1983 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,264,800
• Increase since 31 December 1982: 38,000
• Males per 100 females: 98.6

  Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – The Hon. Sir David Beattie GCMG GCVO QSO QC.

  Government

• Speaker of the House – Richard Harrison
• Prime Minister – Robert Muldoon
• Deputy Prime Minister – Duncan MacIntyre
• Minister of Finance – Robert Muldoon
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Warren Cooper
• Chief Justice — Sir Ronald Davison

  Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – David Lange.
• Social Credit Party – Bruce Beetham

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Colin Kay then Catherine Tizard
• Mayor of Hamilton – Ross Jansen
• Mayor of Wellington – Michael Fowler then Ian Lawrence
• Mayor of Christchurch – Hamish Hay
• Mayor of Dunedin – Cliff Skeggs

  Events

• 1 January – The Closer Economic Relations Free trade agreement between Australia and New Zealand comes into force.
• March – The Prince and Princess of Wales visit New Zealand, bringing their baby son Prince William with them.
• 28 March – Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Minister for Trade, Lionel Bowen and New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia, Laurie Francis sign the Closer Economic Relations agreement in Canberra, Australia.
• 1 July –
• * Lorraine Downes, Miss New Zealand, is crowned Miss Universe in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
• * The Official Information Act 1982 replaces the 1951 Official Secrets Act.
• 22 August – The New Zealand Party is launched.
• 1 September – Disappearance of 14-year-old Kirsa Jensen.
• The fourth Sweetwaters Music Festival is held near Pukekawa.
• The visit of the United States nuclear-powered frigate Texas sparks widespread protests.
• The first $50 notes are put into circulation, filling the large gap between the $20 and $100 notes.

  Arts and literature

• Rawiri Paratene wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Music

[New Zealand Music Awards]

• ALBUM OF THE YEAR DD Smash – Deep in the Heart of Taxes
• *Herbs – Light of the Pacific
• *Dance Exponents – The Legionaires – Live at Mainstreet
• SINGLE OF THE YEAR DD Smash – Outlook For Thursday
• *Monte Video – Shoop Shoop Diddy Wop Cumma Cumma Wang Dang
• *Coconut Rough – Sierra Leone
• TOP MALE VOCALIST Dave Dobbyn
• *Malcolm McNeill
• *Monte Video
• TOP FEMALE VOCALIST Suzanne Prentice
• *Trudi Green
• *Patsy
• TOP GROUP OF THE YEAR DD Smash
• *Herbs
• *The Narcs
• MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Andrew Mclennan
• *Dick Driver
• *Gary Smith
• MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Sonya Waters
• *Rhonda Jones
• *Bronwyn Jones
• MOST PROMISING GROUP Coconut Rough
• *Hip Singles
• *The Body Electric
• BEST POLYNESIAN ALBUM The Radars – Chulu Chululu
• *Patea Maori Club – Poi E
• *Kaiwhaiki Cultural Club – The Valley of Voices Vol 2
• BEST FILM SOUNDTRACK/ CAST RECORDING/ COMPILATION Sharon O'Neill – Smash Palace
• *Schtung – The Scarecrow
• *John Charles – Utu
• BEST MUSIC VIDEO Andrew Shaw – Outlook For Thursday
• *Greg Rood – Sierra Leone
• *Mark Ackerman, Craig Howard – Shoop Shoop Diddy Wop Cumma Cumma Wang Dang
• ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Dave Marett – Sierra Leone
• *Graeme Myhre – Live: Deep in the Heart of Taxes
• *Paul Streekstra – Outlook For Thursday
• PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Dave Marett – Sierra Leone
• *Dave Dobbyn – Outlook For Thursday
• *Monte Video/ Bruce Lynch – Shoop Shoop Diddy Wop Cumma Cumma Wang Dang
• MOST POPULAR SONG Patsy Riggir – Beautiful Lady
• MOST POPULAR ARTIST DD Smash
• OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION Murray Cammick
• BEST COVER DESIGN Simon & Suzy Clark – Daring Feats
• *Matthew Aitken – The Tin Syndrome
• *Van Heusen/ O'Neill-Joyce – Space Case Two
• CLASSICAL RECORD OF THE YEAR Louise Malloy – Louise
• *Kiri Te Kanawa/ National Youth Choir of New Zealand – Royal Occasion
• *Schools Polyphonics of Wellington – Tenebrae Responsorie 1585
• JAZZ RECORD OF THE YEAR Rodger Fox Big Band – Heavy Company
• *Space Case – Space Case Two
• *Phil Broadhurst – Sustenance
• COUNTRY RECORD OF THE YEAR Suzanne Prentice – When I Dream
• *Patsy Riggir – Are You Alone
• *Brendan Duggan – Hands on the Wheel

Performing arts

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Russell Middlebrook.

