1991 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,516,000
• Increase since 31 December 1990: 40,900 Note that there is a discontinuity between the 1990 and 1991 figures as switched from using the de facto population concept to .
• Males per 100 Females: 99.7

  Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – The Hon Dame Catherine Anne Tizard, GCMG, GCVO, DBE, QSO

  Government

• Speaker of the House – Robin Gray
• Prime Minister – Jim Bolger
• Deputy Prime Minister – Don McKinnon
• Minister of Finance – Ruth Richardson
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Don McKinnon
• Chief Justice — Sir Thomas Eichelbaum

  Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Mike Moore .
• NewLabour Party – Jim Anderton

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Les Mills
• Mayor of Hamilton – Margaret Evans
• Mayor of Wellington – Jim Belich
• Mayor of Christchurch – Vicki Buck
• Mayor of Dunedin – Richard Walls

  Events

January

• 2 January: description

  February

March

April

• 17 April: Prime Minister Jim Bolger stated, "We intend to keep New Zealand nuclear-free this term, next term, and the term after that."

  June

July

• 22 July The Resource Management Act 1991 passes into law after a third reading speech by Simon Upton.

  August

September

October

• 1 October The Resource Management Act 1991 commences

  November

December

Arts and literature

• Lynley Hood wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Performing arts

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Debbie Dorday.

  Radio and television

• CanWest takes management control of TV3.

Film

• A Soldier's Tale
• Chunik Bair
• Grampire
• Old Scores
• Te Rua
• The End of the Golden Weather

Internet

Sport

Athletics

• Paul Herlihy wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:13:34 on 2 March in New Plymouth, while Lee-Ann McPhillips claims her first in the women's championship.

  Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Christopher Vance
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Christopher Vance

  Thoroughbred racing

Shooting

• Ballinger Belt –
• *Graeme Berman
• *Geoffrey Smith, second, top New Zealander

  Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Christchurch United who beat Wellington United 2–1 in the final.

  Births

January

• 1 January – Peter Burling, sailor
• 3 January – Joe Kayes, water polo player
• 4 January – Olivia Tennet, actor
• 5 January – Shane Savage, Australian rules footballer
• 7 January
• * Stephen Shennan, rugby union player
• * Ben Smith, cricketer
• 13 January – Mako Vunipola, rugby union player
• 16 January – James Lentjes, rugby union player
• 17 January
• * Kate Chilcott, road cyclist
• * Slade Griffin, rugby league player
• * Brad Weber, rugby union player
• 27 January
• * Beth Chote, actor
• * Sebastine Ikahihifo, rugby league player
• 28 January
• * Jordan Kahu, rugby league player
• * Mike Kainga, rugby union player
• 29 January – Luke Whitelock, rugby union player
• 30 January
• * Mitchell Graham, rugby union player
• * Matthew Wright, rugby league player

  February

• 2 February
• * Caitlin Campbell, association footballer
• * Solomona Sakalia, rugby union player
• 3 February – Lima Sopoaga, rugby union player
• 7 February – Ben Murdoch-Masila, rugby league player
• 14 February – Michael Bracewell, cricketer
• 15 February
• * Matthew Bryant, water polo player
• * Matt McEwan, cricketer
• 16 February – Francis Saili, rugby union player
• 18 February
• * Danielle Hayes, fashion model
• * Stacey Michelsen, field hockey player
• 19 February – Ethan Mitchell, track cyclist
• 20 February – Julia Edward, rower

  March

• 2 March – Mitchell Scott, rugby union player
• 4 March – Sue Maroroa, chess player
• 12 March
• * Alofa Alofa, rugby union player
• * Jed Brown, rugby union player
• 14 March
• * Taylor Gunman, road cyclist
• * Kurt Pickard, BMX racer
• 16 March – Michael Barry, cricketer
• 17 March – Dylan Dunlop-Barrett, swimmer
• 19 March – Colin Murphy, association footballer
• 20 March – Liam Squire, rugby union player
• 22 March
• * Jordan Grant, field hockey player
• * Amy McIlroy, lawn bowls player
• 23 March – Jenny Hung, table tennis player
• 25 March – Ryan Duffy, cricketer
• 26 March – Courteney Lowe, road cyclist
• 30 March – Jono Hickey, cricketer and rugby union player
• 31 March – Codie Taylor, rugby union player

