1972 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,959,700
• Increase since 31 December 1971: 61,200
• Males per 100 females: 99.7

  Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir Arthur Porritt Bt GCMG GCVO CBE, followed by Sir Denis Blundell GCMG GCVO KBE QSO.

  Government

• Speaker of the House – Roy Jack until 8 December, then Alfred Allen.
• Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake then Jack Marshall then Norman Kirk
• Deputy Prime Minister – Jack Marshall then Robert Muldoon then Hugh Watt.
• Minister of Finance – Robert Muldoon then Bill Rowling.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Keith Holyoake then Jack Marshall then Norman Kirk.
• Attorney-General – Dan Riddiford until 9 February, then Roy Jack until 8 December, then Martyn Finlay.
• Chief Justice — Sir Richard Wild

  Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Norman Kirk until 8 December, then Jack Marshall.

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson
• Mayor of Hamilton – Mike Minogue
• Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
• Mayor of Christchurch – Neville Pickering
• Mayor of Dunedin – Jim Barnes

  Events

• 20 October – Restrictions on the manufacture and sale of margarine in New Zealand are removed.
• Chile and New Zealand establish embassies in each other's capitals.
• The Values Party is formed.

  Arts and literature

• Ian Wedde wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Music

[New Zealand Music Awards]

• Loxene Golden Disc Suzanne – Sunshine Through A Prism
• Loxene Golden Disc Creation – Carolina

Performing arts

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Jon Zealando and Lou Clauson QSM.

  Radio and Television

• The Broadcasting Authority in March grants the right to broadcast a second television channel to the private consortium Independent Television Corporation. After the election of the Labour Government in November, Norman Kirk announces the second channel will be run by NZBC.
• In September, the first live broadcast of an All Black match takes place. The All Blacks played against Australia.
• Feltex Television Awards:
• *Best Programme: Charlie's Rock – Pukemanu
• *Outstanding Performance: Peter Sinclair in Golden Disc Award
• *Best Drama: Charlie's Rock – Pukemanu

Film

• To Love a Māori

Sport

Athletics

• Field events within New Zealand switch from imperial to metric measurements. Track events changed earlier in 1969.
• David McKenzie wins his fourth and last national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:14:11.2 on 11 March in Dunedin.

  Chess

• The 79th National Chess Championship is held in Hamilton, and is won by R.J. Sutton of Auckland.

  Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Globe Bay
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Royal Ascot

  Olympic Games

Summer Olympics

• New Zealand sends a team of 89 competitors.

  Winter Olympics

• New Zealand sends a team of two alpine skiers.

  Paralympic Games

Summer Paralympics

• New Zealand sends a team of 10 competitors.

Soccer

• New Zealand National Soccer League won by Mt. Wellington AFC
• The Chatham Cup is won by Christchurch United who met Mount Wellington.
• *Final 4-4 after extra time
• *First replay 1-1 after extra time
• *Second replay 2-1

  Births

• 3 January: Shaun Longstaff, rugby player
• 9 January: Gary Stead, cricketer
• 3 March: Peter O'Leary, soccer referee
• 27 March: David Bain, originally served 12 years for murder of his family, conviction quashed by Privy Council and subsequently found not guilty at retrial.
• 29 March: Paul Kent, swimmer
• 12 April: Jenny Shepherd, field hockey player
• 17 April: Dylan Mika, All Black
• 16 May: Matthew Hart, cricketer
• 3 June: Robert Kennedy, cricketer
• 7 June: Karl Urban, actor
• 21 June : Irene van Dyk, netball player
• 4 July: Craig Spearman, cricketer
• 12 August: Tony Marsh, rugby player
• 27 October: John Steel, swimmer
• 20 December: Jonathan Wyatt, long-distance runner
• Veeshayne Armstrong, television presenter.
• Brooke Howard-Smith, broadcaster.
• : Warwick Murray, academic.
• : Jack Yan, publisher, designer and businessman.

Deaths

• 2 March Billy Wallace, rugby player and All Black
• 4 March: Major-General Sir Harold Eric Barrowclough, former Chief Justice
• 14 April: Bert Hawthorne, motor racing driver
• 10 July: Charles Bowden, politician
• 8 August: Agnes Louisa Weston, politician.
• 5 October: Jim Barclay, politician
• 8 October: Laurie Brownlie, rugby player and All Black
• 20 October: John Pascoe, photographer and mountaineer
• 22 October: James Keir Baxter, poet
• 11 December: John Mills, cricketer
• 26 December Ronald Hugh Morrieson, writer