# 2016 in New Zealand

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive
The following lists events that happened during 2016 in New Zealand.

## Population
### National

Estimated populations as at 30 June.
* New Zealand total – 4,693,000
* North Island – 3,596,200
* South Island – 1,096,200

### Main urban areas

Estimated populations as at 30 June.
* Auckland – 1,495,000
* Blenheim – 30,700
* Christchurch – 389,700
* Dunedin – 118,500
* Gisborne – 36,100
* Hamilton – 229,900
* Invercargill – 50,700
* Kapiti – 41,800
* Napier-Hastings – 131,000
* Nelson – 65,700
* New Plymouth – 56,800
* Palmerston North – 84,300
* Rotorua – 57,800
* Tauranga – 134,500
* Wellington – 405,000
* Whanganui – 39,600
* Whangārei – 56,400

## Incumbents

* Regal and vice-regal
* Government
* Other party leaders in parliament
* Judiciary
* Main centre leaders

### Regal and vice-regal

* Head of State – Elizabeth II
* Governor-General – Jerry Mateparae until 31 August, then Patsy Reddy from 28 September.
* Elizabeth II
* Jerry Mateparae
* Patsy Reddy

### Government

2016 is the second full year of the 51st Parliament, which first sat on 21 October 2014.
The Fifth National Government, first elected in 2008, continues.
* Speaker of the House – David Carter
* Prime Minister – John Key (until 12 December), then Bill English
* Deputy Prime Minister – Bill English (until 12 December), then Paula Bennett
* Leader of the House – Gerry Brownlee
* Minister of Finance – Bill English, then (from 20 December) Steven Joyce
* Minister of Foreign Affairs – Murray McCully
* David Carter
* John Key
* Bill English
* Paula Bennett
* Gerry Brownlee
* Steven Joyce
* Murray McCully

### Other party leaders in parliiament

* Labour – Andrew Little
* Green – James Shaw and Metiria Turei
* New Zealand First – Winston Peters
* Māori Party – Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox
* ACT New Zealand – David Seymour
* United Future – Peter Dunne
* Andrew Little
* James Shaw
* Metiria Turei
* Winston Peters
* Te Ururoa Flavell
* Marama Fox
* David Seymour
* Peter Dunne

### Judiciary

* Chief Justice – Sian Elias
* President of the Court of Appeal – Ellen France, and then Stephen Kós from 22 July
* Chief High Court judge – Geoffrey Venning
* Chief District Court judge – Jan-Marie Doogue
* Sian Elias
* Ellen France
* Stephen Kós

### Main centre leaders

* Mayor of Auckland – Len Brown, then from 1 November Phil Goff
* Mayor of Tauranga – Stuart Crosby, then from 31 October Greg Brownless
* Mayor of Hamilton – Julie Hardaker, then from 9 November Andrew King
* Mayor of Wellington – Celia Wade-Brown, then from 26 October Justin Lester
* Mayor of Christchurch – Lianne Dalziel
* Mayor of Dunedin – Dave Cull
* Len Brown
* Phil Goff
* Stuart Crosby
* Greg Brownless
* Julie Hardaker
* Andrew King
* Celia Wade-Brown
* Justin Lester
* Lianne Dalziell
* Dave Cull

## Events

* January
* February
* March
* April
* May
* June
* July
* August
* September
* October
* November
* December

### February

* 8 February – Operation Neptune begins.
* 14 February – A significant aftershock in Christchurch causes some cliffs to collapse.

### March

* 3–24 March – Second referendum on changing the country's flag – existing flag retained.
* 11 March – Parliament passes legislation to outlaw zero-hour contracts.

### April

* 18 April – The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority is disestablished.

### June

* 6 June – The 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours are announced.

### August

* 5–21 August – 132 athletes from New Zealand compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

### September

* 2 September – A 7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes north-east of Te Araroa.

### October

* 8 October – The 2016 local elections are held.

