1968 in New Zealand

1968 in New Zealand

Other years in New Zealand

1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 (1968) • 1969 • 1970 • 1971

Population

• Estimated Population as of 31 December: 2,773,000
• Increase since 31 December 1967: 28,000 (1.02%)
• Males per 100 Females: 99.8 – Note that this was the first year (other than during a major war) in which the number of females exceeded the number of males.

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir Arthur Porritt Bt GCMG GCVO CBE.

Government

The 35th Parliament of New Zealand continued, with the National government in power.

• Speaker of the House – Roy Jack.
• Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake
• Deputy Prime Minister – Jack Marshall.
• Minister of Finance – Robert Muldoon.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Keith Holyoake.
• Attorney-General – Ralph Hanan.

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Norman Kirk (Labour).
• Leader of the Social Credit Party – Vernon Cracknell

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Roy McElroy then Dove-Myer Robinson
• Mayor of Hamilton – Dennis Rogers then Mike Minogue
• Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
• Mayor of Christchurch – George Manning then Ron Guthrey
• Mayor of Dunedin – Russell John Calvert then James George Barnes

Events

• The Southland Daily News, which had been acquired by its rival The Southland Times in 1967, ceases publication and is replaced by an evening edition of the Times. The paper was first published as Southern News and Foveaux Strait's Herald in 1861.

• 10 April Inter-Island ferry Wahine founders off Wellington with a loss of 51 lives.

Arts and literature

• Ruth Dallas wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

See 1968 in art, 1968 in literature, Category:1968 books

Music

New Zealand Music Awards

LOXENE GOLDEN DISC AWARD Allison Durbin – I Have Loved Me A Man

See: 1968 in music

Radio and Television

• Wellington television crews win the World Newsfilm Award for their coverage of the Wahine disaster.

See 1968 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

See: Category:1968 film awards, 1968 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1968 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

• Jeff Julian wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:22:40 on 9 March in Whangarei.

Association football

• The Chatham Cup is won by Eastern Suburbs of Auckland, who beat Christchurch Technical 2—0 in the final.
• 1968 was the first year in which all three regional leagues operated, with the formation of the Southern League.
• Northern League premier division (Thompson Shield) won by Mt Wellington.
• Central League won by Western Suburbs
• Southern League First Division won by Christchurch City AFC

Chess

• The 75th National Chess Championship was held in Dunedin, and was won by B.R. Anderson of Christchurch.

Cricket

• Indian cricket team in New Zealand in 1967–68. The first Test was India's first win away from home, and the second Test was New Zealand's first victory over India.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Humphrey
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Cardinal Garrison

Motorsport

• The 1968 Tasman Series was won by Jim Clark
• The 15th 1968 New Zealand Grand Prix was won by Chris Amon

Olympic games

• New Zealand at the 1968 Summer Olympics
• New Zealand competed at the Winter Olympics for only the third time, with a team of seven athletes.

Rugby league

• New Zealand competed in the 1968 Rugby League World Cup, losing all its 3 games to finish in last place.

Rugby union

• The national team of France toured New Zealand, losing all three tests and one of their nine provincial matches.

Births

• 26 January: Chris Pringle, cricketer.
• January: Emma Paki, singer/songwriter.
• 29 February: Gareth Farr, composer and percussionist.
• 20 March: Lawrence Makoare, actor.
• 29 March: Lucy Lawless, actress and singer.
• 16 April (in England): Roger Twose, cricketer.
• 10 May: Craig Russ, field hockey player.
• 14 May (in Canada): Richard Tapper, swimmer.
• 25 May: Kevin Iro, rugby league player.
• 26 June: Scott Anderson, field hockey goalkeeper .
• 8 July: Shane Howarth, rugby player.
• 27 July: Cliff Curtis, actor.
• 31 July: Jenny Duck, field hockey player .
• 4 November: Lee Germon, cricketer.
• 21 August: Robbie Johnston, long-distance runner.
• 27 August: Matthew Ridge, rugby league player, rugby union player and television presenter.
• 24 October (in Papua New Guinea): Ross Anderson, swimmer.
• 18 November: Logan Edwards, rugby league player.
• 3 December: Toni Jeffs, swimmer.
• 15 December: Kirsa Jensen, missing person.
• 25 December: Jason Mackie, rugby league player.

• Greg Johnson, musician.
• Paul Moon, historian and biographer.
• Michael Parekowhai, sculptor.

category:1968 births

Deaths

• 4 June: Walter Nash, 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand

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

For world events and topics in 1968 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1968

External links

Media related to 1968 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons