1984 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,293,000
• Increase since 31 December 1983: 28,200
• Males per 100 Females: 98.3

  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 then Basil Arthur
• Prime Minister – Robert Muldoon then David Lange
• Deputy Prime Minister – Duncan MacIntyre then Jim McLay then Geoffrey Palmer
• Minister of Finance – Robert Muldoon then Roger Douglas
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Warren Cooper then David Lange
• Chief Justice – Sir Ronald Davison

  Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – David Lange until 26 July, then Robert Muldoon until 29 November, then Jim McLay.
• Social Credit Party – Bruce Beetham until 26 July, then not represented in Parliament.

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Catherine Tizard
• Mayor of Hamilton – Ross Jansen
• Mayor of Wellington – Ian Lawrence
• Mayor of Christchurch – Hamish Hay
• Mayor of Dunedin – Cliff Skeggs

  Events

• 27 January – A state of emergency is declared in Southland as record rainfall causes flooding which forces the evacuation of 4000 people and leaves damage totalling $55 million.
• 6 February – Te Hikoi ki Waitangi march disrupts Waitangi Day celebrations.
• 27 March – A suitcase bomb explodes at the Wellington Trades Hall, killing the caretaker, Ernie Abbott. No arrest has been made, see Terrorism in New Zealand.
• 24 June – New Zealand's first IVF-conceived baby, Amelia Bell, is born at Auckland's National Women's Hospital.
• 14 July – 1984 general election: The Labour Party, led by David Lange, wins 56 of the 95 seats in the House of Representatives. The Fourth Labour Government is formed, ending 9 years of National rule.
• 18 July – Government devalues New Zealand dollar by 20 percent. See New Zealand constitutional crisis, 1984.
• 20 August – New Zealand reestablishes diplomatic relations with Argentina at a consular level.

  Unknown dates

• New Zealand signs the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
• Auckland's population exceeds that of the South Island.
• The fifth Sweetwaters Music Festival is held in South Auckland.

  Arts and literature

• Brian Turner wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Music

[New Zealand Music Awards]

• ALBUM OF THE YEAR Dance Exponents – Prayers be Answered
• *The Mockers – Swear It's True
• *Patsy Riggir – You'll Never Take The Country Out of Me
• SINGLE OF THE YEAR The Narcs – You Took Me Heart and Soul
• *Patea Maori Club and Dalvanius Prime – Aku Raukura
• *Dance Exponents – I'll Say Goodbye
• TOP MALE VOCALIST Jordan Luck
• *Andy Dickson
• *Andrew Fagan
• TOP FEMALE VOCALIST Patsy Riggir
• *Jodi Vaughan
• *Suzanne Prentice
• TOP GROUP Dance Exponents
• *The Mockers
• *Patea Maori Club and Dalvanius Prime
• MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Martin Phillips
• *Ross McKenzie
• *Wayne Gillespie
• MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Meryl Yvonne
• *Janice Lampen
• *Sharon Dubont
• MOST PROMISING GROUP The Chills
• *Jive Bombers
• *You're A Movie
• BEST JAZZ ALBUM Brian Smith Quartet – Southern Excursio
• *Ken Avery/ Darktown Strutters – Jazz The Way It Used to Be
• *Rodger Fox – Something Juicy
• BEST COUNTRY ALBUM Patsy Riggir – You'll Never Take the Country Out of Me
• *Suzanne Prentice – So Precious To Me
• *Jodi Vaughn – Rodeo Eyes
• BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM NZSO & Others – Music By Larry Pruden
• *Michael Houston – Michael Houston
• *Schola Musica – NZ Music For Strings
• BEST POLYNESIAN ALBUM Patea Maori Club & Dalvanius Prime – Aku Raukura
• *The Five Stars – Musika Malie
• *Rosalio – Samoan Serenade
• BEST FOLK ALBUM Phil Garland – Springtime in the Mountains
• *Michael Warmuth – Hammered Duclimer
• *Wayne Gillespie – Wayward Son
• PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Dave MCartney – You Took Me Heart & Soul
• *Glyn Tucker Jnr / Trevor Reekie – Swear It's True
• *Glyn Tucker Jnr / Trevor Reekie – You Fascinate
• ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Graham Myhre – You Took Me Heart & Soul
• *Graham Myhre/ Gyn Tucker Jnr – Caught in the Act
• *Glyn Tucker Jnr – You Fascinate
• BEST COVER DESIGN Joe Wylie – Aku Raukura
• *Murray Vincent – Music By Larry Purden
• *Mike Hutton – Vocal at the Local
• BEST MUSIC VIDEO Bruce Morrison – I'm in Heaven
• *William Keddell – Elephunk in My Soup
• *Tom Parkinson – I'll Say Goodbye
• BEST FILM SOUNDTRACK Jenny Mcleod – The Silent One
• *Mike Nock – Strata
• *John Charles/ Dave Fraser – Constance
• INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Tim Finn
• *Dragon
• *Split Enz
• OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY Eldred Stebbing –
• *Jacqui Fitzgerald
• *Peter Blake & TVNZ
• MOST POPULAR SONG The Narcs – You Took Me Heart and Soul

