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1981 in New Zealand:

Other years in New Zealand

1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 (1981) • 1982 • 1983 • 1984

Population

• Estimated Population as of 31 December: 3,194,500 ^[1]
• Increase since 31/12/1980: 18,100 (0.57%)
• Males per 100 Females: 98.7

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

• Head of State - Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand
• Governor-General - The Hon. Sir David Beattie GCMG GCVO QSO QC. ^[2]

Government

The 39th New Zealand Parliament, led by the National Party, concluded, and in the general election the party was re-elected in the 40th New Zealand Parliament. Support for the government decreased, however, with the Labour Party receiving the largest portion of the popular vote.

• Speaker of the House - Richard Harrison. ^[3]
• Prime Minister - Robert Muldoon
• Deputy Prime Minister - Brian Talboys then Duncan MacIntyre. ^[3]
• Minister of Finance - Robert Muldoon. ^[3]
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - Brian Talboys then Warren Cooper. ^[3]
• Attorney-General - Jim McLay. ^[3]

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition - Bill Rowling (Labour). ^[4]
• Social Credit Party - Bruce Beetham

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland - Colin Kay
• Mayor of Hamilton - Ross Jansen
• Mayor of Wellington - Michael Fowler
• Mayor of Christchurch - Hamish Hay
• Mayor of Dunedin - Clifford George (Cliff) Skeggs

Events

• The Kohanga reo scheme is established by the Department of Māori Affairs.

• January: Nambassa five day celebration of music, crafts and alternative lifestyles culture on 250-acre (100 ha) farm at Waitawheta Valley between Waihi and Waikino. Attendance 20,000.
• January: The second Sweetwaters Music Festival is held near Ngaruawahia.

• 3 May: The first newspaper published on a Sunday in New Zealand; initially called the New Zealand Times.

• July: Passports reintroduced for New Zealanders travelling to Australia. The Australian Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drugs says the exemption was exploited; travel had not required passports following the 1972 Trans-Tasman Travel Agreement.

• July 13: Springbok rugby union team arrive in New Zealand to begin the 1981 Springbok Tour

• September 13: The Springbok rugby team leave New Zealand.

Arts and literature

• William Sewell wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

See 1981 in art, 1981 in literature, Category:1981 books

Music

New Zealand Music Awards

• ALBUM OF THE YEAR Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos - Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos
• SINGLE OF THE YEAR Coup D'État – Doctor, I Like Your Medicine
• TOP MALE VOCALIST Dave McArtney (Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos)
• TOP FEMALE VOCALIST Suzanne Prentice
• TOP GROUP Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos - Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos
• MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Dave McArtney
• MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Anne Dumont
• MOST PROMISING GROUP The Screaming Meemees
• ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Dave Hurley & Graham Myhre - Dave McArtney & the Pink Flamingos
• PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Bruce Lynch - Dave McArtney and the Pink Flamingos
• BEST COVER DESIGN David Hollis – Caught Alive
• SPECIAL AWARD Fred Smith - Services to the Recording Industry (particularly with regard to Copyright)

See: 1981 in music

Radio and Television

• Feltex Television Awards:
  • Best Drama: Mortimer's Patch
  • Best Speciality: Sport on One - Sunday
  • Best Entertainment: Radio Times
  • Best Documentary: Moriori
  • Best Children's: Video Dispatch
  • Best Information: Country Calendar
  • Best Current Affairs: Close Up
  • Best Actor: Terence Cooper
  • Best Actress: Glynis McNicol
  • Best Script: Little Big Man Takes a Shot at the Moon
  • Best Television Entertainer: Hudson and Halls
  • Stan Hosgood Award for Allied Craft: Logan Brewer, Set designer for Hunters Gold, Gather Your Dreams, Children of Fire Mountain, I Pagliacci

See: 1981 in New Zealand television, 1981 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

• Pictures
• Race for the Yankee Zephyr
• Smash Palace
• Wildcat
• Dead Kids / Strange Behaviour

See: Category:1981 film awards, 1981 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1981 films

Appointments and awards

See: New Zealand Order of Merit , Order of New Zealand

• Archbishop of New Zealand
• Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia , see appointments to Diocese

Sport

Athletics

• Paul Ballinger wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:17:28 on May 2 in Rotorua, while Christine Munro claims her first title in the women's championship (2:56:04).

Cricket

• 1 February: Australian Trevor Chappell bowled an underarm delivery to batsman Brian McKechnie in a One-day International cricket match, the third of five matches in the final of the Benson & Hedges World Series Cup.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Armalight ^[5]
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Delightful Lady - 2nd win ^[6]

Thoroughbred racing

Rugby Union

• June 13: The All Blacks beat Scotland 11-4 at Carisbrook
• June 20: The All Blacks beat Scotland 40-15 at Eden Park
• August 15: The All Blacks beat South Africa 14-9 at Lancaster Park as part of the 1981 Springbok Tour
• August 29: The All Blacks lost 12-24 to South Africa at Athletic Park as part of the 1981 Springbok Tour
• September 12: The All Blacks beat South Africa 25-22 at Eden Park as part of the 1981 Springbok Tour
• October 24: The All Blacks beat Romania 14-6 in Bucharest
• November 14: The All Blacks beat France 13-9 in Toulouse
• November 21: The All Blacks beat France 18-6 in Paris

• The North vs South match is played in Dunedin and won by North, 10-4^[7]

Soccer

• The All Whites qualify for the 1982 Football World Cup
• New Zealand National Soccer League won by , Wellington Diamond United
• The Chatham Cup is won by Dunedin City who beat Mount Wellington 3—1 in the final. ^[8]

Births

• 5 January: Corey Flynn, rugby player.
• 10 January: Hayden Roulston, professional cyclist. ^[9]
• 21 January: Jason Williams, rugby player.
• 27 January: Tony Woodcock, rugby player.
• 29 January: Jake Adams, musician.
• 12 February: Daniel Braid, rugby player.
• 6 March: Tim Brown, soccer player.
• 20 March: Jamaal Lolesi, rugby league player.
• 25 March: Mose Tuiali'i, rugby player.
• 27 March: Sione Faumuina, rugby league player.
• 30 April: Ali Williams, rugby player.
• 4 May: Kate Elliott, actor.
• 6 May: Jodi Te Huna, netball player.
• 10 May: Lloyd Stephenson, field hockey player.
• 19 May: Jamie How, cricketer.
• 25 May: Shelley Paikea, singer.
• 25 May: Matt Utai, rugby league player.
• 25 May: Motu Tony, rugby league player.
• 2 June: Brad Mika, rugby player.
• 9 June: Dean Couzins, field hockey player.
• 18 June: Teresa Cormack, child murder victim.
• 19 June: Moss Burmester, swimmer.
• 28 June: Demetrius "Savage" Savelio, rapper.
• 3 July: Tevita Latu, rugby league player.
• 31 July: Paul Whatuira, rugby league player.
• 31 July: Scott Talbot-Cameron, swimmer.
• 3 August: Daniel Koprivcic, soccer player.
• 6 September: Te Atirau Paki, television presenter.
• 22 September: James Stosic, rugby player.
• 27 September: Brendon McCullum, cricketer.
• 29 September (in Germany): Shane Smeltz, soccer player.
• 29 October (in Sydney): Jamie Waugh, writer.
• 24 November: Ian Butler, cricketer.
• 10 December: Caleb Ross, actor.
• 10 December: Conrad Smith, rugby player.
• 20 December: Leo Bertos, soccer player.

Deaths

• 23 March: Beatrice Tinsley, astronomer.
• 21 December: Iriaka Matiu Ratana, politician.

• J. A. W. Bennett, literary scholar.
• Keith Murray, architect and ceramic designer.

References

See also

• List of years in New Zealand
• Timeline of New Zealand history
• History of New Zealand
• Military history of New Zealand
• Timeline of environmental history of New Zealand
• Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

For world events and topics in 1981 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1981