  April

• 1 April
• * Graham Candy, singer-songwriter
• * Iopu Iopu-Aso, rugby union player
• 2 April
• * Kara Pryor, rugby union player
• * Brad Shields, rugby union player
• 4 April – Sam Meech, sailor
• 6 April – Paratene McLeod, basketball player
• 9 April – Dominic Bird, rugby union player
• 10 April
• * Casie Bowry, water polo player
• * Kirsten Pearce, field hockey player
• 17 April – Augusta Xu-Holland, actor
• 20 April – Daniel Hawkins, rugby union player
• 26 April – Isaac Liu, rugby league player
• 27 April – Dylan Collier, rugby union and rugby league player
• 29 April – Steven Luatua, rugby union player
• 30 April – Brett Hampton, cricketer

  May

• 2 May – Patrick Bevin, road cyclist
• 3 May – Hannah Wall, association footballer
• 5 May – Joel Faulkner, rugby union player
• 7 May – Kenny Ardouin, cleft lip and palate community advocate
• 8 May – Waisake Naholo, rugby union player
• 9 May
• * Sosaia Feki, rugby league player
• * Harriet Miller-Brown, alpine skier
• 10 May – Gareth Anscombe, rugby union player
• 11 May – Tony Ensor, rugby union player
• 12 May
• * Elizabeth Chuah Lamb, high jumper
• * Greg Pleasants-Tate, rugby union player
• 15 May – Matt Moulds, rugby union player
• 20 May – Daryl Mitchell, cricketer
• 24 May – Ian McPeake, cricketer
• 25 May
• * Maritino Nemani, rugby union player
• * James Raideen, professional wrestler
• 27 May
• * Beauden Barrett, rugby union player
• * Kayla Pratt, rower
• 31 May – Brodie Retallick, rugby union player

  June

• 3 June
• * Sarah McLaughlin, association footballer
• * Ava Seumanufagai, rugby league player
• 4 June
• * Matt McIlwrick, rugby league player
• * Ben Stokes, cricketer
• 5 June – Chloe Tipple, sports shooter
• 7 June – Amanda Landers-Murphy, squash player
• 9 June – Ben Lam, rugby union player
• 11 June – Nepo Laulala, rugby union player
• 13 June – Lachie Ferguson, cricketer
• 19 June – Zoe Stevenson, rower
• 23 June – Mikhail Koudinov, gymnast
• 25 June – Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, rugby union player
• 26 June – Dakota Lucas, association footballer

  July

• 1 July
• * Annalie Longo, association footballer
• * Ruby Muir, endurance athlete
• 7 July – Matt Hewitt, surfer
• 8 July – Alexandra Boyd, water polo player
• 12 July – Portia Woodman, rugby union player
• 16 July – Sam Webster, track cyclist
• 20 July
• * Jarrad Butler, rugby union player
• * Sam Lousi, rugby league and rugby union player
• * Jessica Shaw, trampolinist
• 24 July – Derone Raukawa, basketball player
• 27 July – Ricky Wells, speedway rider
• 28 July – Priyanka Xi, actor
• 31 July – Tony Lamborn, rugby union player

  August

• 1 August – Kristofer Done, gymnast
• 2 August
• * Tom Bruce, cricketer
• * Rob Thompson, rugby union player
• 5 August
• * Gareth Evans, rugby union player
• * Konrad Hurrell, rugby league player
• * Robert Loe, basketball player
• 13 August – Michael Cochrane, athlete
• 16 August – Angie Smit, athlete
• 22 August
• * Kenny Bromwich, rugby league player
• * Sophie Hallwright, rhythmic gymnast
• 23 August – Adam Pye, water polo player
• 29 August – Samantha Harrison, field hockey player
• 30 August – Ben Tameifuna, rugby union player

  September

• 2 September – Adam Henry, rugby league player
• 4 September – Chevannah Paalvast, basketball player
• 5 September – Nepia Fox-Matamua, rugby union player
• 9 September – Adam Ling, rower
• 11 September – Rebecca Sinclair, snowboarder
• 13 September – Lee Allan, rugby union player
• 14 September – Ryan De Vries, association footballer
• 16 September – Luke Rowe, association footballer
• 19 September – Owen Ivins, cricketer
• 23 September – Cardiff Vaega, rugby union player
• 26 September – Look Who's Talking, thoroughbred racehorse
• 29 September – Stefi Luxton, snowboarder

