1996 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,762,300.
• Increase since 31 December 1995: 55,600.
• Males per 100 Females: 97.3.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State - Elizabeth II
• Governor-General - The Hon Dame Catherine Tizard, ONZ, GCMG, GCVO, DBE, QSO, DStJ followed by The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO

Government

• Speaker of the House - Peter Tapsell then Doug Kidd
• Prime Minister - Jim Bolger
• Deputy Prime Minister - Don McKinnon then Winston Peters
• Minister of Finance - Bill Birch
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - Don McKinnon
• Chief Justice — Sir Thomas Eichelbaum

Opposition leaders

• Act - Roger Douglas then Richard Prebble
• New Zealand First - Winston Peters
• United Future - Peter Dunne
• Labour - Helen Clark
• Alliance - '''Jim Anderton'''

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland - Les Mills
• Mayor of Hamilton - Margaret Evans
• Mayor of Wellington - Mark Blumsky
• Mayor of Christchurch - Vicki Buck
• Mayor of Dunedin - '''Sukhi Turner'''

Events

• April: The New Zealand Tablet winds up. The weekly Catholic newspaper started publication in 1873.
• 1 November: Cartoon Network debuts on New Zealand television.
• November: Michael Jackson, the king of pop, performed in Auckland both nights, as a part of his world tour, HIStory World Tour.
• Leaded petrol is phased out.

Arts and literature

• Bernadette Hall wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
• Montana New Zealand Book Awards:
• *Book of the Year/Cultural Heritage: Judith Binney, Redemption Songs - A Life of Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki
• *First Book Awards
• **Fiction: Emily Perkins, Not Her Real Name
• **Poetry: James Brown, Go Round Power Please
• **Non-Fiction: Alex Frame, Salmond: Southern Jurist
• f*INK, Dunedin's weekly entertainment magazine is founded

Music

[New Zealand Music Awards]

• Album of the Year: Shihad - Killjoy
• *Finn Brothers - Finn
• *Howard Morrison - Songs of New Zealand
• *Max Lines - Beautiful Panflute I
• *Starlight String Quartet - Romantic Strings
• *Suzanne Prentice - 25th Anniversary
• Single of the Year: OMC – How Bizarre
• *D-Faction - Down in the Boondocks
• *Herbs - French Letter '95
• *Jan Hellriegel - Manic
• *The Exponents - La La Lulu
• *Strawpeople - Sweet Disorder
• Best Male Vocalist: Jon Toogood – Shihad
• *Greg Johnson
• *Dave Dobbyn
• Best Female Vocalist: Teremoana Rapley
• *Sulata
• *Jan Hellriegel
• Best Group: Shihad
• *The Exponents
• *The Mutton Birds
• *Finn Brothers
• Rising Star Award: Kylie Harris
• *Bic Runga
• *Glen Moffatt
• Most Promising Male Vocalist: Paul Fuemana
• *Jeremy Eade
• *Otis Frizzell
• Most Promising Female Vocalist: Bic Runga
• *Celia Mancini
• *Jordan Reyne
• Most Promising Group: OMC
• *Garageland
• *Joint Force
• International Achievement: Shihad
• *Finn Brothers
• *Dave Dobbyn
• *Supergroove
• Best Video: Sigi Spath / Jo Fisher – You Gotta Know
• *Greg Page - Honeyblonde
• *M Noonan and J Frizzell - Static PTI
• Best Producer: Eddie Rayner - World Stand Still
• *Alan Jansson, Nathan Haines and James Pinker - Shift Left
• *Malcolm Welsford - La La Lulu
• Best Engineer: Alan Jansson – How Bizarre
• *Chris Sinclair - Black Sand Shore
• *Malcolm Welsford - La La Lulu
• Best Jazz Album: Nathan Haines – Shift Left
• *Hattie St John - Flying High at Iguacu
• *Christchurch Polytechnic Sextet - Collaboration
• Best Classical Album: Michael Houston - Beethoven Piano Sonatas from the Middle Period
• *Alexander Ivashkin and Tamas Vesmas - Alfred Schnittke
• *L Subramaniam - Pacific Rendezvous
• Best Country Album: Kylie Harris – Let It Be Love
• *Glen Moffatt - Somewhere in New Zealand Tonight
• *Kevin Greaves - Over the Storm
• Best Folk Album: Rua – Harbour Lights
• *Chris Thompson - Song for Laura
• *Peter Skandera and Dave Maybee - Acoustic Spirit
• Best Gospel Album: Brent Chambers – Living Sacrifices
• *Alastair Brown - Narrow
• *Paul Stephens - Apocalypse
• Best Mana Maori Album: Southside of Bombay with Mina Ripia – Kia Mau
• *Maree Sheehan - Past to Present
• *Moana and The Moahunters - Give it Up Now
• *Ruia - Ka Tangi te Tiitii Ka Tangi to Kaakaa
• Best Mana Reo Album: Southside of Bombay with Mina Ripia – Kia Mau
• *Ruia - Ka Tangi te Tiitii Ka Tangi te Kaakaa
• *Moana and the Moahunters - Akona Te Reo '95
• Best Children's Album: Nga Pihi - 1 & 2
• *Radha and the Kiwis - Sing the World Around
• *Kids TV - You and Me Songbook
• Best Polynesian Album: Southside of Bombay - Umbadada
• *D-Faction - Down in the Boondocks
• *John Akaata - Ura Mai Koe
• *Purest Form - If I Fell/U Can Do It
• Best Songwriter: Mark Tierney / Paul Casserly / Anthony Ioasa - Sweet Disorder
• *Glen Moffatt - Somewhere in New Zealand Tonight
• *Greg Johnson - Don't Wait Another Day
• Best Cover: Alec Bathgate – Abbasalutely
• *Chris Knox - Songs of You and Me
• *Neil Finn and Wayne Conway - Finn

Performing arts

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Keith Leggett.

Radio and television

• The New Zealand Government sells the Radio New Zealand commercial arm to Clear Channel creating The Radio Network

Film

• Broken English
• Chicken
• Jack Brown Genius
• Flight of the Albatross
• Someone Else's Country
• The Frighteners
• The Whole of the Moon

Internet

Sport

Athletics

• Phil Costley wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:20:32 on 27 October in Auckland, while Tracey Clissold claims her first in the women's championship.

Basketball

• The NBL was won by Auckland.

Cricket

Golf

• New Zealand Open
• Check :Category:New Zealand golfers in overseas tournaments.

Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Il Vicolo - 2nd win
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Sharp And Telford

Netball

• Silver Ferns
• National Bank Cup

Olympic Games

• New Zealand sends a team of 97 competitors.

Paralympics

• New Zealand sends a team of 30 competitors across seven sports.

Rugby league

• The Lion Red Cup was won by the Counties Manukau Heroes who beat the Waitakere City Raiders 34–22 in the grand final. Waitakere were the minor premiers.
• In their second season the Auckland Warriors placed 11th of 20 teams in the Australian National Rugby League competition. They had been in finals contention until losing their last six games.
• 5 October, New Zealand defeated Papua New Guinea 62-8
• 11 October, New Zealand defeated Papua New Guinea 64-0

• 18 October, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 17-12
• 25 October, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 18-15
• 1 November, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 32-12

Rugby union

Shooting

• Ballinger Belt – Graeme Ballinger

Soccer

• The National Summer Soccer League was inaugurated to replace the New Zealand National Soccer League, so there was no 1996 league champion.
• The New Zealand national soccer team placed third in the OFC Nations Cup, which this year was played as a league rather than a tournament.
• The Chatham Cup is won by Waitakere City F.C. who beat Mt Wellington 3–1 in the final.

Births

January

• 1 January – Ben Lister, cricketer
• 5 January – James Fisher-Harris, rugby league player
• 9 January – Jayden Bezzant, basketball player
• 10 January – Jamie-Lee Price, netballer
• 13 January
• * Mitch Jacobson, rugby union player
• * Oliver Sail, association footballer
• 28 January – Gabby Westbrook-Patrick, model
• 31 January – Jordan Trainor, rugby union player

February

• 6 February – Rhett Purcell, tennis player
• 7 February – Piera Hudson, alpine skier
• 10 February – Nicole van der Kaay, triathlete
• 11 February – Jack Salt, basketball player
• 14 February – Poasa Faamausili, rugby league player
• 19 February – Amy Robinson, field hockey player
• 28 February – Rosa Flanagan, athlete
• 29 February
• * Nelson Asofa-Solomona, rugby league player
• * Tarryn Davey, field hockey player
• * Claudia Williams, tennis player

March

• 8 March – Leni Apisai, rugby league player
• 11 March – Matthew Ridenton, association footballer
• 14 March – Andrew Blake, association footballer
• 16 March – Tyrel Lomax, rugby union player
• 20 March – Deklan Wynne, association footballer
• 22 March – Tamupiwa Dimairo, association footballer
• 24 March – Jack Boyle, cricketer
• 26 March – Zane Musgrove, rugby league player

April

• 3 April – Cory Brown, association footballer
• 14 April – Jessee Wyatt, athlete
• 15 April – Nathaniel Roache, rugby league player
• 20 April – Caleb Makene, rugby union player
• 23 April – Ollie Jones, cyclist
• 29 April – Nicholas Kergozou, cyclist

May

• 9 May – Jonah Lowe, rugby union player
• 10 May
• * Henry Shipley, cricketer
• * Taniela Tupou, rugby league player
• 12 May – Hugh Renton, rugby union player
• 23 May – Maddison Keeney, diver
• 27 May – Sio Tomkinson, rugby union player
• 29 May – Holly Rose Emery, model
• 31 May – Brandon Smith, rugby league player

June

• 1 June – Adam Mitchell, association footballer
• 4 June – Meikayla Moore, association footballer
• 5 June
• * Gayle Broughton, rugby union player
• * Jamayne Isaako, rugby league player
• 6 June – Ofahiki Ogden, rugby league player
• 7 June – Jackie Gowler, rower
• 10 June – TJ Va'a, rugby union player
• 12 June
• * Luke Mudgway, cyclist
• * Alex Rufer, association footballer
• 18 June – Sam Nock, rugby union player
• 29 June
• * Joseph Manu, rugby league player
• * Mikayla Pirini, basketball player
• 30 June – Louisa Tuilotolava, field hockey player

July

• 1 July – Lauchie Johns, cricketer
• 3 July – Aidan Sarikaya, field hockey player
• 5 July – Alex Ridley, cricketer
• 11 July – David Liti, weightlifter
• 16 July – Josh Iosefa-Scott, rugby union player
• 20 July – Jasmine Pereira, association footballer
• 26 July – Jamie Curry, vlogger, comedian
• 27 July – Luther Hirini, rugby union player
• 29 July – Marata Niukore, rugby league player

August

• 16 August – Sefo Kautai, rugby union player
• 17 August
• * Hamish Kerr, high jumper
• * Esan Marsters, rugby league player
• 20 August – Bunty Afoa, rugby league player
• 21 August – Quinten Strange, rugby union player

September

• 5 September – Isaac Salmon, rugby union player
• 6 September – Nicholas Reddish, cyclist
• 12 September
• * Aaron Booth, decathlete
• * Ryan Christensen, cyclist
• * Pari Pari Parkinson, rugby union player
• 13 September – Botille Vette-Welsh, rugby league player
• 19 September – Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, rugby union player
• 25 September – Salesi Rayasi, rugby union player
• 29 September – Jahrome Brown, rugby union player

October

• 2 October
• * Tayler Reid, triathlete
• * Michaela Sokolich-Beatson, netball player
• 3 October – Hannah Rowe, cricketer
• 4 October – Brett Cameron, rugby union player
• 5 October
• * Lisati Milo-Harris, rugby union player
• * Jayden Nikorima, rugby league player
• 6 October
• * Regan Gough, cyclist
• * Elizabeth Ross, rower
• 9 October – Eliza Grigg, alpine skier
• 18 October – Frances Davies, field hockey player
• 22 October – Kelly Jury, netball player
• 24 October – Ayden Johnstone, rugby union player
• 25 October – Alex Nankivell, rugby union player