### November

* 14 November – A M$_W$ 7.8 earthquake strikes Kaikōura at midnight, killing two people.
* 22 November – Operation Neptune ends.

### December

* 5 December – John Key announces that he will step down as prime minister and leader of the National Party on 12 December.
* 12 December – Bill English is sworn in as New Zealand's 39th prime minister, following the resignation of John Key.
* 15 December – Amazon Prime Video launches in New Zealand.
* 31 December – The 2017 New Year Honours are announced.

## Arts and literature
### Performing arts

* Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Suzanne Prentice.

## Sport

* Halberg Awards
* Olympics
* Rowing
* Shooting
* Winter Youth Olympics

### Halberg Awards

* 54th Halberg Awards (awarded 9 February 2017 for the 2016 calendar year)
** Supreme Award – Lisa Carrington (canoeing)
** Sportsman of the Year – Mahé Drysdale (rowing)
** Sportswoman of the Year – Lisa Carrington (canoeing)
** Team of the Year – Men's 49er class: Peter Burling & Blair Tuke (sailing)
** Disabled Sportsperson of the Year – Liam Malone (athletics)
** Coach of the Year – Gordon Walker (canoeing)
** Emerging Talent – Campbell Stewart (cycling)

### Olympics

* New Zealand sends a team of 199 competitors across 20 sports.
* Sprint canoeist Lisa Carrington becomes the first New Zealand women to win two medals in the same Olympic Games.
    Gold Silver BronzeTotal 49518

### Paralympics

* Swimmer Sophie Pascoe overtakes Eve Rimmer to become New Zealand's most successful Paralympian in terms of medals won.
    Gold Silver BronzeTotal 95721

### Rowing

* New Zealand Secondary School Championships (Maadi Cup)
** Maadi Cup (boys U18 eight) – Christ's College
** Levin 75th Jubilee Cup (girls U18 eight) – Diocesan School for Girls
** Star Trophy (overall points) – St Peter's School (Cambridge)

### Shooting

* Ballinger Belt – Malcolm Dodson (Kaituna/Blenheim)

### Winter Youth Olympics

* New Zealand sends a team of 11 competitors in five sports.
    Gold Silver BronzeTotal 0112

## Births

* 6 November – Probabeel, Thoroughbred racehorse
* 15 November – Copy That, Standardbred racehorse

## Deaths

Deaths
January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November · December :

### January

* 2 January – Tim Francis, diplomat (born 1928)
* 5 January – Keith Thiele, World War II pilot (born 1921)
* 7 January – David Shale, mathematician (born 1932)
* 8 January – Ida Gaskin, schoolteacher, quiz show contestant, politician (born 1919)
* 17 January
** Melvin Day, artist (born 1923)
** Jules Le Lievre, rugby union player (born 1933)
* 22 January – Alec Wishart, musician (born 1939)
* 23 January – Barry Brickell, potter (born 1935)
* 24 January – Neville Black, rugby union and rugby league player (born 1925)
* 26 January – Bob Thomas, long jumper (born 1939)
* 27 January – Shirley Tonkin, sudden infant death syndrome researcher (born 1921)
* 28 January
** Rob Courtney, Paralympic athlete (born 1959)
** Peter Robinson, musician (born 1958)
** Bob Tizard, politician, deputy prime minister (1974–75) (born 1924)
* 31 January
** Mere Broughton, Māori language activist, unionist (born 1938)
** Rona McCarthy, athlete (born 1916)

### February

* 1 February – Kelly McGarry, mountain biker (born 1982)
* 2 February
** Chris Kenny, boxing trainer (born 1937)
** Marcus Turner, singer-songwriter, folk musician, television presenter (born 1956)
* 7 February – Andrew Hintz, cricketer (born 1963)
* 10 February – John Spencer, businessman (born c.1934)
* 13 February – Barry Jones, Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (born 1941)
* 17 February – Sophia Hawthorne, actress (born 1976)
* 23 February – George Newton, weightlifter (born 1936)
* 24 February – Ken English, rugby league player (born 1927)
* 26 February – Jack Forrest, rugby league player (born 1924)
* 28 February – Bob Morrison, association footballer (born 1926)
* 29 February – Ranginui Walker, Māori academic (born 1932)

