.stats.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/24107FC8-E7B5-4CF2-B17C-15E31CCA7D05/0/HistoricalPop.xls]
* Increase since 31/12/1978: -1,300 (-0.04%)
* Males per 100 Females: 99.0

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

*Head of State - Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand
*Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Keith Holyoake KG GCMG CH QSO. [Statistics New Zealand: "New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990". ISSN 0078-0170 page 52]

Government

*Speaker of the House - Richard Harrison. Lambert & Palenski: "The New Zealand Almanac", 1982. ISBN 0908570554]
*Prime Minister - Robert Muldoon
*Deputy Prime Minister - Brian Talboys.
*Minister of Finance - Robert Muldoon.
*Minister of Foreign Affairs - Brian Talboys.
*Attorney-General - Jim McLay.

Parliamentary opposition

* Leader of the Opposition - Bill Rowling (Labour). [Cite web|url=http://www.elections.org.nz/democracy/leaders-opposition.html|title=Elections NZ - Leaders of the Opposition|accessdate=2008-04-06]
*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

*30 July: The Carless days scheme is introduced.
*3 November The "Evening Star" ceases publication. The Dunedin newspaper was founded in 1863. [cite web|url=http://www.alliedpress.co.nz/history.php|title=Allied Press History|publisher=Allied Press]
*28 November: Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashes in Antarctica, killing all 237 passengers and 20 crewmembers aboard.
* The Government occupies the new executive wing of Parliament House, known as the Beehive. [ [http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/HstBldgs/History/Resources/3/6/e/36e40376aa2842e6bcce0a4557ebf2bc.htm New Zealand Parliament - Parliament timeline ] ]

Arts and literature

*Michael A Noonan wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

* Nambassa beach festival, touring family roadshow. Whangamata Waihi Beach Mount Maunganui and Coromandel.
* Nambassa three day music, crafts and alternative lifestyle festival on Phil and Pat Hulses' convert|400|acre|km2|sing=on farm in Golden Valley, north of Waihi. Attendance 75,000 plus.
* Summer '79, outdoor arts festival in the parks of Wellington - including the Botanical Gardens, the Newtown Zoo, the Town Belt and several suburban parks.

See 1979 in art, 1979 in literature,

Music

New Zealand Music Awards

*ALBUM OF THE YEAR Street Talk – Street Talk
*SINGLE OF THE YEAR Th’ Dudes – Be Mine Tonight
*TOP MALE VOCALIST Rob Guest
*TOP FEMALE VOCALIST Sharon O’Neill
*TOP GROUP Th’ Dudes
*MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Jon Stevens
*MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Tina Cross
*MOST PROMISING GROUP Street Talk
*PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Steve Robinson - This Heart This Song
*ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Gerry Smith – This Heart This Song
*BEST COVER DESIGN Geoff Chunn, Peter Burt & Dale Wrightson – Just Drove Through Town

See: 1979 in music

Radio and Television

*Feltex Television Awards:
**Best Current Affairs: "Dateline Monday"
**Best Documentary: "Okarito"
**Best Drama: "The Mad Dog Gang meets Rotten Fred and Ratsguts"
**Best Speciality: "Spot On"
**Best Information: "Fair Go"
**Best Actor: David McPhail in "A Week of It"
**Best Actress: Barbara Ewing
**Entertainer of the Year: David McPhail
**Special Committee Award: Selwyn Toogood for pioneering work in Radio and Television

See: 1979 in New Zealand television, 1979 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, , , Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

*Middle Age Spread
*Sons for the Return Home

See: , 1979 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand,

Appointments and awards

See: New Zealand Order of Merit , Order of New Zealand
*Archbishop of New Zealand
*Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia , see appointments to Diocese

port

:See: 1979 in sports , , Summer Olympic Games (See and Winter Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games (Check name).
*Rugby: , Super 14, Rugby Union World Cup, National Provincial Championship , , Bledisloe Cup , Tri Nations Series , Ranfurly Shield
*Cricket: Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team , Chappell-Hadlee Trophy , Cricket World Cup
*Gold: New Zealand Open , Check in overseas tourniments.
*Horse racing: See , list winners.
*Rugby league New Zealand Warriors , Bartercard Cup , New Zealand national rugby league team , Rugby League World Cup

Athletics

* Tony Good wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:18:47.3.

Motorsport

* A New Zealand team consisting of Larry Ross, Mitch Shirra, Ivan Mauger and Bruce Cribb win the motorcycle Speedway World Team Cup held at White City Stadium in London.

Netball

Silver Ferns , National Bank Cup ,
* 5th Netball World Championships held in Trinidad and Tobago. Australia, New Zealand and Trinidad and Tobago all tied for first place.

occer

* New Zealand National Soccer League won by Mt. Wellington AFC
* Chatham Cup won by North Shore United

Births

* 27 January: Daniel Vettori, cricketer
* 1 February: Peter Fulton, cricketer
* 15 February: Hamish and James Marshall, cricketers
* 15 March: Kyle Mills, cricketer
* 20 March: Keven Mealamu, rugby union player
* 26 March: Ben Blair, rugby union player
* 12 May (In Nadi, Fiji): Amasio Valence, rugby sevens player
* 15 May (in Samoa): Chris Masoe, rugby union player.
* 8 June: Adine Wilson, netball player.
* 2 July: Michael Papps, cricketer.
* 30 July: Louise Corcoran, skeleton racer.
* 3 October: Rodney So'oialo, rugby union player
* 14 November: Carl Hayman, rugby union player
* 20 November: Maree Bowden, netball player
* 3 December: Daniel Bedingfield, pop singer

* Pete Wheeler, artist.

Deaths

* October: Marty Johnstone, drug trafficker ('Mr Asia')
* November: Peter Mulgrew, Mountaineer (died in Mt Erebus disaster)

References

ee also

*List of years in New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand history
*History of New Zealand
*Military history of New Zealand
*Timeline of environmental history of New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

"For world events and topics in 1979 not specifically related to New Zealand see": 1979