1981 in New Zealand

1981 in New Zealand

Other years in New Zealand

1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 (1981) • 1982 • 1983 • 1984

Population

• Estimated Population as of 31 December: 3,194,500^[1]
• Increase since 31 December 1980: 18,100 (0.57%)
• Males per 100 Females: 98.7

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

• Head of State - Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand
• Governor-General - The Hon Sir David Beattie GCMG GCVO QSO QC.^[2]

Government

The 39th New Zealand Parliament, led by the National Party, concluded, and in the general election the party was re-elected in the 40th New Zealand Parliament. Support for the government decreased, however, with the Labour Party receiving the largest portion of the popular vote.

• Speaker of the House - Richard Harrison.^[3]
• Prime Minister - Robert Muldoon
• Deputy Prime Minister - Brian Talboys then Duncan MacIntyre.^[3]
• Minister of Finance - Robert Muldoon.^[3]
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - Brian Talboys then Warren Cooper.^[3]
• Attorney-General - Jim McLay.^[3]

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition - Bill Rowling (Labour).^[4]
• Social Credit Party - Bruce Beetham

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland - Colin Kay
• Mayor of Hamilton - Ross Jansen
• Mayor of Wellington - Michael Fowler
• Mayor of Christchurch - Hamish Hay
• Mayor of Dunedin - Clifford George (Cliff) Skeggs

Events

• January - Nambassa five day celebration of music, crafts and alternative lifestyles culture on 250-acre (100 ha) farm at Waitawheta Valley between Waihi and Waikino. Attendance 20,000.
• January - The second Sweetwaters Music Festival is held near Ngaruawahia.
• 27 April - The Mahon Report into the crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901 is release, in which Juctise Peter Mahon famously accuses Air New Zealand of telling "an orchestrated litany of lies".
• 3 May - The first newspaper published on a Sunday in New Zealand; initially called the New Zealand Times.
• July - Passports reintroduced for New Zealanders travelling to Australia. The Australian Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drugs says the exemption was exploited; travel had not required passports following the 1972 Trans-Tasman Travel Agreement.
• 13 July - Springbok rugby union team arrive in New Zealand to begin the 1981 Springbok Tour
• 13 September - The Springbok rugby team leave New Zealand.
• The Kohanga reo scheme is established by the Department of Māori Affairs.

Arts and literature

• William Sewell wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

See 1981 in art, 1981 in literature, Category:1981 books

Music

New Zealand Music Awards

• ALBUM OF THE YEAR Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos - Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos
• SINGLE OF THE YEAR Coup D'État – Doctor, I Like Your Medicine
• TOP MALE VOCALIST Dave McArtney (Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos)
• TOP FEMALE VOCALIST Suzanne Prentice
• TOP GROUP Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos - Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos
• MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Dave McArtney
• MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Anne Dumont
• MOST PROMISING GROUP The Screaming Meemees
• ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Dave Hurley & Graham Myhre - Dave McArtney & the Pink Flamingos
• PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Bruce Lynch - Dave McArtney and the Pink Flamingos
• BEST COVER DESIGN David Hollis – Caught Alive
• SPECIAL AWARD Fred Smith - Services to the Recording Industry (particularly with regard to Copyright)

See: 1981 in music

Radio and Television

• Feltex Television Awards:
  • Best Drama: Mortimer's Patch
  • Best Speciality: Sport on One - Sunday
  • Best Entertainment: Radio Times
  • Best Documentary: Moriori
  • Best Children's: Video Dispatch
  • Best Information: Country Calendar
  • Best Current Affairs: Close Up
  • Best Actor: Terence Cooper
  • Best Actress: Glynis McNicol
  • Best Script: Little Big Man Takes a Shot at the Moon
  • Best Television Entertainer: Hudson and Halls
  • Stan Hosgood Award for Allied Craft: Logan Brewer, Set designer for Hunters Gold, Gather Your Dreams, Children of Fire Mountain, I Pagliacci

See: 1981 in New Zealand television, 1981 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

• Pictures
• Race for the Yankee Zephyr
• Smash Palace
• Wildcat
• Dead Kids / Strange Behaviour

See: Category:1981 film awards, 1981 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1981 films

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

Sport

Athletics

• Paul Ballinger wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:17:28 on 2 May in Rotorua, while Christine Munro claims her first title in the women's championship (2:56:04).

