1972 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1972 in New Zealand.

Population

Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,959,700.
Increase since 31 December 1971: 61,200 (2.11%).
Males per 100 females: 99.7.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Head of State – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – Sir Arthur Porritt Bt GCMG GCVO CBE, followed by Sir Denis Blundell GCMG GCVO KBE QSO.

Government

The 36th Parliament of New Zealand concluded. A general election was held on 25 November and saw the second National government defeated by a large margin, with the Labour Party winning 55 of 87 seats in Parliament.

Speaker of the House – Roy Jack until 8 December, then Alfred Allen.
Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake then Jack Marshall then Norman Kirk
Deputy Prime Minister – Jack Marshall then Robert Muldoon then Hugh Watt.
Minister of Finance – Robert Muldoon then Bill Rowling.
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Keith Holyoake then Jack Marshall then Norman Kirk.
Attorney-General – Dan Riddiford until 9 February, then Roy Jack until 8 December, then Martyn Finlay.
Chief Justice — Sir Richard Wild

Parliamentary opposition

Leader of the Opposition – Norman Kirk (Labour) until 8 December, then Jack Marshall (National).

Main centre leaders

Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson
Mayor of Hamilton – Mike Minogue
Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
Mayor of Christchurch – Neville Pickering
Mayor of Dunedin – Jim Barnes

Events

7 February – Jack Marshall replaces Keith Holyoake as prime minister.
14 September – As a part of the Māori protest movement, activist group Ngā Tamatoa, the Te Reo Māori Society of Victoria University, and Te Huinga Rangatahi (the New Zealand Māori Students’ Association) presented a petition signed by over 33,000 people calling for te Reo Māori to be taught in schools, leading to the creation of te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) in 1975, and a revitalisation of Māori language.
20 October – Restrictions on the manufacture and sale of margarine in New Zealand are removed.
25 November – The 1972 general election is held. The Labour Party, led by Norman Kirk, wins 55 of the 87 seats and forms the third Labour government.
3 December – Qantas commences the first Boeing 747 service in New Zealand, between Christchurch and Sydney.
8 December – Qantas commences Boeing 747 service between Auckland and Sydney.
Chile and New Zealand establish embassies in each other's capitals.
The Values Party is formed.
Mount Ngauruhoe erupts.

Arts and literature

Ian Wedde wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

See 1972 in art, 1972 in literature

Music

New Zealand Music Awards

Loxene Golden Disc Suzanne – Sunshine Through A Prism
Loxene Golden Disc Creation – Carolina

See: 1972 in music

Performing arts

Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Jon Zealando and Lou Clauson QSM.

Radio and Television

The Broadcasting Authority in March grants the right to broadcast a second television channel to the private consortium Independent Television Corporation. After the election of the Labour Government in November, Norman Kirk announces the second channel will be run by NZBC.
In September, the first live broadcast of an All Black match takes place. The All Blacks played against Australia. [1] Archived 22 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine
Feltex Television Awards:
- Best Programme: Charlie's Rock – Pukemanu
- Outstanding Performance: Peter Sinclair in Golden Disc Award
- Best Drama: Charlie's Rock – Pukemanu

See: 1972 in New Zealand television, 1972 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

To Love a Māori

See: 1972 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand

Sport

Athletics

Field events within New Zealand switch from imperial to metric measurements. Track events changed earlier in 1969.
David McKenzie wins his fourth and last national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:14:11.2 on 11 March in Dunedin.

Chess

The 79th National Chess Championship is held in Hamilton, and is won by R.J. Sutton of Auckland (his third title).

Horse racing

Harness racing

New Zealand Trotting Cup: Globe Bay
Auckland Trotting Cup: Royal Ascot

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics

New Zealand sends a team of 89 competitors.

Winter Olympics

New Zealand sends a team of two alpine skiers.

Paralympic Games

Summer Paralympics

New Zealand sends a team of 10 competitors.

Soccer

New Zealand National Soccer League won by Mt. Wellington AFC
The Chatham Cup is won by Christchurch United who met Mount Wellington.
- Final 4-4 after extra time
- First replay 1-1 after extra time
- Second replay 2-1

Births

3 January: Shaun Longstaff, rugby player
9 January: Gary Stead, cricketer
3 March: Peter O'Leary, soccer referee
27 March: David Bain, originally served 12 years for murder of his family, conviction quashed by Privy Council and subsequently found not guilty at retrial.
29 March: Paul Kent, swimmer
12 April: Jenny Shepherd, field hockey player
17 April: Dylan Mika, All Black (died 20 March 2018)
16 May: Matthew Hart, cricketer
3 June: Robert Kennedy, cricketer
7 June: Karl Urban, actor
11 June: Stephen Kearney, rugby league player and coach
21 June (in South Africa): Irene van Dyk, netball player
4 July: Craig Spearman, cricketer
12 August: Tony Marsh, rugby player
6 October: Brooke Howard-Smith, broadcaster.
27 October: John Steel, swimmer
16 December: Angela Bloomfield, actress
18 December: Julian Arahanga, actor
20 December: Jonathan Wyatt, long-distance runner
Veeshayne Armstrong, television presenter.
(in Britain): Warwick Murray, academic.
(in Hong Kong): Jack Yan, publisher, designer and businessman

Deaths

March

2 March – Billy Wallace, rugby player and All Black (born 1878)
4 March – Major-General Sir Harold Barrowclough, former chief justice (born 1894)

April

14 April – Bert Hawthorne, motor racing driver (born 1943)

July

10 July – Charles Bowden, politician (born 1886)

August

8 August – Agnes Weston, politician (MLC) (born 1879)

September

8 September – Harold Temple White, music teacher, conductor, organist and composer (born 1881)