1997 in New Zealand

← 1996 1995 1994 1997 in New Zealand → 1998 1999 2000
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	History of New Zealand List of years in New Zealand Timeline of New Zealand history

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 (1.07%).
• 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

• Labour – (37 seats) Helen Clark (Leader of the Opposition)
• Alliance – (13 seats) Jim Anderton
• ACT New Zealand – (8 seats) Richard Prebble
• United New Zealand- (1 seat) Peter Dunne

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

• 8 February: Stephen Anderson, 24, shoots 11 people, killing 6 of them (including his wife and parents) 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 (closed since 1982).

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 (Garageland)
  • Jon Toogood (Shihad)
• Best Female Vocalist: Bic Runga
  • Emma Paki
  • Fiona McDonald (Strawpeople)
• Best Group: Garageland
  • Shihad
  • The Mutton Birds
• Most Promising Male Vocalist: Daniel Haimona (Dam Native)
  • Andrew Tilby (Breathe)
  • Ed Cake (Bressa Creeting Cake)
• Most Promising Female Vocalist: Lole Usoalii
  • Andrea Cook
  • Maryanne Antonuvich (D Faction)
• 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 (Supergroove)
  • Kevin Sprig – La La Land (Shihad)
  • Jonathan King – Behold My Kool Style (Damn Native)
• Best Producer: Malcolm Welsford / Karl Steven – Backspacer (Supergroove)
  • Alan Jansson – How Bizarre
  • Eddie Raynor – ENZSO
• Best Engineer: Rick Huntington / Alan Jansson – How Bizarre (OMC)
  • Chris Van Der Geer (Strawpeople)
  • Malcolm Welsford – Backspacer (Supergroove)
• 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 (DLT Feat Che Fu)
  • Paul Casserley, Fiona McDonald, Greg Johnson – Boxers (Strawpeople)
  • Bic Runga – Bursting Through
• Best Cover: Wayne Conway – ENZSO (ENZSO)
  • Jeremy Takacs, Karl & Jon – Shihad
  • Rick Huntington And Alan Jansson – How Bizarre (OMC)

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: NZ Internet History

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 (2:55:20).
• Beatrice Faumuina became the first New Zealander to win an event at a World Athletics Championships.

Basketball

• The Men's NBL was won by the Auckland Stars
• Tall Blacks

Cricket

• Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team

Golf

• New Zealand Open won by Greg Turner

Horse racing

Harness racing

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

Netball

• Silver Ferns
• National Bank Cup

Rugby league

Main article: 1997 New Zealand rugby league season

• 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

• Super 12
• Rugby Union World Cup
• National Provincial Championship
• Bledisloe Cup
• Tri Nations Series
• Ranfurly Shield

Shooting

• Ballinger Belt – Ross Geange (Masterton)

Soccer

• The Chatham Cup is won by Central United who beat Napier City Rovers 3–2 in the final (after extra time).

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, kakapo
• 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 (died 2021)
• 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 (born 1917)
• 2 January – Keith Hay, construction company founder, politician, conservative activist (born 1917)
• 10 January – John Rodgers, Roman Catholic bishop (born 1915)
• 15 January – Ted Smith, rower (born 1922)
• 29 January – Sir Clifford Richmond, jurist (born 1914)
• 2 February – Ray Dalton, rugby union player (born 1919)
• 26 March – Sir Norman Alexander, physics academic, university administrator (born 1907)

April–June

• 8 April – Lord Module, Standardbred racehorse (foaled 1974)
• 10 April – Sir Robert Aitken, medical academic, university administrator (born 1901)
• 14 April – Count Geoffrey Potocki de Montalk, poet, pretender to the Polish throne (born 1903)
• 17 April – Henry Lang, public servant, economics academic (born 1919)
• 24 April – Hugh McLean, rugby union player (born 1907)
• 25 April – Terry O'Sullivan, rugby union player (born 1936)
• 3 May – Bruce Beetham, politician (born 1936)
• 7 May – Owen Jensen, musician, composer, music critic and broadcaster (born 1907)
• 17 May – James Newhook, veterinary science academic (born 1915)
• 21 May – Sir Tristram, thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 1971)
• 22 May – Rachael Zister, Māori community leader (born 1893)
• 2 June – Oscar Garden, aviator (born 1903)
• 14 June – Sir Jack Hunn, public servant (born 1906)
• 15 June – Kim Casali, cartoonist (born 1941)
• 26 June – Dent Harper, cricketer (born 1937)
• 28 June – Jack Hinton, soldier (born 1909)
• 29 June – Ian Clarke, rugby union player, referee and administrator (born 1931)

July–September

• 3 July – Ron Westerby, rugby league player (born 1920)
• 6 July – Brun Smith, cricketer (born 1922)
• 8 July – Ray Speed, association football player (born 1914)
• 12 July – Frank Shuter, speedway rider (born 1943)
• 23 July – David Warbeck, actor (born 1941)
• 25 July
  • Jack Davies, swimmer (born 1916)
  • Matiu Rata, politician (born 1934)
• 31 July – Sir Hepi Te Heuheu, Māori leader (born 1919)
• 15 August – Dave Solomon, rugby union and league player (born 1913)
• 16 August – Kitty Kain, dietician, WAAF leader (born 1908)
• 21 August – Jean Horsley, artist (born 1913)
• 25 August – James Gould, rower (born 1914)
• 5 September – Emily Schuster, master weaver (born 1927)
• 17 September – Trevor Redmond, speedway rider (born 1927)
• 22 September – Silver Lad, thoroughbred racehorse (foaled 1973)
• 23 September – Christopher John Lewis, criminal (born 1964)
• 26 September – Geoff Gerard, politician (born 1904)

October–December

• 8 October – Desmond Scott, fighter pilot (born 1918)
• 11 October – Sidney Koreneff, French resistance worker, newspaper managing director, Anglican priest (born 1918)
• 18 October
  • David Seath, politician (born 1914)
  • Geoff Walker, canoeist, surf lifesaver (born 1952)
• 31 October – Adrian Rodda, public servant (born 1911)
• 9 November – Margaret Pawson, netball player (born 1940)
• 16 November – Roy Sheffield, cricketer (born 1906)
• 21 November – Stanley Dallas, radio technician and recording engineer (born 1926)
• 27 November – Jim Kershaw, association football player (born 1906)
• 6 December – Eva Rickard, Māori land and women's rights activist (born 1925)
• 10 December – Ted Coubray, filmmaker (born 1900)

See also

• List of years in New Zealand
• Timeline of New Zealand history
• History of New Zealand
• Military history of New Zealand
• Timeline of the New Zealand environment
• Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

For world events and topics in 1997 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1997

External links

Media related to 1997 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons