1979 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1979 in New Zealand.

←

 1979
in
New Zealand

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Decades:
  • 1950s
  • 1960s
  • 1970s
  • 1980s
  • 1990s
See also:

Population
  • Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,163,900.[1]
  • Increase since 31 December 1978: -1,300 (−0.04%).[1]
  • Males per 100 females: 99.0.[1]

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Government

Parliamentary opposition

Main centre leaders

Events
  • 10 January – A fire destroys the Farmers' Co-operative Association department store in Blenheim, aided by strong northwesterly winds and a 33 °C (91 °F) temperature.[5]
  • February: Muhammed Ali came to New Zealand; staying at Upper Hutt (photos).[6]
  • 17 February – an Air New Zealand Fokker F27 Friendship crashed into Manukau Harbour while on final approach to Auckland Airport 1 crew and 1 company staff member were killed.[7]
  • 19 March – Cessna aircraft en route from Palmerston North to Taupo crashed onto the Desert Rd in bad weather, killing all 6 occupants
  • 24 May – Labour MP Malcolm Douglas is removed from Parliament six months after the 1978 general election, after an electoral petition by National opponent Winston Peters is upheld over irregularities in the votes of the Hunua electorate. Peters subsequently replaces Douglas
  • 30 July – The carless days scheme is introduced, restricting private motor vehicles from driving on one day of the week.[8]
  • 8 August – 1979 Abbotsford landslip: Sixty-nine homes in the Dunedin suburb of Abbotsford are left uninhabitable after 18 hectares (44 acres) of land slips 48 metres in 15 minutes.
  • 20 September – The New Zealand Federation of Labour holds a 24-hour general strike to protest government intervention in the drivers' award. Around 300,000 workers, mainly in the manufacturing and transport industries, participate in the strike.[9][10]
  • 3 November – The Evening Star ceases publication. The Dunedin newspaper was founded in 1863.[11]
  • 28 November – Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashes in Mount Erebus, Antarctica, killing all 237 passengers and 20 crewmembers aboard.
  • Two years after its official opening, the new executive wing of Parliament Buildings, known as the Beehive, is completed and occupied by the Government.[12]

Arts and literature

See 1979 in art, 1979 in literature, Category:1979 books

New Zealand Music Awards
  • ALBUM OF THE YEAR Street Talk – Street Talk
  • SINGLE OF THE YEAR Th' Dudes – Be Mine Tonight
  • TOP MALE VOCALIST Rob Guest
  • TOP FEMALE VOCALIST Sharon O'Neill
  • TOP GROUP Th' Dudes
  • MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Jon Stevens
  • MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Tina Cross
  • MOST PROMISING GROUP Street Talk
  • PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Steve Robinson – This Heart This Song
  • ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Gerry Smith – This Heart This Song
  • BEST COVER DESIGN Geoff Chunn, Peter Burt & Dale Wrightson – Just Drove Through Town

See: 1979 in music

Performing arts

Radio and television

See: 1979 in New Zealand television, 1979 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:Television in New Zealand, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: Category:1979 film awards, 1979 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1979 films

Sport

Athletics
  • Tony Good wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:18:47.3.

Chess

Harness racing

Motorsport

Netball

Soccer

Births

Category:1979 births

Deaths

Category:1979 deaths

See also

References
  1. "Historical population estimates tables". Statistics New Zealand. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017.
  2. Statistics New Zealand: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990. ISSN 0078-0170 page 52
  3. Lambert & Palenski: The New Zealand Almanac, 1982. ISBN 0-908570-55-4
  4. "Elections NZ – Leaders of the Opposition". Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  5. "Wind-fanned flames gut whole block in Blenheim's biggest fire". The Press. 11 January 1979. p. 1.
  6. "When Muhammad Ali was a huge hit in Upper Hutt". Stuff (Fairfax). 2023.
  7. "ASN Aircraft accident Fokker F-27 Friendship 500 NK-NFC Manukau Harbour". Aviation Safety Network. 27 February 2005.
  8. Dominion Post, 29 July 2017 page A12: "Couldn't car-less"
  9. Derby, Mark (11 March 2010). "Strikes and labour disputes - The decline of the arbitration system". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
  10. "Factories go out but offices and shops go on". The Press. 21 September 1979. p. 1.
  11. "Allied Press History". Allied Press. Archived from the original on 31 August 2006.
  12. "The Beehive - Executive Wing". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  13. List of New Zealand Chess Champions Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  14. "List of NZ Trotting cup winners". Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  15. Auckland Trotting cup at hrnz.co.nz Archived 17 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  16. Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com Archived 14 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine

Media related to 1979 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons

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