  October

• 5 October – Gareth Kean, swimmer
• 7 October – Stefan Marinovic, association footballer
• 12 October – Nabil Sabio Azadi, artist
• 15 October – Mandy Boyd, lawn bowls player
• 19 October – Michael Allardice, rugby union player
• 22 October – Levi Sherwood, freestyle motocross rider
• 26 October – Blair Soper, cricketer
• 27 October – Il Vicolo, standardbred racehorse
• 28 October – Duane Bailey, basketballer
• 29 October – Parris Goebel, dancer, choreographer and actor
• 31 October – Charles Piutau, rugby union player

  November

• 5 November – Marco Rojas, association footballer
• 6 November – Matt Faddes, rugby union player
• 10 November
• * Emma Stoneman, water polo player
• * Ben Wheeler, cricketer
• 11 November – Kate Broadmore, cricketer
• 13 November – David Light, boxer
• 15 November – Henry Nicholls, cricketer
• 20 November – Tim Simona, rugby league player
• 21 November – Peni Terepo, rugby league player
• 22 November – Michael Vink, cyclist
• 24 November – Richie Stanaway, motor racing driver
• 27 November – Brooke Duff, singer-songwriter

  December

• 1 December – Richard Moore, motor racing driver
• 3 December – Jarrod Firth, rugby union player
• 7 December
• * Samantha Charlton, field hockey player
• * Chris Wood, association footballer
• 11 December – Kahurangi Taylor, beauty pageant contestant
• 13 December – Ruby Tui, rugby sevens player
• 14 December
• * Ben Henry, rugby league player
• * Matt Henry, cricketer
• 22 December – Paul Alo-Emile, rugby union player
• 23 December – Catherine De Vos, rhythmic gymnast

  Exact date unknown

• Holly Cassidy, beauty pageant contestant
• Annah Mac, singer-songwriter

  Deaths

January–March

• 4 January – Vernon Sale, cricketer
• 12 February – Norman Fisher, boxer
• 17 February – Fuzz Barnes, political activist
• 18 February – Elizabeth Lissaman, potter
• 9 March – Esther Blackie, cricketer
• 14 March – Emily Carpenter, consumer advocate
• 17 March – Peter Gordon, politician
• 21 March – William Ditchfield, cricketer
• 28 March – Henry Field, educational psychologist

  April–June

• 3 April – Peter Hooper, writer
• 9 April – June Litman, journalist
• 14 April – Bob Page, rowing coxswain
• 20 April – Clare Mallory, children's writer
• 28 April – Ngata Pitcaithly, educationalist
• 18 May – Horace Smirk, medical academic
• 31 May – Ian Milner, public servant, academic, alleged spy
• 6 June – Stella Jones, playwright
• 10 June – James Burrows, rugby union player and coach, cricketer, military leader
• 18 June – Eric Halstead, politician and diplomat
• 23 June – Charles Begg, radiologist and historian
• 28 June – Sydney Josland, bacteriologist

  July–September

• 3 July – Trevor Horne, politician
• 17 July – John O'Sullivan, cricketer
• 21 July – Allan Wilson, biochemistry academic
• 7 August
• * Billy T. James, entertainer
• * Reginald Keeling, politician
• 8 August – John Marsdon, cricketer
• 22 August – Reuel Lochore, public servant and diplomat
• 25 August – Charles Willocks, rugby union player
• 17 September – Herb Mullon, philatelist
• 25 September – Te Reo Hura, Rātana leader
• 29 September – Sir Henry Kelliher, businessman and philanthropist

  October–December

• 6 October – Bob Loudon, rugby union player
• 12 October – Murray Kay, association footballer
• 13 October – Sir William Gentry, military leader
• 22 October – Francis O'Brien, cricketer
• 25 October – Roy Parsons, bookseller
• 8 November – Billy Savidan, athlete
• 9 November – Jack Newton, rugby league player
• 10 November
• * Bill Gwynne, cricket umpire
• * Colin Johnstone, rower
• 11 November – Sir Tom Skinner, politician and trade union leader
• 12 November – Kamal Bamadhaj, human rights activist
• 24 November – Allan Pyatt, Anglican bishop
• 28 November – Te Kari Waaka, Ringatū minister and community leader
• 1 December
• * Zin Harris, cricketer
• * Jim Knox, trade union leader
• 2 December – Ted Spillane, rugby league player
• 6 December – Bill Beattie, photographer
• 12 December – Julia Wallace, educationalist, politician, community leader
• 20 December
• * Beatrice Beeby, Playcentre pioneer
• * Wi Huata, clergyman
• 21 December – Frank Solomon, rugby union player
• 24 December – Muriel Moody, potter and sculptor