1968 in New Zealand

Population

* Estimated Population as of 31 December: 2,773,000 http://www.stats.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/24107FC8-E7B5-4CF2-B17C-15E31CCA7D05/0/HistoricalPop.xls]
* Increase since 31/12/1967: 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 - Queen Elizabeth II
*Governor-General - Sir Arthur Porritt Bt GCMG GCVO CBE. [Statistics New Zealand: "New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1990". ISSN 0078-0170 page 52]

Government

The 35th Parliament of New Zealand continued, with the National government in power.
*Speaker of the House - Roy Jack. Lambert & Palenski: "The New Zealand Almanac", 1982. ISBN 0908570554]
*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). [Cite web|url=http://www.elections.org.nz/democracy/leaders-opposition.html|title=Elections NZ - Leaders of the Opposition|accessdate=2008-04-06]
* 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 A. R. (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. [cite web|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=CL1.ST&essay=1&l=en|title=Southland Times|publisher=National Library of New Zealand]

* 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,

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, , , Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

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

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

port

* See: 1968 in sports , , Summer Olympic Games (See and Winter Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games (Check name).
*Athletics:Jeff Julian wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:22:40 on March 9 in Whangarei.
*Rugby: , Super 14, Rugby Union World Cup, National Provincial Championship , , Bledisloe Cup , Tri Nations Series , Ranfurly Shield
*Cricket: Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team , Chappell-Hadlee Trophy , Cricket World Cup
*Gold: New Zealand Open , Check in overseas tourniments.
*Horse racing: See , list winners.
*Rugby league New Zealand Warriors , Bartercard Cup , New Zealand national rugby league team , Rugby League World Cup
*Netball: Silver Ferns , National Bank Cup , Netball World Championships
*Soccer: New Zealand champions (soccer) , New Zealand Football Championship , New Zealand National Soccer League , New Zealand national soccer team , Chatham Cup ,
*Basketball: Tall Blacks , New Zealand Breakers
*Other Sports

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.
* August 21: 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. [ [http://www.crime.co.nz/c-files.asp?ID=34 Kirsa Jensen on crime.co.nz] ]
* 25 December: Jason Mackie, rugby league player.

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

Deaths

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

References

ee 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 1968 not specifically related to New Zealand see": 1968