November

• 2 November – Andre de Jong, association footballer
• 4 November – Jana Radosavljević, association footballer
• 7 November
• * Hades, Thoroughbred racehorse
• * Ella Yelich-O'Connor, singer-songwriter
• 10 November – Emma Rolston, association footballer
• 14 November – Shaun Stevenson, rugby union player
• 15 November – Georgia Marris, swimmer

December

• 5 December – Holly Edmondston, cyclist
• 6 December
• * Glenn Phillips, cricketer
• * Mark Tele'a, rugby union player
• 8 December – Josh Finnie, cricketer
• 9 December – Monty Patterson, association footballer
• 11 December – Eliza McCartney, pole vaulter
• 23 December – Nik Tzanev, association footballer
• 24 December – Richard Kam, ice dancer
• 28 December – Fin Hoeata, rugby union player
• 29 December – Emma Rainey, field hockey player
• 30 December – Brad Abbey, rugby league player

Deaths

January–March

• 4 January – Jim Robertson, historian
• 6 January – Beeban McKnight, entertainer, cinema operator, community leader
• 9 January – Herbert Money, evangelical missionary
• 17 January – Arnold Anderson, athlete
• 30 January – Guy Doleman, actor
• 31 January – Sir Peter Tait, politician
• 24 February – Graeme Moran, rower
• 26 February – Don Oliver, weightlifter, fitness entrepreneur
• 4 March − John Spencer, yacht designer
• 9 March – Harold Baigent, actor

April–June

• 16 April – Archie Dunningham, librarian
• 17 April – Robbie Robson, lawn bowls player
• 21 April – Paraone Reweti, politician
• 26 April – Terence Vaughan, musician, performing arts administrator
• 1 May – Bruce McLeod, rugby union player
• 10 May – Ronald Bush, rugby union player and coach, cricketer
• 11 May – Rob Hall, mountaineer
• 16 May – Robert Hurst, nuclear scientist
• 22 May – Jack George, politician
• 26 May – Vince Bevan, rugby union player
• 30 May – Balmerino, thoroughbred racehorse
• 31 May – Robert Holden, motorcycle racer
• 1 June – Jack Hemi, rugby union and rugby league player
• 2 June – Freda Bream, writer
• 3 June – Ben Couch, rugby union player, politician
• 5 June – Ian Grey, historian
• 7 June – Tom Puna, cricketer
• 9 June – Leo Schultz, politician
• 16 June – Richard Sylvan, philosopher
• 17 June – Doug Harris, athlete
• 18 June – Florence Andrews, fencer
• 19 June – Eric Fisher, cricketer
• 20 June – Colin Gillies, rugby union player

July–September

• 3 July – Barry Crump, author
• 11 July – Bob Whaitiri, community leader
• 17 July – Nell Rose, nurse
• 19 July – Jack Clarke, athlete
• 25 July – Andy Keyworth, master mariner
• 10 August – Les George, rugby union player and administrator
• 16 August – Lena Manuel, community leader
• 27 August – Josie Yelas, netball player
• 10 September – Patrick Rhind, rugby union player
• 13 September – Dot Simons, sports journalist and writer
• 23 September – Sir Jack Newman, cricketer, businessman
• 26 September – Athol Rafter, nuclear chemist

October–December

• 1 October
• * James Beal, boxer
• * Patrick Jameson, World War II flying ace
• 10 October – Harold Cleghorn, weightlifter
• 12 October – Fred Miller, journalist, historian
• 22 October – Noel Hilliard, author and novelist
• 24 October – Robert Anderson, politician
• 27 October – Piet van Asch, aviator, aerial photographer and surveyor
• 28 October – Jimmy Haig, rugby union and rugby league player
• 5 November – Hugh Sew Hoy, businessman, community leader
• 15 November – Les Watt, cricketer
• 23 November – Eve Rimmer, athlete
• 26 November
• * Dame Joan Hammond, opera singer
• * Te Waari Whaitiri, master mariner, community leader
• 12 December – Elaine Gurr, doctor and medical administrator
• 17 December
• * Lawrie Miller, cricketer
• * Violet Walrond, swimmer
• 22 December – Bert Lunn, rugby union player
• 25 December – Harry Watson, cyclist