1973 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December 1973: 3,024,900.
• Increase since 31 December 1972 – 65,200.
• Males per 100 females – 99.7.
• It took 21 years for the population to grow from 2 million to 3 million.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Denis Blundell

Government

• Speaker of the House – Stan Whitehead
• Prime Minister – Norman Kirk
• [Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand|Prime Minister of New Zealand|Deputy Prime Minister] – Hugh Watt
• Minister of Finance – Bill Rowling
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Norman Kirk
• Attorney-General – Martyn Finlay

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Jack Marshall

Judiciary

• Chief Justice — Richard Wild

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

• 1 January – The 1973 New Year Honours are announced
• 11 January – Air New Zealand accepts delivery of its first McDonnell Douglas DC-10 jet.
• 4 February – The details of the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement are announced
• 7 February – A heat wave affects large parts of New Zealand. Rangiora reaches, the highest temperature recorded in New Zealand as of 2023.
• 11 February – The Rolling Stones play a single New Zealand concert, at Western Springs Stadium, Auckland, on their 1973 Pacific Tour.
• 27 February – Leaking drums of organophosphate cotton defoliant spread fumes across Parnell, Auckland, causing 640 people to be treated in hospital and 6,000 people to be evacuated.
• 1 March – The Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement is implemented
• 10 April – Prime Minister Kirk cancels the 1973 South African rugby tour to New Zealand over fears of civil unrest.
• 16 April – After a retrial, Arthur Allan Thomas is again found guilty of the murders of Harvey and Jeannette Crewe.
• 2 June – The 1973 Queen's Birthday Honours are announced
• 19 October – The New Zealand Day Act 1973, making 6 February a national holiday, receives royal assent.
• 31 October – Colour television is introduced.
• December – The national vehicle speed limit is reduced to 80 km/h to reduce fuel consumption.

Arts and literature

• Graham Billing wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Music

New Zealand Music Awards

• ALBUM OF THE YEAR John Donoghue – Spirit Of Pelorus Jack
• RECORDING ARTIST / GROUP OF THE YEAR Shona Laing
• BEST SINGLE / SINGLE OF THE YEAR John Hanlon – Damn The Dam
• BEST NEW ARTIST Shona Laing
• BEST NZ RECORDED COMPOSITION Anna Leah – Love Bug
• PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Keith Southern – Join Together
• ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Peter Hitchcock – Only Time Could Let Us Know
• ARRANGER OF THE YEAR Mike Harvey – Damn The Dam

Performing arts

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Ray Columbus.

Radio and television

• Colour television broadcasts begin at 7:45pm on 31 October. The licence fee for a colour television is NZ$35.
• In December, Fred Dagg makes his first appearance.
• Feltex Television Awards:
• *Natural History Programme: Bird of a Single Flight
• *Best News, Current Affairs: Election Night '72
• *Best Light Entertainment: Loxene Golden Disc 1972
• *Best Drama and the Arts: Gone Up North and An Awful Silence
• *Best Documentary: Deciding
• *Allied Crafts: Loxene Golden Disc set and work on Pop Co.
• The first ZM radio stations were started in 1973 as 1ZM Auckland, 2ZM Wellington and 3ZM Christchurch.

Film

• Rangi's Catch

Sport

Athletics

• Terry Manners wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:18:28.7 on 10 March in Inglewood. In the same year, on 1 December, the title is taken over by John Robinson who wins his first national title, clocking 2:15:03.6 in Christchurch.

Chess

• The 80th National Chess Championship is held in Wellington, and is won by Ortvin Sarapu of Auckland.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup – Arapaho
• Auckland Trotting Cup – Arapaho

Soccer

• New Zealand National Soccer League is won by Christchurch United
• The Chatham Cup is won by Mount Wellington who beat North Shore United 3–0 in the final
• New Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Oceania Cup tournament, beating Tahiti 2–0 in the final

Births

• 25 January: Ruben Wiki, rugby league footballer
• 20 February: Leisen Jobe, field hockey player
• 1 April: Stephen Fleming, cricketer
• 8 April: Nicholas Tongue, freestyle swimmer
• 27 May:
• * Tana Umaga, rugby player
• * Ian Winchester, athlete
• 16 June: Shane Reed, athlete
• 2 July: Andrew Buckley, field hockey player
• 10 July: Andrew McCormick, rugby union footballer
• 23 July: Adrian Cashmore, rugby player
• 31 July: Tasha Williams, hammer thrower
• 4 August: Hymie Gill, field hockey player
• 5 August: Justin Marshall, rugby player
• 13 August: Martin Moana, rugby league footballer
• 19 August: Carl Bulfin, cricketer
• 23 August: Kerry Walmsley, cricketer
• 5 September: Lesley Nicol, netball player
• 1 September: Trent Bray, freestyle swimmer
• 14 November: Darren Smith, field hockey player
• 15 November: Shayne O'Connor, cricketer
• 16 November: Brendan Laney, rugby player
• 29 December: Garth da Silva, boxerKirsten Cameron, swimmerDom Harvey, podcaster and former radio host

Deaths

• 5 February – John Stewart, politician
• 11 April – Rongowhakaata Pere Halbert, Māori leader, interpreter, historian, genealogist
• 20 May – Charles Brasch, poet and literary editor
• 18 November – Peter McKeefry, Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal
• 19 November – Cyril Allcott, cricketer
• 15 December – Keith Buttle, mayor of Auckland

Full date unknown

• Edith Louisa Niederer, farmer and community leader