1997 in New Zealand

The following lists events that happened during 1997 in New Zealand.

Population

Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,802,700.
Increase since 31 December 1996: 40,400.
Males per 100 Females: 97.1.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Head of State – Elizabeth II
Governor-General – The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO

Government

The 45th New Zealand Parliament continued. Government was The National Party, led by Jim Bolger, in coalition with New Zealand First, led by Winston Peters.

Speaker of the House – Doug Kidd
Prime Minister – Jim Bolger then Jenny Shipley
Deputy Prime Minister – Winston Peters
Minister of Finance – Bill Birch
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Don McKinnon
Chief Justice — Sir '''Thomas Eichelbaum'''

Parliamentary leaders

Main centre leaders

Events

8 February: Stephen Anderson, 24, shoots 11 people, killing 6 of them at Raurimu.
16 July: List MP Alamein Kopu resigns from the Alliance Party but remains a member of parliament. This causes controversy because Kopu has signed contracts with the party that she would resign from Parliament should she leave the party.
10 September: Parliament's privileges committee finds that Alamein Kopu is entitled to remain an independent MP.
Argentina reopens its embassy in Wellington.

Arts and literature

Paddy Richardson wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
Montana New Zealand Book Awards:
*Book of the Year/Cultural Heritage: Jessie Munro, The Story of Suzanne Aubert
*First Book Awards
**Fiction: Dominic Sheehan, Finding Home
**Poetry: Diane Brown, Before the Divorce We Go To Disneyland
**Non-Fiction: Jessie Munro, The Story of Suzanne Aubert

See 1997 in art, 1997 in literature, :Category:1997 books

Music

[New Zealand Music Awards]

Winners are shown first with nominees underneath.

Album of the Year: Strawpeople – Vicarious
*Emma Paki – Oxygen of Love
*Garageland – Last Exit to Garageland
*OMC
*The Mutton Birds – Envy of Angels
Single of the Year: DLT Featuring Che Fu – Chains
*Bic Runga – Bursting Through
*Garageland
*Strawpeople – Taller Than God
*The Mutton Birds
Best Male Vocalist: Che Fu – Chains
*Jeremy Eade
*Jon Toogood
Best Female Vocalist: Bic Runga
*Emma Paki
*Fiona McDonald
Best Group: Garageland
*Shihad
*The Mutton Birds
Most Promising Male Vocalist: Daniel Haimona
*Andrew Tilby
*Ed Cake
Most Promising Female Vocalist: Lole Usoalii
*Andrea Cook
*Maryanne Antonuvich
Most Promising Group: Dam Native
*Bike
*Bressa Creeting Cake
*Cinematic
International Achievement: OMC
*Crowded House
*Jane Campion
*Peter Jackson
Best Video: Sigi Spath & Joe Lonie – if I Had My Way
*Kevin Sprig – La La Land
*Jonathan King – Behold My Kool Style
Best Producer: Malcolm Welsford / Karl Steven – Backspacer
*Alan Jansson – How Bizarre
*Eddie Raynor – ENZSO
Best Engineer: Rick Huntington / Alan Jansson – How Bizarre
*Chris Van Der Geer
*Malcolm Welsford – Backspacer
Best Jazz Album: Bluetrain – No Free Lunch
*Jazz in the Present Tense – Jazz in the Present Tense
*Nairobi Trio – Shelf Life
Best Classical Album: the Nzso, Janos Furst, Michael Houston – Live : Tower Beethoven Festival
*New Zealand String Quartet – Bartok String Quartet 1–5
*Alexander Ivashin & Tama Vesmas – Sergie Prokofiev
Best Country Album: Coalrangers – Coast to Coast
*Dennis Marsh – Out of Nashville
*Bartlett, Dugan, Vaughan – Together Again
Best Folk Album: Wild Geese – Betwixt Time and Place
*Michael Scorey – Angel Station
*Bob Bickerton – Music in the Glen
Best Gospel Album: Max Jacobson – Found
*The Lands – Arbor Day
*Evan Silva – Aint No Two Ways About It
Best Mana Maori Album: Emma Paki – Oxygen of Love
*DLT – The True School
*Dam Native – Behold My Kool Style
Best Mana Reo Album: St Josephs Maori Girls College – a Gift of Song
*Te Kura Tuatahi Me Te Ropu Kapahaka O Ranana – Te Wainui A Rua
*Turakina Maori Girls College – Mana Wahine
Best Childrens Album: Universal Childrens Audio – Waiata Karahere
*Helen Willberg – Ranona Moemoea
*Love To Sing Choir – Love My First Songbook
Best Polynesian Album: Annie Crummer – Seventh Wave
*Felise Mikaele -Se Taitau
*The Five Stars – Samoa Ea
Best Songwriter: Dl Thompson, C Ness, A McNaughton, K Rangihuna – Chains
*Paul Casserley, Fiona McDonald, Greg Johnson – Boxers
*Bic Runga – Bursting Through
Best Cover: Wayne Conway – ENZSO
*Jeremy Takacs, Karl & Jon – Shihad
*Rick Huntington And Alan Jansson – How Bizarre

See: 1997 in music

Performing arts

Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Paul Bennett.

Radio and television

CanWest takes complete ownership of TV3 and launches TV4.
TVNZ broadcasts MTV.
July: Prime Television in Australia purchases 34 licences covering all major New Zealand centres.

See: 1997 in New Zealand television, 1997 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, :Category:Television in New Zealand, TV3 (New Zealand), :Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

Lost Valley
Topless Women Talk About Their Lives

See: :Category:1997 film awards, 1997 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, :Category:1997 films

Internet

See:

Sport

Athletics

Peter Buske wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:20:49 on 8 March in New Plymouth, while Terri-Lee Farr claims her first in the women's championship.
Beatrice Faumuina became the first New Zealander to win an event at a World Athletics Championships.

Horse racing

Harness racing

New Zealand Trotting Cup: Iraklis
Auckland Trotting Cup: Kate's First

Netball

Rugby league

The Auckland Warriors competed in the breakaway Super League and finished 7th out of 10 teams.
Waikato won the Super League Challenge Cup, defeating Canterbury 34–18 in the final. Waikato also won the Rugby League Cup.
25 April, New Zealand lost to Australia 22–34
26 September, New Zealand defeated Australia 30-12

Rugby union

Shooting

Ballinger Belt – Ross Geange

Soccer

The Chatham Cup is won by Central United who beat Napier City Rovers 3–2 in the final.

Births

January–February

3 January – Jacob Cowley, rugby union player
7 January – Dylan Schmidt, trampolinist
10 January – Patrick Herbert, rugby league player
20 January – James Munro, motor racing driver
21 January – Josh Clarkson, cricketer
23 January – Duncan Campbell, snowboarder
24 January
* Hailey Duff, Scottish curler
* Jordan Uelese, rugby union player
3 February – Paige Hourigan, tennis player
11 February – Rosé, singer and member of South Korean girl group Blackpink
12 February
* Anna Grimaldi, athlete
* Clayton Lewis, association footballer
13 February – Sevu Reece, rugby union player
17 February – Jordie Barrett, rugby union player

March–April

1 March
* Nick Kwant, cricketer
* Niccolo Tagle, badminton player
3 March – Du'Plessis Kirifi, rugby union player
5 March – Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, rugby union player
11 March – Ata Hingano, rugby league player
12 March – Stephen Perofeta, rugby union player
13 March – Orbyn Leger, rugby union player
14 March – Sam Dobbs, cyclist
18 March – Rieko Ioane, rugby union player
19 March – Zak Gibson, cricketer
20 March – Bobby Cheng, chess player
21 March – Moses Dyer, association footballer
23 March – Sirocco, kākāpō
8 April – Ella Greenslade, rower
20 April – Luke Jacobson, rugby union player
23 April – Myer Bevan, association footballer
24 April – Lydia Ko, golfer
26 April – Tima Fainga'anuku, rugby union player
30 April
* Daisy Cleverley, association footballer
* Sam Lane, field hockey player

May–June

1 May – Terina Te Tamaki, rugby union player
2 May – Aotearoa Mata'u, rugby union player
5 May – Asafo Aumua, rugby union player
6 May – Carlos Garcia Knight, snowboarder
7 May – Harry Allan, rugby union player
8 May
* Tahuna Irwin, darts player
* Amanda Jamieson, cyclist
13 May – Ngatokotoru Arakua, rugby league player
23 May – Sam Timmins, basketball player
24 May – Olivia Podmore, cyclist
30 May
* Ere Enari, rugby union player
* Sitili Tupouniua, rugby league player
5 June – Ross ter Braak, cricketer
8 June – James Rolleston, actor
11 June – Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, rugby union player
17 June
* KJ Apa, actor
* Pouri Rakete-Stones, rugby union player
28 June – Henry Cameron, association footballer

July–August

5 July – Abigail Latu-Meafou, netball player
9 July – Grace Anderson, cyclist
16 July
* Braydon Ennor, rugby union player
* Isaia Walker-Leawere, rugby union player
5 August – Clara van Wel, singer–songwriter
6 August – Noah Billingsley, association footballer
12 August – Elizabeth Cui, diver
19 August – Alex Fidow, rugby union player
21 August – Sione Katoa, rugby league player

September–October

9 September – Erin Clark, rugby league player
10 September – Jacob Pierce, rugby union player
11 September – Zoe Hobbs, sprinter
16 September – Martine Puketapu, association footballer
17 September – Christian Leopard, cricketer
21 September – Maia Wilson, netball player
27 September – Hail, Thoroughbred racehorse
30 September – Ryan Coxon, rugby union player
1 October
* Troy Johnson, cricketer
* Sam Verlinden, singer
8 October – Taniela Paseka, rugby league player
10 October – Josh McKay, rugby union player
11 October – Dalton Papalii, rugby union player
23 October – Jaydn Su'A, rugby league player
30 October – Abbie Palmer, squash player

November–December

1 November – Kimiora Poi, netball player
4 November – Bryony Botha, cyclist
16 November – Ethereal, Thoroughbred racehorse
21 November – Caleb Aekins, rugby league player
26 November – Tamati Tua, rugby union player
7 December – Briton Nikora, rugby league player
15 December – Stefania Owen, actor
27 December – Jona Nareki, rugby union player
31 December
* Peter Umaga-Jensen, rugby union player
* Thomas Umaga-Jensen, rugby union player

Deaths

January–March

1 January – Nora Crawford, police officer
2 January – Keith Hay, construction company founder, politician, conservative activist
10 January – John Rodgers, Roman Catholic bishop
15 January – Ted Smith, rower
29 January – Sir Clifford Richmond, jurist
2 February – Ray Dalton, rugby union player
26 March – Sir Norman Alexander, physics academic, university administrator

April–June

8 April – Lord Module, Standardbred racehorse
10 April – Sir Robert Aitken, medical academic, university administrator
14 April – Count Geoffrey Potocki de Montalk, poet, pretender to the Polish throne
17 April – Henry Lang, public servant, economics academic
24 April – Hugh McLean, rugby union player
25 April – Terry O'Sullivan, rugby union player
3 May – Bruce Beetham, politician
7 May – Owen Jensen, musician, composer, music critic and broadcaster
17 May – James Newhook, veterinary science academic
21 May – Sir Tristram, thoroughbred racehorse
22 May – Rachael Zister, Māori community leader
2 June – Oscar Garden, aviator
14 June – Sir Jack Hunn, public servant
15 June – Kim Casali, cartoonist
26 June – Dent Harper, cricketer
28 June – Jack Hinton, soldier
29 June – Ian Clarke, rugby union player, referee and administrator

July–September

3 July – Ron Westerby, rugby league player
6 July – Brun Smith, cricketer
8 July – Ray Speed, association football player
12 July – Frank Shuter, speedway rider
23 July – David Warbeck, actor
25 July
* Jack Davies, swimmer
* Matiu Rata, politician
31 July – Sir Hepi Te Heuheu, Māori leader
15 August – Dave Solomon, rugby union and league player
16 August – Kitty Kain, dietician, WAAF leader
21 August – Jean Horsley, artist
25 August – James Gould, rower
5 September – Emily Schuster, master weaver
17 September – Trevor Redmond, speedway rider
22 September – Silver Lad, thoroughbred racehorse
23 September – Christopher John Lewis, criminal
26 September – Geoff Gerard, politician

October–December

8 October – Desmond Scott, fighter pilot
11 October – Sidney Koreneff, French resistance worker, newspaper managing director, Anglican priest
18 October
* David Seath, politician
* Geoff Walker, canoeist, surf lifesaver
31 October – Adrian Rodda, public servant
9 November – Margaret Pawson, netball player
16 November – Roy Sheffield, cricketer
21 November – Stanley Dallas, radio technician and recording engineer
27 November – Jim Kershaw, association football player
6 December – Eva Rickard, Māori land and women's rights activist
10 December – Ted Coubray, filmmaker