The following lists events that happened during 1976 in New Zealand.

Population Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,163,400. Increase since 31 December 1975: 19,700 (0.63%). Males per 100 females: 99.5.

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. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52

Government Speaker of the House – Roy Jack.Lambert & Palenski: The New Zealand Almanac, 1982. Prime Minister – Robert Muldoon Deputy Prime Minister – Brian Talboys. Minister of Finance – Robert Muldoon. Minister of Foreign Affairs – Brian Talboys. Attorney-General – Peter Wilkinson. Chief Justice — Sir Richard Wild

Parliamentary opposition Leader of the Opposition – Bill Rowling (Labour).

Main centre leaders Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson Mayor of Hamilton – Mike Minogue then Bruce Beetham Mayor of Wellington – Michael Fowler Mayor of Christchurch – Hamish Hay Mayor of Dunedin – Jim Barnes

Events 28 February – Nelson by-election – Mel Courtney (Labour) elected to replace the late Stan Whitehead. 1 April – The New Zealand Fire Service is formed, following the nationwide merger of urban fire boards and fire brigades brought about by the Fire Service Act 1975. 9 April – Upper Hutt becomes the first telephone exchange to implement subscriber toll dialling, allowing national calls to be made without operator assistance. 7 June – The nation's first McDonald's restaurant opens in central Porirua; a Big Mac initially cost 75c. 17 July – 1 August – New Zealand competes at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, despite 28 African nations boycotting the games over New Zealand's sporting ties with apartheid South Africa. The nation wins four medals: two gold, one silver and one bronze. 15 September – The Union Company's Lyttelton to Wellington ferry service is cancelled, having operated since 1895 and by the Ministry of Transport since 1974, facing increased competition from air travel and the Railways' Cook Strait ferry service. 1 November – The Waitangi Day Act 1976 commences, replacing the New Zealand Day public holiday with Waitangi Day on 6 February. 14 December – The Weights and Measures Amendment Act commences, officially completing metrication in New Zealand.

Arts and literature Sam Hunt wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

See 1976 in art, 1976 in literature

Music

New Zealand Music Awards ALBUM OF THE YEAR NZSO – Symphony No. 2 RECORDING ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR Dr Tree BEST NEW ARTIST Dr Tree PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Alan Galbraith – Taking It All in Stride ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Peter Hitchcock – Taking It All in Stride ARRANGER OF THE YEAR David Frazer – Taking It All in Stride COMPOSER OF THE YEAR John Hanlon – Night Life

See: 1976 in music

Performing arts

Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Merv Smith and Rusty Greaves.

Radio and television Television Two is renamed South Pacific Television. All broadcasting services, including radio, are merged into the Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand. 17–18 July: A power failure affecting the Blue Duck microwave station near Kaikoura causes both the TV One and TV Two networks to split into two. Most of the South Island misses the live opening ceremony of the 1976 Summer Olympics as a result. Feltex Television Awards: Best Programme: Richard Pearse Best Personality: John Clarke and Dougal Stevenson Actor: Martyn Sanderson Actress: Ilona Rodgers Best Series: One Man's View Best Script: Ian Mune and Peter Hansard: Winners And Losers: The Woman at the Store

See: 1976 in New Zealand television, 1976 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, :Category:Television in New Zealand, :Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film The God Boy

See: :Category:1976 film awards, 1976 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :Category:1976 films

Sport

Athletics UK-born Jack Foster wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:16:27 on 6 March in Auckland.

Chess The 83rd National Chess Championship is held in Upper Hutt. There is a three-way tie for the title between Lev Aptekar, Murray Chandler, and Ortvin Sarapu .List of New Zealand Chess Champions

Horse racing

Harness racing New Zealand Trotting Cup: Stanley Rio Auckland Trotting Cup: Bolton ByrdAuckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics

Total 2 1 1 4 New Zealand sends a team of 80 competitors.

Winter Olympics

Total 0 0 0 0 New Zealand sends a team of five alpine skiers.

Paralympic Games

Summer Paralympics

New Zealand sends a team of 12 competitors. Total 7 1 5 12

Soccer New Zealand National Soccer League won by Wellington Diamond United The Chatham Cup is won by Christchurch United who beat Eastern Suburbs (Auckland) 4–0 in the final.Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com

Births 1 January – Karl Burnett, actor 13 January – Bic Runga, singer, songwriter 12 February – Christian Cullen, rugby union footballer 14 March – Sarah Ulmer, cyclist 31 March – Anna Rowberry, netball player 6 April – Bruce Reihana, rugby player 10 April – Jason Richards, motor racing driver (d. 2011) 7 May – Stacey Jones, rugby league footballer 14 May – Jason Reeves, broadcaster 3 June – Miriama Smith, actress 8 June – Grant Donaldson, cricketer 7 July – Ron Cribb, rugby union footballer 3 August – Rachel Sutherland, field hockey player 3 September – Ivan Vicelich, soccer player 13 September – Craig McMillan, cricketer 3 October – Simon Wills, motor racing driver 15 October – Jason Kerrison, singer-songwriter from the band Opshop 4 November – Troy Flavell, rugby union footballer 20 November – Doug Viney, K-1 fighter 3 December – Byron Kelleher, rugby union footballer 13 December – Mark Paston, soccer player 15 December – Joseph Yovich, cricketer 21 December – Mark Dickel, basketball player :Category:1976 births

Deaths 9 January: Sir Stanley Whitehead, politician and 15th Speaker of the House of Representatives. 7 February (in Australia): Sir Cedric Stanton Hicks, nutrition scientist. 12 June: Herb Lilburne, All Black captain. 15 July: Peter Gilbert, boxer. 20 July: Tom Lowry, cricketer. 19 August: Ken Wadsworth, cricketer. 21 August: Ken James, cricketer. 12 November: Cliff Porter, All Black captain. 14 November: Ernest Toop, politician, deputy mayor of Wellington

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