1974 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,091,900
• Increase since 31 December 1973: 65,200
• Males per 100 females: 99.7

  Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir Denis Blundell GCMG GCVO KBE QSO.

  Government

• Speaker of the House – Stanley Whitehead.
• Prime Minister – Norman Kirk then Bill Rowling
• Deputy Prime Minister – Hugh Watt then Bob Tizard
• Minister of Finance – Bill Rowling then Bob Tizard.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Norman Kirk then Bill Rowling.
• Attorney-General – Martyn Finlay.

  Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Jack Marshall until 4 July, then Robert Muldoon.

  Main centre leaders

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

  Events

• 24 January – 2 February: Christchurch hosts the 1974 British Commonwealth Games.
• 30 January – 8 February: Royal visit by the Queen for the Commonwealth Games and Waitangi Day accompanied by the Duke, Princess Anne, Captain Mark Phillips and the Prince of Wales
• 6 February – Waitangi Day, then named New Zealand Day, is first celebrated as a nationwide public holiday.
• 1 April – The Accident Compensation Commission is established, providing universal no-fault accidental injury cover to all New Zealanders.
• 31 August – Prime Minister Norman Kirk dies of heart complications, aged 51. He was replaced by Bill Rowling, see New Zealand Labour Party leadership election, 1974.
• September – The country's first Pizza Hut restaurant opens in New Lynn, Auckland.
• The voting age is lowered from 20 to 18.

  Arts and literature

• Hone Tuwhare wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Music

[New Zealand Music Awards]

• BEST NEW ARTIST Bunny Walters
• RECORDING ARTIST / GROUP OF THE YEAR Bull Dogs All-Star Goodtime Band
• BEST NZ RECORDED COMPOSITION John Hanlon – Is It Natural
• PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Mike Harvey – Is It Natural
• ARRANGER OF THE YEAR Mike Harvey – Is It Natural

Performing arts

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Les Andrews.

  Radio and television

• The target delivery date for colour television for all New Zealanders was when the country hosted the 1974 Commonwealth Games.
• Feltex Television Awards:
• *Best Programme: Richard John Seddon – Premier
• *Best Performer: Bill McCarthy
• *Best Actor: Tony Currie as Seddon
• *Writing: Alexander Guyan in Lunch with Richard Burton
• *Allied Crafts: Janice Wharekawa – Vision Mixer for Happen Inn and others
• *Special Award: Television team for the 1974 Commonwealth Games

Film

Sport

Athletics

British Commonwealth Games

Chess

• The 81st National Chess Championship is held in Christchurch. The title is shared by P.A. Garbett and Ortvin Sarapu, both of Auckland.

  Horse racing

Harness racing

• Robalan defeats hot favorite Young Quinn to win the New Zealand Trotting Cup
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Young Quinn

  Soccer

• New Zealand National Soccer League won by, Mount Wellington
• The Chatham Cup is won by Christchurch United who beat Wellington Diamond United 2–0 in the final.

  Births

• 6 January: Dion Waller, rugby player
• 10 January: Jemaine Clement, comedian
• 28 February: Moana Mackey, politician
• 27 April : Richard Johnson, soccer player
• 6 May: Sean Pero Cameron, basketball player
• 2 June: Andy Booth, motor racing driver
• 15 June: Andrew Timlin, field hockey player
• 10 July: Chris Drum, cricketer
• 14 July : Pavlina Nola, tennis player
• 26 July: Kees Meeuws, rugby player
• 1 August: Michelle Turner, field hockey player
• 27 August: Michael Mason, cricketer
• 15 September: Emily Drumm, cricketer
• 11 October: Liz Couch, skeleton racer
• 23 October: Beatrice Faumuina, discus thrower
• 5 November: Taine Randell, rugby player
• 13 November: Carl Hoeft, rugby player
• 2 December: Robbie Hart, cricketer
• 7 December: Jason Spice, rugby and cricket player
• 10 December: Chris Martin, cricketer
• Kate Duignan, novelist
• Tim Selwyn, activist

Deaths

• 12 February: Alice Bush, doctor and medical activist.
• 13 February: Murray Hudson GC, soldier.
• 13 February: Sir Leslie Munro, diplomat and politician.
• 14 February: Charles 'Stewie' Dempster, cricketer.
• 5 August: Robert McKeen, politician – 12th Speaker of the House of Representatives.
• 12 August: James Fletcher, industrialist.
• 30 August: Professor George Jobberns, academic.
• 31 August: Norman Kirk, Prime Minister.
• 7 September: Paddy Kearins, politician.
• 12 September: Hector Bolitho, writer and biographer.
• 26 October: Dan Riddiford, politician.
• 28 October: Charles Elliot Fox, missionary.
• 11 December: Maurice Duggan, writer.