Chess

• The 88th New Zealand Chess Championship is held in Christchurch. There is a three-way tie between Ewen McGowen Green, Ortvin Sarapu, and Vernon A. Small .^[5]

Cricket

• 1 February: Australian Trevor Chappell bowled an underarm delivery to batsman Brian McKechnie in a One-day International cricket match, the third of five matches in the final of the Benson & Hedges World Series Cup.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Armalight^[6]
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Delightful Lady - 2nd win^[7]

Thoroughbred racing

Rugby Union

• 13 June: The All Blacks beat Scotland 11-4 at Carisbrook
• 20 June: The All Blacks beat Scotland 40-15 at Eden Park
• 15 August: The All Blacks beat South Africa 14-9 at Lancaster Park as part of the 1981 Springbok Tour
• 29 August: The All Blacks lost 12-24 to South Africa at Athletic Park as part of the 1981 Springbok Tour
• 12 September: The All Blacks beat South Africa 25-22 at Eden Park as part of the 1981 Springbok Tour
• 24 October: The All Blacks beat Romania 14-6 in Bucharest
• 14 November: The All Blacks beat France 13-9 in Toulouse
• 21 November: The All Blacks beat France 18-6 in Paris

• The North vs South match is played in Dunedin and won by North, 10-4^[8]

Soccer

• The All Whites qualify for the 1982 Football World Cup
• New Zealand National Soccer League won by, Wellington Diamond United
• The Chatham Cup is won by Dunedin City who beat Mount Wellington 3—1 in the final.^[9]

Births

• 5 January: Corey Flynn, rugby player.
• 10 January: Hayden Roulston, professional cyclist.^[10]
• 21 January: Jason Williams, rugby player.
• 27 January: Tony Woodcock, rugby player.
• 29 January: Jake Adams, musician.
• 12 February: Daniel Braid, rugby player.
• 6 March: Tim Brown, soccer player.
• 20 March: Jamaal Lolesi, rugby league player.
• 25 March: Mose Tuiali'i, rugby player.
• 27 March: Sione Faumuina, rugby league player.
• 30 April: Ali Williams, rugby player.
• 4 May: Kate Elliott, actor.
• 6 May: Jodi Te Huna, netball player.
• 10 May: Lloyd Stephenson, field hockey player.
• 19 May: Jamie How, cricketer.
• 25 May: Shelley Paikea, singer.
• 25 May: Matt Utai, rugby league player.
• 25 May: Motu Tony, rugby league player.
• 2 June: Brad Mika, rugby player.
• 9 June: Dean Couzins, field hockey player.
• 18 June: Teresa Cormack, child murder victim.
• 19 June: Moss Burmester, swimmer.
• 28 June: Demetrius "Savage" Savelio, rapper.
• 3 July: Tevita Latu, rugby league player.
• 31 July: Paul Whatuira, rugby league player.
• 31 July: Scott Talbot-Cameron, swimmer.
• 3 August: Daniel Koprivcic, soccer player.
• 6 September: Te Atirau Paki, television presenter.
• 22 September: James Stosic, rugby player.
• 27 September: Brendon McCullum, cricketer.
• 29 September (in Germany): Shane Smeltz, soccer player.
• 29 October (in Sydney): Jamie Waugh, writer.
• 24 November: Ian Butler, cricketer.
• 10 December: Caleb Ross, actor.
• 10 December: Conrad Smith, rugby player.
• 20 December: Leo Bertos, soccer player.

Deaths

• 23 March: Beatrice Tinsley, astronomer.
• 21 December: Iriaka Matiu Ratana, politician.

• J. A. W. Bennett, literary scholar.
• Keith Murray, architect and ceramic designer.

See also

• List of years in New Zealand
• Timeline of New Zealand history
• History of New Zealand
• Military history of New Zealand
• Timeline of the New Zealand environment
• Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

For world events and topics in 1981 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1981

References

External links

Media related to 1981 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons