# 1984 in New Zealand

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive
The following lists events that happened during 1984 in New Zealand.

## Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,293,000.
* Increase since 31 December 1983: 28,200 (0.86%).
* Males per 100 Females: 98.3.

## Incumbents
### Regal and viceregal

* Head of State – Elizabeth II
* Governor-General – The Hon Sir David Beattie GCMG GCVO QSO QC.

### Government

The 40th New Zealand Parliament, led by the National Party, concluded, and in the general election the Labour Party was elected in the 41st New Zealand Parliament.
* Speaker of the House – Richard Harrison then Basil Arthur
* Prime Minister – Robert Muldoon then David Lange
* Deputy Prime Minister – Duncan MacIntyre then Jim McLay then Geoffrey Palmer
* Minister of Finance – Robert Muldoon then Roger Douglas
* Minister of Foreign Affairs – Warren Cooper then David Lange
* Chief Justice – Sir Ronald Davison

### Parliamentary opposition

* Leader of the Opposition – David Lange (Labour) until 26 July, then Robert Muldoon (National) until 29 November, then Jim McLay.
* Social Credit Party – Bruce Beetham until 26 July, then not represented in Parliament.

### Main centre leaders

* Mayor of Auckland – Catherine Tizard
* Mayor of Hamilton – Ross Jansen
* Mayor of Wellington – Ian Lawrence
* Mayor of Christchurch – Hamish Hay
* Mayor of Dunedin – Cliff Skeggs

## Events

* 27 January – A state of emergency is declared in Southland as record rainfall causes flooding which forces the evacuation of 4000 people and leaves damage totalling $55 million.
* 3–6 February – The fifth Sweetwaters Music Festival is held in Pukekawa, with the satellite Sweetwaters South held in Christchurch on 6 February.
* 6 February – Te Hikoi ki Waitangi march disrupts Waitangi Day celebrations.
* 27 March – A suitcase bomb explodes at the Wellington Trades Hall, killing the caretaker, Ernie Abbott. No arrest has been made, see Terrorism in New Zealand.
* 24 June – New Zealand's first IVF-conceived baby, Amelia Bell, is born at Auckland's National Women's Hospital.
* 14 July – 1984 general election: The Labour Party, led by David Lange, wins 56 of the 95 seats in the House of Representatives. The Fourth Labour Government is formed, ending 9 years of National rule.
* 18 July – Government devalues New Zealand dollar by 20 percent. See New Zealand constitutional crisis, 1984.
* 20 August – New Zealand reestablishes diplomatic relations with Argentina at a consular level.

### Unknown dates

* New Zealand signs the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
* Auckland's population exceeds that of the South Island.

## Arts and literature

* Brian Turner wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
See 1984 in art, 1984 in literature, Category:1984 books

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

Winners are shown first with nominees underneath.
* ALBUM OF THE YEAR Dance Exponents – Prayers be Answered
** The Mockers – Swear It's True
** Patsy Riggir – You'll Never Take The Country Out of Me
* SINGLE OF THE YEAR The Narcs – You Took Me Heart and Soul
** Pātea Māori Club and Dalvanius Prime – "Aku Raukura"
** Dance Exponents – I'll Say Goodbye (Even Though I'm Blue)
* TOP MALE VOCALIST Jordan Luck (Dance Exponents)
** Andy Dickson (The Narcs)
** Andrew Fagan (The Mockers)
* TOP FEMALE VOCALIST Patsy Riggir
** Jodi Vaughan
** Suzanne Prentice
* TOP GROUP Dance Exponents
** The Mockers
** Pātea Māori Club and Dalvanius Prime
* MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Martin Phillips (The Chills)
** Ross McKenzie (The Idles)
** Wayne Gillespie
* MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Meryl Yvonne
** Janice Lampen
** Sharon Dubont
* MOST PROMISING GROUP The Chills
** Jive Bombers
** You're A Movie
* BEST JAZZ ALBUM Brian Smith Quartet – Southern Excursio
** Ken Avery/ Darktown Strutters – Jazz The Way It Used to Be
** Rodger Fox – Something Juicy
* BEST COUNTRY ALBUM Patsy Riggir – You'll Never Take the Country Out of Me
** Suzanne Prentice – So Precious To Me
** Jodi Vaughn – Rodeo Eyes
* BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM NZSO & Others – Music By Larry Pruden
** Michael Houston – Michael Houston
** Schola Musica – NZ Music For Strings
* BEST POLYNESIAN ALBUM Pātea Māori Club & Dalvanius Prime – "Aku Raukura"
** The Five Stars – Musika Malie (Good Music)
** Rosalio – Samoan Serenade
* BEST FOLK ALBUM Phil Garland – Springtime in the Mountains
** Michael Warmuth – Hammered Duclimer
** Wayne Gillespie – Wayward Son
* PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Dave MCartney – You Took Me Heart & Soul
** Glyn Tucker Jnr / Trevor Reekie – Swear It's True
** Glyn Tucker Jnr / Trevor Reekie – You Fascinate
* ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Graham Myhre – You Took Me Heart & Soul
** Graham Myhre/ Gyn Tucker Jnr – Caught in the Act
** Glyn Tucker Jnr – You Fascinate
* BEST COVER DESIGN Joe Wylie – Aku Raukura (Pātea Māori Club)
** Murray Vincent – Music By Larry Purden
** Mike Hutton – Vocal at the Local
* BEST MUSIC VIDEO Bruce Morrison – I'm in Heaven
** William Keddell – Elephunk in My Soup
** Tom Parkinson – I'll Say Goodbye (Even Though I'm Blue) (Dance Exponents)
* BEST FILM SOUNDTRACK Jenny Mcleod – The Silent One
** Mike Nock – Strata
** John Charles/ Dave Fraser – Constance
* INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Tim Finn
** Dragon
** Split Enz
* OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY Eldred Stebbing – (For his Lifelong Contribution to the Recording Arts in New Zealand)
** Jacqui Fitzgerald
** Peter Blake & TVNZ
* MOST POPULAR SONG The Narcs – You Took Me Heart and Soul
See: 1984 in music

### Performing arts

* Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to John Maybury Senior.

### Radio and television

See: 1984 in New Zealand television, 1984 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:Television in New Zealand, Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

### Film

* Came a Hot Friday
* Constance
* Other Halves
* The Silent One
* Vigil
* The Bounty
See: Category:1984 film awards, 1984 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1984 films

## Sport
### Athletics

* Barry Thompson wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:19:03 on 25 March in Wanganui, while Mary Belsey does the same in the women's championship (2:41:39).

### Basketball

* NBL won by Wellington.

### Horse racing
#### Harness racing

* New Zealand Trotting Cup: Camelot
* Auckland Trotting Cup: Enterprise

### Olympic Games
#### Summer Olympics

* New Zealand sends a team of 130 competitors across 18 sports.
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 8 | 1 | 2 | 11 |

#### Winter Olympics

* New Zealand sends a team of six alpine skiers.
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Paralympic Games
#### Summer Paralympics

| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 8 | 10 | 6 | 24 |

#### Winter Paralympics

* New Zealand sends a team of eight competitors in one sport.
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |

### Shooting

* Ballinger Belt – Peter Cromwell (Cheltenham)

### Soccer

* New Zealand National Soccer League won by Gisborne City
* The Chatham Cup is won by Manurewa who beat Gisborne City 2–1 in the final.

## Births

* 27 January: Vince Mellars, rugby league player.
* 14 February: Jared Wrennall, musician.
* 17 February: Timothy Gudsell, cyclist.
* 21 February: Andy Ellis, rugby union player.
* 25 February: Paul Vodanovich, soccer player.
* 8 March: Ross Taylor, cricketer.
* 16 March: Hosea Gear, rugby union player.
* 25 March: Liam Messam, rugby union and rugby sevens player.
* 2 April: Meryl Cassie, actor.
* 6 April: Stacey Carr, field hockey player.
* 20 April: Fraser Anderson, rugby league player.
* 28 May: Beth Allen, actor.
* 2 June: Jack Afamasaga, rugby league player.
* 6 June: Antonia Prebble, actor.
* 7 June: Jennyfer Jewell, actor.
* 20 June: Jarrod Smith, soccer player.
* 27 June: Emma Lahana, actor.
* 28 June: Evarn Tuimavave, rugby league player.
* 13 July: Gareth Williams, actor
* 14 July: Fleur Saville, actor.
* 6 August: Jesse Ryder, cricketer.
* 12 September: Ben Townley, motocrosser.
* 6 October: Valerie Adams, athlete, Olympic gold medallist (2008 Beijing and 2012 London)
* 23 November: Jerome Ropati, rugby league player.
* 14 December: Keshia Paulse, singer.
* Vicki Lin, television presenter.
Category:1984 births

## Deaths

* 23 January: Dean Goffin, composer
* 6 March: Ian Cromb, cricketer
* 20 March: Robin Tait, discus thrower
* 28 April: Sylvia Ashton-Warner, writer and educator
* 13 June: Ken Armstrong, soccer player
* 15 June: Tom Heeney, boxer
* 21 July: Adam Adamson, former mayor of Invercargill
* 13 September: Lois White, painter
* 26 November: Eliot V. Elliott, trade unionist
* 9 December: Guthrie Wilson, novelist and teacher (in Sydney)