  Radio and television

• Te Karere becomes a regular Māori language news program.
• Northern Television ceases transmission.
• Feltex Television Awards:
• *Best Television Entertainer: Howard Morrison
• *Best Actor: Michael on Gliding On
• *Best Actress: Sarah Peirse on A Woman of Good Character
• *Best Drama: Gliding On
• *Best New Talent: Heath Lees on Opus and Kaleidoscope
• *Best Entertainment: McPhail and Gadsby
• *Best Documentary: Wild South – Black Robin
• *Best Information: Country Calendar
• *Best Speciality: Kaleidoscope
• *Best News and Current Affairs: Close Up
• *Best Script: Protesters
• *Steve Hosgood Award for Allied Craft: Errol Samuelson, film sound operator on National History Programmes

Film

• Bad Blood
• Hang on a Minute Mate!
• Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
• Patu!
• Strata
• Savage Islands
• Utu

Sport

Athletics

• Graham Macky wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:21:22 in Mosgiel, while Val Lindsay does the same in the women's championship.

  Basketball

• NBL won by Auckland

  Cricket

• World Series Cup, New Zealand finished first in the preliminary stages of this annual triangular one-day competition in Australia, which in 1982/83 received unprecedented interest and record television audiences. England missed out on a finals berth, with Australia coming qualifying second.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Steel Jaw
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Armalight

  Thoroughbred racing

Netball

• The 6th Netball World Championships were held in Singapore. New Zealand lost to Australia in the final.

  Shooting

• Ballinger Belt – Rex Chilcott

  Soccer

• New Zealand National Soccer League won by Manurewa
• The Chatham Cup is won by Mount Wellington who beat Gisborne City 2–0 in the final.

  Births

January–June

• 18 January – George Bridgewater, rower
• 19 January – Glen Moss, association football player
• 24 January – Wyatt Crockett, rugby union player
• 27 January – Dene Halatau, rugby league player
• 8 February
• * James Ryan, rugby union player
• * Cory Jane, rugby union player
• 13 February – Bradley Shaw, field hockey player
• 1 March – James Mortimer, hurdler
• 2 March – Dan Wootton, journalist and broadcaster
• 16 March – Melody Cooper, field hockey player
• 1 April
• * Tamati Ellison, rugby union player
• * Lance Hohaia, rugby league player
• 7 April – Allan Pearce, association football player
• 15 April – Anna Scarlett, netballer
• 25 April – Nick Willis, athlete
• 30 April – David Faiumu, rugby league player
• 5 May – Ben Atiga, rugby union player
• 22 May – Jeremy Christie, association football player
• 6 June – Joe Rokocoko, rugby union player
• 10 June – Gavin Williams, rugby union player
• 17 June – James Dolphin, athlete
• 29 June – Jimmy Gopperth, rugby union player

  July–December

• 6 July – Brent Fisher, association football player
• 10 August – Rebecca Scown, rower
• 28 August – Luke McAlister, rugby union player
• 7 September – Piri Weepu, rugby union player
• 8 September
• * John Ling, writer
• * Toni Street, television presenter and sports commentator
• 15 September – Richard Sherlock, cricketer
• 28 September – John Schwalger, rugby union player
• 17 October – Michelle Ang, actor
• 18 October – Jonny Reid, motor racing driver
• 8 November – Chris Rankin, actor
• 29 November – Jeremy Mayall, composer
• 2 December – Michael Wesley-Smith, actor
• 15 December – Brooke Fraser, singer-songwriter
• 20 December – Aaradhna, hip-hop artist

  Deaths

• 7 January: Eliza Amy Hodgson, botanist
• 15 June: Sir William Liley, pioneering surgeon.
• 23 July : Tex Morton, musician.
• 12 August: Giff Vivian, cricketer.
• 26 October: Edward Blaiklock, academic.
• 29 November: Sir William Stevenson, industrialist and philanthropist.
• 8 December: Sir Keith Holyoake, former Prime Minister.
• 19 December: Lancelot Eric Richdale, ornithologist.