1977 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,166,400.
• Increase since 31 December 1976: 3000.
• Males per 100 females: 99.4.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – Sir Denis Blundell GCMG GCVO KBE QSO, followed by The Rt Hon. Sir Keith Holyoake KG GCMG CH QSO.

Government

• Speaker of the House – Roy Jack.
• Prime Minister – Robert Muldoon
• Deputy Prime Minister – Brian Talboys.
• Minister of Finance – Robert Muldoon.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Brian Talboys.
• Attorney-General – Peter Wilkinson.
• Chief Justice — Sir '''Richard Wild'''

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition – Bill Rowling.

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Dove-Myer Robinson
• Mayor of Hamilton – Bruce Beetham then Ross Jansen
• Mayor of Wellington – Michael Fowler
• Mayor of Christchurch – Hamish Hay
• Mayor of Dunedin – Jim Barnes then '''Clifford George (Cliff) Skeggs'''

Events

• 5 January – Led by Joe Hawke, members of Ngati Whatua occupy Bastion Point reserve to protest crown sales of land taken from Māori.
• 6 February – Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II's accession as Queen of New Zealand
• 28 February – The new Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament, nicknamed the "Beehive" due to its shape, is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, despite not being fully complete yet.
• 26 March – 1977 Mangere by-election: David Lange is elected to replace Colin Moyle.
• 21 November – God Defend New Zealand becomes the second official national anthem of New Zealand, in conjunction with God Save The Queen.
• 6 December – The meat pie-based fast food chain Georgie Pie opens its first restaurant in Kelston, Auckland.
• 23 December – the Wild Animal Control Act 1977 passed into law
• New Zealand proclaims an Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 nautical miles – the seventh largest in the world at 4.3 million km²
• Mushrooms and typewriters are added to the CPI basket.

Arts and literature

• Keri Hulme and Roger Hall win the Robert Burns Fellowship.

Music

• Waikino music festival at Bicknel's farm, Waitawheta Valley, between Waihi and Waikino. Attendance 5500.

Radio and television

• April: Fair Go airs for the first time.
• June: Wellington's Radio Active 89FM first hits the airwaves
• Feltex Television Awards:
• *Best Current Affairs: News at Ten
• *Best Documentary Series: Black Future
• *Best Light Entertainment: Blerta
• *Best Play: The God Boy
• *Best Drama: Moynihan
• *Best Speciality: Country Calendar
• *Best Actor: Ian Mune in Winners and Losers and Moynihan
• *Best Actress: Judy Douglas in The God Boy
• *Best Script: The God Boy
• *Best Personality: Roger Gascoigne

Performing arts

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Max Cryer.
• Roger Hall's Middle-Age Spread premiered at the Circa Theatre, Wellington

Television

Film

• Landfall
• Off the Edge
• Sleeping Dogs
• Solo
• Wild Man

Sport

Athletics

• Terry Manners wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:20:40 in Hāwera.

Association football

• New Zealand National Soccer League won by North Shore United
• The Chatham Cup is won by Nelson United who beat Mount Wellington 1–0 in the final.

Chess

• The 84th New Zealand Chess Championship is held in North Shore, and is won by Ortvin Sarapu of Auckland.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Sole Command
• There was no 1977 running of the Auckland Trotting Cup as the race was being rescheduled from December to February

Births

• 22 January: Jono Gibbes, rugby player
• 25 February: Matthew Bell, cricketer
• 25 March: Brooke Walker, cricketer
• 16 May: Melanie Lynskey, actress
• 20 May: Raf de Gregorio, soccer player
• 25 May: Michael Bevin, field hockey goalkeeper
• 14 June: Duncan Oughton, footballer
• 9 July : Leana du Plooy, netball player'
• 5 July: Dale Rasmussen, rugby player
• 11 July: Matai Smith, television presenter
• 13 July: Xavier Rush, rugby player
• 5 September: Emily Gillam, field hockey player
• 8 September: Sheryl Scanlan, netball player
• 9 September: Caleb Ralph, rugby player
• 18 October: Ryan Nelsen, footballer
• 13 November: Chanel Cole, musician
• 28 November: Greg Somerville, rugby player
• 15 December: Dominic Bowden, television presenter
• 21 December: Leon MacDonald, rugby player

Deaths

• 22 January: Toby Hill, watersider and trade unionist
• 18 February: Ron Jarden, rugby player.
• 7 June : Sir Rex Nan Kivell, art collector.
• 26 June; Alice May Palmer, public servant and union official
• 15 August: Margaret Escott, novelist and poet.
• 24 December: Sir Roy Jack, politician and 16th Speaker of the House of Representatives.