# 1998 in New Zealand

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive
The following lists events that happened during 1998 in New Zealand.

## Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,829,200.
* Increase since 31 December 1997: 26,500 (0.70%).
* Males per 100 Females: 96.8.

## Incumbents
### Regal and viceregal

* Head of State - Elizabeth II
* Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO

### Government

The 45th New Zealand Parliament continued, with the Fourth National Government in power.
* Speaker of the House - Doug Kidd
* Prime Minister - Jenny Shipley
* Deputy Prime Minister - Winston Peters then Wyatt Creech
* Minister of Finance - Bill Birch
* Minister of Foreign Affairs - Don McKinnon
* Chief Justice — Sir Thomas Eichelbaum

### Opposition leaders

See: Category:Parliament of New Zealand, New Zealand elections
* National - Prime Minister Jenny Shipley
* Act - Richard Prebble
* New Zealand First - Winston Peters
* United New Zealand - Peter Dunne
* Labour - Helen Clark (Leader of the Opposition)
* The Alliance - Jim Anderton and Sandra Lee

### Main centre leaders

* Mayor of Auckland – Les Mills then Christine Fletcher
* Mayor of Hamilton – Margaret Evans then Russ Rimmington
* Mayor of Wellington – Mark Blumsky
* Mayor of Christchurch – Vicki Buck then Garry Moore
* Mayor of Dunedin – Sukhi Turner

## Events

* 2 May – By-election in Taranaki-King Country after the former Prime Minister Jim Bolger resigned. Shane Ardern retained the seat for National.
* 14 August – Prime Minister Jenny Shipley sacks Winston Peters from Cabinet after a dispute over the privatisation of Wellington International Airport. Peters subsequently cancels New Zealand First's coalition agreement with National.
* 22 October – Magnum Photo Supplies Ltd v Viko New Zealand Ltd, [1999] (1 NZLR 395) case is decided.
* 27-30 October – Heavy rainfall and flooding in western New Zealand costs over $2 million in insurance payouts.
* New Zealand appoints a resident ambassador to Argentina and establishes an embassy in Buenos Aires.
* Until 2016, this year was New Zealand's warmest year on record.

## Arts and literature

* Michael King wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
* Montana New Zealand Book Awards:
** Montana Medal: Harry Orsman (ed.), Dictionary of New Zealand English
** Deutz Medal: Maurice Gee, Live Bodies
** Reader's Choice: Malcolm McKinnon(ed.), New Zealand Historical Atlas
** First Book Awards
*** Fiction: Catherine Chidgey, In a fishbone church
*** Poetry: Kapka Kassabova, All Roads Lead to the Sea
*** Non-Fiction: Genevieve Noser, Olives: The new passion
See 1998 in art, 1998 in literature, Category:1998 books

### Music
#### New Zealand Music Awards

Winners are shown first with nominees underneath. were:
* Album of the Year: Bic Runga - Drive
** Salmonella Dub - Calming of the Drunken Monkey
** Rob Guest - Standing Ovation
** The Stereobus - Stereobus
** Greg Johnson - Chinese Whispers
* Single of the Year: Bic Runga - Sway
** Shihad - Home Again
** The Feelers - Pressure Man
** Darcy Clay - Jesus I Was Evil
** Moizna - Just Another Day
* Best Male Vocalist: Jon Toogood – (Shihad)
** Greg Johnson (Greg Johnson Set)
** Booga Beazley (Head Like A Hole)
* Best Female Vocalist: Bic Runga
** Sulata
** Annie Crummer
* Best Group: Shihad
** The Mutton Birds
** Dam Native
* Most Promising Male Vocalist: Darcy Clay
** Dave Yetton (The Stereobus)
** James Reid (The Feelers)
* Most Promising Female Vocalist: Alesha Siosiua (Miozna)
** Maisey Rika (St Josephs Maori Girls College)
** Jordan Reyne
* Most Promising Group: Moizna
** The Feelers
** The Stereobus
* International Achievement: OMC
** The Mutton Birds
** Garageland
* Best Video: Mark Hurley - Home Again (Shihad)
** Joe Lonie - Pressure Man (The Feelers)
** Wayne Conway - Suddenly Strange (Bic Runga)
* Best Producer: Malcolm Welsford - Pressure Man (The Feelers)
** Chris Sinclair - Kia Koe (Sulata)
** Debbie Harwood & Stephen Small - So This Is Love
* Best Engineer: Simon Sheridan - Sway (Bic Runga)
** Chris Sinclair - Kia Koe (Sulata)
** Malcolm Welsford - Pressure Man (The Feelers)
* Best Jazz Album: the New Loungehead - Came a Weird Way
** Trip to the Moon - Jazz Hop
** Sustenance - Food For Thought
* Best Classical Album: Daniel Poynton - You Hit Him, He Cry Out
** Alexander Ivashkin - Shostakovich Cello Concertos
** Keith Lewis And NZ Chamber Orchestra - Opera Kings Gods And Mortals
* Best Country Album: Kylie Harris - Fancy
* Best Folk Album: Paul Ubana Jones - Blessings and Burdens
** T&D Bigger Band - Hillingdon
** AJ Bell - Ragwort Touch
* Best Gospel Album: Parachute Band - You Alone
** Dennis Marsh - Faith
** Invasion Band - You Call My Name
* Best Mana Maori Album: Te Matapihi – Te Matapihi
** Maori Volcanics - Kia Ora
** Dam Native - Kaupapa Driven Rhymes Uplifted
* Best Mana Reo Album: St Josephs Maori Girls College - E Hine
** The Willie Matthews Quartet - A Treasury of Maori Songs
** Nga Kura O Hananah - Nga Kura O Hananah
* Best Children's Album: Kids TV - Sing Something Simple
** Tessa Grigg & Brian Ringrose - Where Are You Going Colin
** Jules Riding - Kids Time With Jules Riding
* Best Songwriter: Bic Runga - Sway
** Greg Johnson - Liberty
** Jordan Luck - Change Your Mind
* Best Cover: Wayne Conway - Drive (Bic Runga)
** Crispin Schuberth - Came A Weird Way (The New Loungehead)
** A Penman & Ross (Finnart) - Calming of the Drunken Monkey (Salmonella Dub)
* New Zealand Radio Programmer Award: John Diver - Channel Z (Wellington)
** Melanie Wise - Q92FM (Queenstown)
** Kaye Glamuzina - National Radio
See: 1998 in music

### Performing arts

* Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Dame Malvina Major ONZ GNZM DBE.

### Radio and television

* 16 March: British children's television series Teletubbies premieres on TV3.
* 30 August: Prime Television New Zealand begins transmission.
See: 1998 in New Zealand television, 1998 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:Television in New Zealand, TV3 (New Zealand), Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

### Film

* Memory and Desire
* Saving Grace
See: Category:1998 film awards, 1998 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1998 films

### Internet

See: NZ Internet History

## Sport

* See: 1998 in sports, Category:1998 in sports

### Athletics

* Mark Hutchinson wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:24:51 on 25 October in Auckland while Bernardine Portenski claims her second in the women's championship (2:44:52)

### Basketball

* the NBL was won by the Nelson Giants

### Commonwealth Games

| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 8 | 6 | 20 | 34 |

### Cricket

Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team
* The Shell Trophy for 1998-99 was won by Canterbury, with Northern Districts runners-up.

### Golf

New Zealand Open Category:New Zealand golfers

### Horse racing
#### Harness racing

* New Zealand Trotting Cup: Christian Cullen
* Auckland Trotting Cup: Christian Cullen

#### Thoroughbred racing
### Netball

* Silver Ferns
* National Bank Cup
* Netball World Championships

### Olympic Games

* New Zealand sends a team of eight competitors in six sports.
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Paralympic Games

* New Zealand sends a team of five competitors in one sport.
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |

### Rugby league

* The Auckland Warriors finished 15th out of 20 teams in the first season of the National Rugby League premiership.
* Auckland won the National Provincial Competition by defeating Canterbury 44-8 while Waikato ended the season holding the Rugby League Cup.
* 24 April, New Zealand defeated Australia 22-16
* 9 October, New Zealand lost to Australia 12-30
* 31 October, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 22-16
* 7 November, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 36-16
* 14 November, New Zealand drew with Great Britain 23-all

### Rugby union

Category:Rugby union in New Zealand,
* Super 12 - was won by the Canterbury Crusaders who defeated the Auckland Blues 20–13 in the final. Season summary
* National Provincial Championship - won by Otago
* Bledisloe Cup - won 3-0 by Australia
* Tri Nations Series - won by South Africa. New Zealand came last with no wins and only 2 bonus points
* Ranfurly Shield - Waikato held the shield all season, beating Poverty Bay 121–0, King Country 76–0, Bay of Plenty 25–18, Auckland 24–23, Southland 95–7, Nth Harbour 39–22, Northland 63–22, and Canterbury 29-23

### Shooting

* Ballinger Belt – Mike Collings (Te Puke)

### Soccer

* The second National Summer Soccer League was won by Napier City Rovers
* The New Zealand national soccer team won the OFC Nations Cup tournament held in Australia, beating the host nation 2–0 in the final.
* The Chatham Cup is won by Central United who beat Dunedin Technical 5–0 in the final.
* New Zealand U-16 team coached by Wynton Rufer travels to unofficial U-16 World Cup in France to coincide with 1998 FIFA World Cup. Achieve mixed results (0-3 v Italy, 0-2 v Cameroon, 1-1 v Austria, 0-1 v USA, 0-1 v Israel, 1-0 v Norway)

## Births
### January–March

* 6 January – Eleanor Epke, squash player
* 11 January – Thomas Mikaele, rugby league player
* 25 January – Sione Havili, rugby union player
* 4 February – Tevita Mafileo, rugby union player
* 5 February – Tai Wynyard, basketballer
* 6 February – Hayden Phillips, field hockey player
* 11 February – Ben Sears, cricketer
* 20 February
** Emma Cumming, racing cyclist
** Nicole Fujita, model and tarento
* 24 February – Will Jordan, rugby union player
* 3 March – Sione Asi, rugby union player
* 4 March – Tom Christie, rugby union player
* 28 March – James Fouché, racing cyclist

### April–June

* 2 April – Sam Fischli, rugby union player
* 5 April – Michaela Drummond, racing cyclist
* 9 April – James McGarry, association footballer
* 13 April – Paige Satchell, association footballer
* 17 April – Vilimoni Koroi, rugby union player
* 18 April – Liana Dance, water polo player
* 21 April – Jackson Wells, freestyle skier
* 29 April – Fraser Sheat, cricketer
* 30 April – Liam Wood, association footballer
* 4 May – Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa, rugby union player
* 7 May – Jess Watkin, cricketer
* 12 May – Campbell Stewart, racing cyclist
* 18 May – Brianna Fruean, environmental activist
* 28 May – Logan Rogerson, association footballer
* 16 June – Tanielu Tele’a, rugby union player
* 19 June
** Ali Galyer, swimmer
** Harry Plummer, rugby union player

### July–September

* 4 July – Olivia Ray, racing cyclist
* 6 July – Ma'ava Ave, cricketer
* 9 July – Mikayla Harvey, racing cyclist
* 12 July – Hoskins Sotutu, rugby union player
* 15 July – Nathan Smith, cricketer
* 18 July – Ella Harris, racing cyclist
* 1 August – Rosie Cheng, tennis player
* 2 August – Ricky Jackson, rugby union player
* 7 August – Jesse Arthars, rugby league player
* 22 August
** Leica Guv, Thoroughbred racehorse
** Adam Pompey, rugby league player
* 28 August
** Morgan Harper, rugby league player
** Sarah Morton, association footballer
* 30 August – Ngane Punivai, rugby union player
* 3 September – Bailyn Sullivan, rugby union player
* 13 September – Evelina Afoa, swimmer
* 20 September – Isaiah Papali'i, rugby league player
* 23 September – Bradley Slater, rugby union player