### March

* 3 March – Martin Crowe, cricketer (born 1962)
* 4 March – Harry Turbott, architect, landscape architect, environmentalist (born 1930)
* 5 March – David Abbott, cricket umpire (born 1934)
* 10 March – Judy Pickard, abstract painter, librarian and advocate for women's rights (born 1921)
* 11 March – Sel Belsham, rugby league player, cricketer (born 1930)
* 16 March – George Menzies, rugby league player and coach (born 1930)
* 18 March – Paul Swadel, film director and producer (born 1969)
* 19 March – Graham Fortune, diplomat and public servant (born 1941)
* 25 March – Ross Jennings, television producer and director (born 1944)
* 27 March – Frank Torley, television reporter, director and producer (born 1941)
* 31 March – Mark Vryenhoek, alpine skier (born 1960)

### April

* 3 April
** Rowley Habib, poet, playwright, short-story writer (born 1933)
** Whai Ngata, broadcaster, journalist, lexicographer (born c.1942)
* 4 April – Maida Bryant, politician, community leader (born 1926)
* 7 April – Matiu Dickson, politician, kapa haka exponent (born 1952)
* 11 April – Ruth Gilbert, poet (born 1917)
* 12 April – Alan Loveday, violinist (born 1928)
* 13 April – Kurtis Haiu, rugby union player (born 1984)
* 14 April – Colin Knight, educationalist (born 1934)
* 22 April
** Rex Fell, Thoroughbred racehorse breeder (born c.1945)
** Peter Sellers, sports broadcaster (born 1921)
* 23 April – Bill Sevesi, musician (born 1923)
* 24 April – Paul Annear, jeweller (born 1947)
* 27 April – Chris Parkinson, broadcaster (born 1941)

### May

* 3 May – Ian Quigley, politician (born 1931)
* 13 May – David Garner, physical oceanographer (born 1928)
* 18 May – Ian Watkin, actor (born 1940)
* 21 May – Tony Kriletich, rugby league player (born 1944)
* 25 May – Bob Sorenson, rugby union player and coach, cricketer (born 1923)

### June

* 1 June – Leonard Boyle, bishop (born 1930)
* 2 June
** Keith Lawrence, World War II fighter pilot (born 1919)
** Brian Reidy, rugby league player (born 1939)
* 4 June – Bill Snowden, rugby league player (born 1935)
* 6 June – Keith Smith, cricketer (born 1929)
* 7 June – Sir Graham Latimer, Māori leader (born 1926)
* 9 June – Joyce Carpenter, diver (born 1923)
* 10 June – Derek Wilson, architect and environmentalist (born 1922)
* 15 June – David Hall, chemistry academic (born 1928)
* 16 June – Pat Suggate, geologist (born 1922)
* 21 June – Susanna Ounei, Kanak independence activist, feminist (born 1945)
* 23 June – Roy Crawford, mechanical engineering academic, university administrator (born c.1949)
* 25 June – Jack Cropp, yachtsman (born 1927)
* 27 June – Dame Grace Hollander, community leader (born 1922)
* 29 June – Maurie Gordon, sport shooter (born 1926)

### July

* 5 July
** Johnny Borland, high jumper, athletics administrator (born 1925)
** Max Carr, field athlete and coach, athletics official, air force officer (born 1922)
** Rex Pickering, rugby union player (born 1936)
* 14 July
** Ivan Bootham, writer, composer (born 1939)
** Hallard "Snow" White, rugby union player, coach and administrator (born 1929)
* 19 July – Ray Bell, rugby union player (born 1925)
* 20 July
** Dick Corballis, English literature academic (born 1946)
** Ray Moreton, rugby union player (born 1942)
* 21 July – Sid Hurst, farmer (born 1918)
* 22 July – Lee Grant, actor, singer, choreographer (born 1931)
* 26 July – Henry Connor, botanist (born 1922)
* 30 July – Peter Gossage, author and illustrator (born 1946)

