The following lists events that happened during 1974 in New Zealand.
Population Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,091,900. Increase since 31 December 1973: 65,200 (2.20%). Males per 100 females: 99.7.
Incumbents
Regal and viceregal Head of State – Elizabeth II Governor-General – Sir Denis Blundell GCMG GCVO KBE QSO.Statistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. page 52
Government The 37th New Zealand Parliament continued. Government was by a Labour majority of 55 seats to the National Party's 32 seats.
Speaker of the House – Stan Whitehead.Lambert & Palenski: The New Zealand Almanac, 1982. 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 (National) until 4 July, then Robert Muldoon (National).
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, Mark Phillips and then-Charles, Prince of Wales (later King Charles III.) 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. 9 April – Dunedin experiences a magnitude 4.9 earthquake which causes $3.5 million (2024 terms) in damages. August – The Government approved Sunburst as the first ohu, a type of rural intentional community, near Whitianga, Coromandel. 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 years.
Arts and literature Hone Tuwhare wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
See 1974 in art, 1974 in literature
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
See: 1974 in music
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. 17 October – Coronation Street episode 924, the first Coronation Street episode filmed in colour, airs on NZBC TV. 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
See: 1974 in New Zealand television, 1974 in television, :Category:Television in New Zealand, List of TVNZ television programming, :Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand
Film See: :Category:1974 film awards, 1974 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :Category:1974 films
Sport
Athletics
British Commonwealth Games
Total 9 8 18 35
Chess The 81st National Chess Championship is held in Christchurch. The title is shared by P.A. Garbett and Ortvin Sarapu, both of Auckland.List of New Zealand Chess Champions
Horse racing
Harness racing Robalan defeats hot favourite Young Quinn to win the New Zealand Trotting Cup Auckland Trotting Cup: Young QuinnAuckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz
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.Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com
Births 6 January: Dion Waller, rugby player 10 January: Jemaine Clement, comedian 28 February: Moana Mackey, politician 21 March: Rhys Darby, actor and comedian 27 April (in Australia): Richard Johnson, soccer player 6 May: Sean Pero Cameron, basketball player 25 May: James Reid, singer, guitarist and founder of The Feelers 2 June: Andy Booth, motor racing driver 15 June: Andrew Timlin, field hockey player 10 July: Chris Drum, cricketer 14 July (in Bulgaria): 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 22 November: Oliver Driver, actor, director, broadcoaster and television presenter 2 December: Robbie Hart, cricketer 7 December: Jason Spice, rugby and cricket player 10 December: Chris Martin, cricketer Kate Duignan, novelist Tim Selwyn, activist :Category:1974 births
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.
See also List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history History of New Zealand Military history of New Zealand Timeline of the New Zealand environment Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica
References
External links