### October–December

* 20 October – Tasmyn Benny, boxer
* 29 October
** Laghlan McWhannell, rugby union player
** Felix Murray, cricketer
* 7 November – Rosemary Mair, cricketer
* 17 November – Courtney McGregor, artistic gymnast
* 19 November – Thomas Sexton, racing cyclist
* 29 November – Xavier Numia, rugby union player
* 4 December – Just An Excuse, Standardbred racehorse
* 11 December – Rakai Tait, snowboarder
* 12 December – Elizabeth Anton, association footballer
* 18 December – Jade Lewis, tennis player
* 22 December – Ben Beecroft, cricketer
* 24 December – Nikita Howarth, swimmer

### Undated

* Rupena Parkinson, rugby union player
* Henry Williams, actor

## Deaths
### January–March

* 12 January – Neil Williams, water polo player (born 1918)
* 14 January – Leonard Atkinson, public servant (born 1906)
* 27 January – Gavin Downie, politician (born 1924)
* 14 February – Peter Jacobson, poet (born 1925)
* 20 February – Ces Blazey, rugby union and athletics administrator (born 1909)
* 8 March – Kuini Te Tau, Ngāi Tahu kaumātua, welfare worker, community leader (born 1899)
* 10 March – C. E. Beeby, educationalist (born 1902)
* 15 March – Darcy Clay, singer–songwriter (born 1972)
* 18 March – Vernon Clare, musician, cabaret owner, restaurateur, music teacher (born 1925)

### April–June

* 6 April – Sam Chaffey, alpine skier (born 1934)
* 26 April – Sir Alan Boxer, air force officer (born 1916)
* 30 April – William Newland, potter (born 1919)
* 1 May – Brian Kendall, boxer (born 1947)
* 14 May –
** Ron Withell, boxer (born 1916)
** Jade Wilson, squash player (born 1977)
* 15 May – Jack Warcup, mycologist (born 1921)
* 20 May – John Trenwith, novelist, marketing academic (born 1951)
* 2 June – Brian Johnston, field hockey player (born 1933)
* 13 June – Henry Tatana, rugby league player (born 1945)
* 21 June – Peter Mander, sailor (born 1928)
* 22 June – Brian Davis, Anglican archbishop (born 1934)

### July–September

* 3 July – Elizabeth Riddell, poet and journalist (born 1910)
* 5 July – Frank Creagh, boxer (born 1924)
* 7 July – Maurice Holmes, harness racing driver (born 1908)
* 17 July
** Marc Hunter, musician (born 1953)
** Ronald Tremain, composer, music academic (born 1923)
* 26 July – Dixie Cockerton, netball player and coach, cricketer, school principal (born 1925)
* 29 July – Alex Griffiths, conservationist (born 1911)
* 31 July – Athol Meyer, politician (born 1940)
* 3 August – Ronnie Boon, rugby union player (born 1909)
* 7 August – Bill Laney, politician (born 1913)
* 27 August – Essie Summers, novelist (born 1912)
* 30 August – Sir Toss Woollaston, painter and writer (born 1910)
* 12 September – Neville Thornton, rugby union player (born 1918)
* 13 September – Sir Frank Renouf, stockbroker, businessman, philanthropist (born 1918)
* 15 September – Amy Harper, photographer (born 1900)
* 18 September – Andy Wiren, cricketer (born 1911)
* 23 September – Trevor Berghan, rugby union player (born 1914)

### October–December

* 1 October – Jim Kearney, rugby union player (born 1920)
* 4 October – Tony Shelly, motor racing driver (born 1937)
* 18 October – Ilse von Randow, weaver (born 1901)
* 26 November – Sir Charles Bennett, broadcaster, military leader, public servant, diplomat, politician (born 1913)
* 6 December – Ken Comber, politician (born 1939)
* 8 December – Aaron Hopa, rugby union player (born 1971)
* 12 December – Phillippe Cabot, rugby union player (born 1900)