Performing arts

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to John Maybury Senior.

  Radio and television

Film

• Came a Hot Friday
• Constance
• Other Halves
• The Silent One
• Vigil
• The Bounty

Sport

Athletics

• Barry Thompson wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:19:03 on 25 March in Wanganui, while Mary Belsey does the same in the women's championship.

  Basketball

• NBL won by Wellington.

  Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Camelot
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Enterprise

  Olympic Games

Summer Olympics

• New Zealand sends a team of 130 competitors across 18 sports.

Winter Olympics

• New Zealand sends a team of six alpine skiers.

Paralympic Games

Summer Paralympics

Winter Paralympics

• New Zealand sends a team of eight competitors in one sport.

Shooting

• Ballinger Belt – Peter Cromwell

  Soccer

• New Zealand National Soccer League won by Gisborne City
• The Chatham Cup is won by Manurewa who beat Gisborne City 2–1 in the final.

  Births

• 27 January: Vince Mellars, rugby league player.
• 14 February: Jared Wrennall, musician.
• 17 February: Timothy Gudsell, cyclist.
• 21 February: Andrew Ellis, rugby union player.
• 25 February: Paul Vodanovich, soccer player.
• 8 March: Ross Taylor, cricketer.
• 16 March: Hosea Gear, rugby union player.
• 25 March: Liam Messam, rugby union and rugby sevens player.
• 2 April: Meryl Cassie, actor.
• 6 April: Stacey Carr, field hockey player.
• 20 April: Fraser Anderson, rugby league player.
• 28 May: Beth Allen, actor.
• 2 June: Jack Afamasaga, rugby league player.
• 6 June: Antonia Prebble, actor.
• 7 June: Jennyfer Jewell, actor.
• 20 June: Jarrod Smith, soccer player.
• 27 June: Emma Lahana, actor.
• 28 June: Evarn Tuimavave, rugby league player.
• 14 July: Fleur Saville, actor.
• 6 August: Jesse Ryder, cricketer.
• 12 September: Ben Townley, motocrosser.
• 6 October: Valerie Adams, athlete, Olympic gold medallist
• 23 November: Jerome Ropati, rugby league player.
• 14 December: Keshia Paulse, singer.
• Vicki Lin, television presenter.

  Deaths

• 23 January: Dean Goffin, composer
• 6 March: Ian Cromb, cricketer
• 20 March: Robin Tait, discus thrower
• 28 April: Sylvia Ashton-Warner, writer and educator
• 13 June: Ken Armstrong, soccer player
• 15 June: Tom Heeney, boxer
• 21 July: Adam Adamson, former mayor of Invercargill
• 13 September: Lois White, painter
• 26 November: Eliot V. Elliott, trade unionist
• 9 December: Guthrie Wilson, novelist and teacher