1975 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,143,700.
• Increase since 31 December 1974: 51,800.
• Males per 100 females: 99.5.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir Denis Blundell GCMG GCVO KBE QSO.

Government

• Speaker of the House – Stan Whitehead.
• Prime Minister – Bill Rowling then Robert Muldoon
• [Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand|Prime Minister of New Zealand|Deputy Prime Minister] – Bob Tizard then Brian Talboys.
• Minister of Finance – Bob Tizard then Robert Muldoon.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Bill Rowling then Brian Talboys.
• Attorney-General – Martyn Finlay then Peter Wilkinson.
• Chief Justice — Sir '''Richard Wild'''

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Robert Muldoon until 12 December, then Bill Rowling.

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson
• Mayor of Hamilton – Mike Minogue
• Mayor of Wellington – Michael Fowler
• Mayor of Christchurch – Hamish Hay
• Mayor of Dunedin – '''Jim Barnes'''

Events

• 4 February – American Lynne Cox becomes the first woman to swim across Cook Strait, making the north–south crossing in just over 12 hours.
• 31 May – Disappearance of 18-year-old Mona Blades.
• 14 September – Māori land march protesting at land loss leaves Te Hāpua.
• 13 October – Māori land march reaches Parliament building in Wellington, Whina Cooper presents a Memorial of Rights to the Prime Minister Bill Rowling and Māori Affairs Minister Matiu Rata.
• 29 November – 1975 general election.
• The Dunedin Longitudinal Study begins, following the health and development of 1037 children born in Dunedin between 1972 and 1973.

Arts and literature

• Witi Ihimaera wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Music

[New Zealand Music Awards]

• ALBUM OF THE YEAR John Hanlon – Higher Trails
• BEST SINGLE / SINGLE OF THE YEAR Rockinghorse – Thru' The Southern Moonlight
• RECORDING ARTIST/ GROUP OF THE YEAR Mark Williams
• BEST NEW ARTIST Space Waltz
• PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Alan Galbraith – Yesterday Was Just The Beginning of My Life
• ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Phil Yule – Higher Trails
• ARRANGER OF THE YEAR Mike Harvey – Higher Trails
• COMPOSER OF THE YEAR John Hanlon – Higher Trails

Performing arts

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Phillip Warren QSO.

Radio and television

• On 1 April, the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation is split into the competing channels Television One and Television Two. Television One begins broadcasting from the new Avalon studio in Lower Hutt.
• 12 May: Close to Home first airs.
• 30 June: Television Two starts broadcasting on Monday 30 June. Jennie Goodwin is the first female newsreader in the Commonwealth.
• 5 July: Television Two holds the first Telethon in New Zealand.
• Feltex Television Awards:
• *Best Documentary: Show on New Guinea's coming independence
• *First Series Awards: Country Calendar
• *Best Performer: Joe Cot'e
• *Best Actor in TV Drama: Ian Mune as Derek
• *Writing: Michael Noonan in Longest Winter and Michael King in Tangata Whenua

Film

• Test Pictures

Sport

Athletics

• Anthony Reavley wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:19:54.6 on 1 March in Dunedin.

Chess

• The 82nd National Chess Championship is held in Dunedin, and is won by Paul Garbett of Auckland.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Lunar Chance
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Captain Harcourt

Netball

• The 4th Netball World Championships were held in New Zealand, with Australia winning, England second and New Zealand third.

Soccer

• New Zealand National Soccer League won by Christchurch United
• The Chatham Cup is won by Christchurch United who beat Blockhouse Bay 4—2 in the final.

Births

• 1 January: Skippy Hamahona, field hockey player.
• 2 January: Reuben Thorne, rugby player.
• 4 January: Bevan Hari, field hockey striker.
• 5 January: Kylie Bax, model.
• 17 January: Tony Brown, rugby player.
• 3 February: Brad Thorn, rugby league and union player.
• 2 March: Daryl Gibson, rugby player.
• 27 March: Andrew Blowers, rugby player.
• 21 April: Danyon Loader, swimmer.
• 2 May: Murray Burdan, swimmer.
• 12 May: Jonah Lomu, rugby player.
• 15 May: Danny Hay, soccer player.
• 7 June: Shane Bond, cricketer.
• 20 June: Takutai Tarsh Kemp, politician.
• 10 July: Scott Styris, cricketer.
• 17 July: Andre Adams, cricketer.
• 20 July: Greg Feek, rugby player.
• 7 August: Jason Suttie, kickboxer.
• 11 August: Rua Tipoki, rugby player.
• 16 August: Taika Waititi, filmmaker and actor
• 21 August: Mark Robinson, rugby player.
• 21 August: Scott Robertson, rugby player.
• 23 August: Sean Marks, basketballer.
• 27 August: Caryn Paewai, field hockey player.
• 31 August: Craig Cumming, cricketer.
• 9 September: Anton Oliver, rugby player.
• 12 September: Belinda Colling, netball player.
• 2 October: Mark Porter, V8 Supercar driver.
• 14 October: Carlos Spencer, rugby player.
• 23 October: Temepara George, netball player.
• 9 November : Mathew Sinclair, cricketer.
• 14 December: Lisa Walton, field hockey player
• : Toa Fraser, playwright.Levi Hawken, skateboarder and artist.Nikki Jenkins, gymnastCraig McNair, politician.Chong Nee, musician.

Deaths

• 6 February: Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park, senior RAF commander
• 13 July: Cecil King, rugby league footballer. A.H. Reed, publisher and writer Philip Skoglund, politician.