### August

* 2 August – Terence Bayler, actor (born 1930)
* 3 August – Chris Amon, motor racing driver (born 1943)
* 5 August – Don Donnithorne, architect (born 1926)
* 7 August – Sir Ron Scott, sports administrator (born 1928)
* 11 August – Sir Ian Turbott, diplomat, university administrator (born 1922)
* 19 August – Bob Skelton, jockey (born 1934)
* 22 August – Don McIver, military leader, public servant (born 1936)
* 24 August – Glen Evans, politician, mayor of Lower Hutt (1986–95) (born 1936)
* 29 August – Edward Latter, military officer, politician, diplomat (born 1928)
* 30 August – Brian Robinson, inorganic chemist (born 1940)

### September

* 1 September – Sir Graeme Douglas, businessman, pharmacist, philanthropist (born 1929)
* 4 September – Ross McPherson, field hockey player, cricketer (born 1938)
* 7 September – Don "D. J." Cameron, sports journalist (born 1933)
* 11 September – Let's Elope, Thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 1987)
* 16 September – Reese Griffiths, rugby league player (born 1937)
* 19 September – Margaret Baird, immunologist (born 1945)
* 23 September
   * Arnold Green, rugby league player (born c.1933)
   * Bill Johnson, actor (born 1924)

### October

* 1 October
** Brian Bell, ornithologist (born 1930)
** Toni Williams, singer (born 1939)
* 3 October – David Donald, cricketer (born 1933)
* 4 October – Peggy Hay, designer (born 1924)
* 14 October
** Avis Higgs, textile designer, painter (born 1918)
** Helen Kelly, trade unionist (born 1964)
* 15 October
** Doug Anderson, rugby league player (born 1926)
** Octagonal, Thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 1992)
* 21 October – Wally Argus, rugby union player (born 1921)
* 24 October – Roger Slack, plant biologist and biochemist (born 1937)
* 29 October – Tom Weal, politician (born 1929)
* 30 October – Reg Boorman, politician (born 1935)

### November

* 11 November – Sir James McNeish, writer (born 1931)
* 13 November – Leslie Kenton, journalist, entrepreneur (born 1941)
* 14 November – Marti Friedlander, photographer (born 1928)
* 15 November – Rod Bieleski, plant physiologist (born 1931)
* 16 November – Jean Wishart, magazine editor (born 1920)
* 20 November
** Mita Mohi, rugby league player, mau rākau and kapa haka exponent, youth worker (born 1939)
** Tim Raphael, Anglican priest (born 1929)
* 21 November – Helen Ryburn, school principal, local-body politician (born 1925)
* 22 November
** Mike Burgoyne, rugby union player (born 1951)
** Bev Malcolm, netball player (born 1920)
* 25 November – Bill Skelton, jockey (born 1931)
* 28 November – Ray Columbus, entertainer (born 1942)
* 29 November – Margaret Belcher, literary scholar (born 1936)

### December

* 3 December – Sir David Hay, cardiologist, anti-smoking campaigner (born 1927)
* 6 December – Elva Bett, artist, art historian, art gallery director (born 1918)
* 12 December – Lord Gyllene, Thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 1988)
* 13 December – Christopher Vance, Standardbred racehorse (foaled 1986)
* 14 December – Bunny Walters, singer (born 1953)
* 15 December – Richard Dowden, astrophysicist (born 1932)
* 18 December – Frank Crotty, rower, industrial chemist (born 1938)
* 19 December – Arthur Berry, cricketer (born 1928)
* 23 December – Doug Coombs, cricketer, geologist (born 1924)
* 24 December – Ron Broom, cricketer (born 1925)
* 25 December – John Gregson, George Cross recipient (born 1924)
* 30 December – Con Linton, sailor (born 1938)