1967 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 2,745,000.
• Increase since 31 December 1966: 33,700.
• Males per 100 females: 100.2.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Brigadier Sir Bernard Fergusson GCMG GCVO DSO OBE, followed by Sir Arthur Porritt Bt GCMG GCVO CBE.

Government

• Speaker of the House – Roy Jack.
• Prime Minister – Keith Holyoake
• Deputy Prime Minister – Jack Marshall.
• Minister of Finance – Harry Lake until 21 February, then Robert Muldoon.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Keith Holyoake.
• Attorney-General – Ralph Hanan.
• Chief Justice — Sir '''Richard Wild'''

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Norman Kirk.
• Leader of the Social Credit Party – '''Vernon Cracknell'''

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Roy McElroy
• Mayor of Hamilton – Denis Rogers
• Mayor of Wellington – Frank Kitts
• Mayor of Christchurch – George Manning
• Mayor of Dunedin – Russell John Calvert

Events

• 19 January – A gas explosion in the Strongman coal mine near Greymouth kills 19 miners.
• 23–26 January – The Prime Minister of South Vietnam, Air Marshall Nguyễn Cao Kỳ, tours New Zealand.
• February – Free milk in schools was stopped, it had been distributed since 1937. Some schools continued it with parents paying.
• 11 March – 1967 Southern Maori by-election: Whetu Tirikatene wins the by-election, replacing her late father, Eruera Tirikatene.
• 19 March – Two tigers are shot dead in Newtown after escaping an insecure enclosure at Wellington Zoo.
• 5 April – An emperor penguin is found at Oreti Beach, Southland, becoming the first recorded sighting of an emperor penguin in New Zealand. The following day, it is released into Foveaux Strait.
• 15 April
• * 1967 Fendalton by-election: Eric Holland wins the by-election, replacing the late Harry Lake .
• * 1967 Petone by-election: Fraser Colman wins the by-election, replacing the late Mick Moohan .
• 7-17 May – Railway workers strike after failed wage talks with the government, cancelling rail services nationwide for eleven days.
• 10 July – The nation's currency is decimalised, with the New Zealand dollar replacing the New Zealand pound at a rate of two dollars to a pound.
• 23 September – Referendums were held on whether to extend hotel closing hours, and whether to extend the term of Parliament.
• 9 October – Three weeks after the referendum, bar closing times were extended to 10pm; ending the six o'clock swill.
• 1 November – Northlands Shopping Centre in Christchurch opens to shoppers.
• December – The report of the Royal Commission on Compensation for Personal Injury in New Zealand is released, recommending the establishment of a universal no-fault compensation scheme for injuries. The scheme was later realised in 1974 as the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC).

Arts and literature

• James K. Baxter wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Music

[New Zealand Music Awards]

Radio and television

Film

Sport

Athletics

• David McKenzie wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:21:50 in Lower Hutt.

Chess

• The 74th National Chess Championship was held in Christchurch, and was won by Ortvin Sarapu of Auckland.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Great Adios
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Allakasam

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by North Shore United who beat Christchurch City 2–1 in the final.Northern League champions: Ponsonby AFC
• Disagreement over the inclusion of a Gisborne team in the Western League caused its dissolution and the establishment of a Central Districts League, with Wanganui omitted but Poverty Bay and Wairarapa included. The premier division was won by Eastern UnionProvincial league champions:
• * Canterbury: Christchurch City
• * Marlborough: Grosvenor Rovers
• * Nelson: Thistle
• * Otago: Northern AFC
• * South Canterbury: West End
• * Southland: Invercargill United
• * Wanganui: Wanganui Athletic
• * Wellington: Hungaria
• * West Coast: no competition

Births

• 6 January: Craig Perks, golfer.
• 17 March: Andrew Bird, rowing cox.
• 27 March: Anthony Thornton, field hockey player.
• 7 April: Scott Hobson, field hockey player.
• 17 April: Ian Jones, rugby player.
• 5 May: Paul Martin SM appointed in December 2017 as the 10th Bishop of Christchurch.
• 10 May: Eion Crossan, rugby player
• 23 May: Craig Monk, yachtsman.
• 31 May: Phil Keoghan, television presenter.
• 11 June: Graeme Bachop, rugby player
• 15 June: Paul Kingsman, swimmer.
• 3 July: Nigel Latta, clinical psychologist.
• 12 July: Anthony Beks, swimmer.
• 1 August: Cameron Rhodes, actor.
• 20 August Robert Ironside soccer
• 30 August : Justin Vaughan, cricketer.
• 4 September: Darrin Murray, cricketer.
• 18 September : Gary Anderson, cyclist.
• 13 October: Bernard Beckett, writer.
• 21 October: Gavin Lovegrove, javelin thrower.
• 26 October: Keith Urban, country singer.Niki Caro, filmmaker.Megan Gay, actress.Katherine Rich, politician.

Deaths

• 11 January: Sir Eruera Tirikatene, politician
• 17 January: George Yerex, wildlife conservator
• 4 February: James Roberts trade unionist, former president of Labour Party
• 21 February: Harry Lake, politician, minister of finance
• 7 April: Louis Daly Irving Austin, pianist, music teacher, conductor, composer and critical gadfly
• 23 May: Robert Macalister, Mayor of Wellington.
• 25 September: P. H. Matthews, politician
• 22 October: Leonard Morton Wright, Mayor of Dunedin
• 3 November: Alexander Aitken, mathematician
• December: Edwin Thoms Cox, Mayor of DunedinRehutai Maihi, tribal leader, journalist, newspaper publisher and editor, political candidate and community leader