1985 in New Zealand:

Other years in New Zealand

1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988

Population

• Estimated Population as of 31 December: 3,303,100 ^[1]
• Increase since 31/12/1984: 10,100 (0.31%)
• Males per 100 Females: 98.2

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

• Head of State - Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand
• Governor-General - The Hon. Sir David Beattie GCMG GCVO QSO QC followed by The Rt Revd. Sir Paul Reeves GCMG GCVO QSO ^[2]

Government

The 41st New Zealand Parliament continued. The fourth Labour Party government was in power.

• Speaker of the House - Basil Arthur then Gerard Wall
• Prime Minister - David Lange
• Deputy Prime Minister - Geoffrey Palmer
• Minister of Finance - Roger Douglas
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - David Lange

Parliamentary opposition

• Leader of the Opposition - Jim McLay (National). ^[3]

Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland - Catherine Tizard
• Mayor of Hamilton - Ross Jansen
• Mayor of Wellington - Ian Lawrence
• Mayor of Christchurch - Hamish Hay
• Mayor of Dunedin - Cliff Skeggs

Events

• 4 February: Anti-nuclear policy leads to refusal of a visit by the American warship, the USS "Buchanan". Within days the United States cut military and intelligence ties with New Zealand and downgraded diplomatic relationships. ^[4]
• First case of locally-contracted AIDS is reported.
• Waitangi Tribunal given power to hear grievances arising since 1840.

• 4 March: New Zealand dollar floated.
• 15 June: A by-election in Timaru after the death of Labour MP Basil Arthur is won by Maurice McTigue for National.
• 10 July: two French secret agents blew up the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland, killing crewmember Fernando Pereira. The Rainbow Warrior had been preparing to sail to Moruroa Atoll in the SE Pacific, to protest French nuclear weapons testing there.
• November 20 Archbiship Paul Reeves appointed Governor General.

Arts and literature

• Keri Hulme wins Booker Prize for "The Bone People".
• Cilla McQueen wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.

See 1985 in art, 1985 in literature, Category:1985 books

Music

New Zealand Music Awards

• ALBUM OF THE YEAR Netherworld Dancing Toys - Painted Years
• SINGLE OF THE YEAR Netherworld Dancing Toys - For Today
• BEST MALE VOCALIST Andrew Fagan (The Mockers)
• BEST FEMALE VOCALIST Margaret Urlich
• BEST GROUP Netherworld Dancing Toys
• MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Mark Loveys (Satellite Spies)
• MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Debbie Harwood
• MOST PROMISING GROUP Satellite Spies - Destiny In Motion
• INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
• BEST VIDEO Fane Flaws - Diamonds On China (The Narcs)
• BEST FILM SOUNDTRACK Hammond Gamble / Beaver - Should I be good Should I Be Evil
• BEST PRODUCER Nigel Stone - For Today
• BEST ENGINEER Graeme Myhre - Lift Your Head Up High
• BEST JAZZ ALBUM Jacqui Fitzgerald - The Masquerade Is Over
• BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM Tamas Vasmas – Brahms
• BEST COUNTRY ALBUM Patsy Riggir - You Remind Me Of A Love Song
• BEST FOLK ALBUM Alan Young - That’s No Way To Get Along
• BEST GOSPEL ALBUM Jules Riding - On This Night
• POLYNESIAN ALBUM OF THE YEAR Herbs – Long Ago
• BEST COVER Debra Bustin - Krazy Legs (The Pelicans)

See: 1985 in music

Radio and Television

• The Broadcasting Tribunal awards the rights to broadcast a third channel to TV3.
• Julian Mounter is appointed the TVNZ Director-General.
• The Auckland Television Centre in Victoria Street, Auckland begins construction. [1]
• 1 June: TV One holds a three and a half hour special show to celebrate 25 years of New Zealand television.

See: 1985 in New Zealand television, 1985 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, TV3 (New Zealand), Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

• Dangerous orphans
• Kingpin
• Mr Wrong
• Shaker Run
• Sylvia
• The Lost Tribe
• The Quiet Earth

See: Category:1985 film awards, 1985 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1985 films

Appointments and awards

See: New Zealand Order of Merit , Order of New Zealand

• Archbishop of New Zealand
• Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia , see appointments to Diocese

Sport

See: 1985 in sports , Category:1985 in sports , Summer Olympic Games (See Category:New Zealand at the Olympics and Winter Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games (Check name).

Athletics

• John Campbell wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:17:53 on October 27 in Hamilton, while Carol Raven does the same in the women's championship (2:53:26).

• Rugby: Category:Rugby union in New Zealand , Super 14, Rugby Union World Cup, National Provincial Championship , Category:All Blacks , Bledisloe Cup , Tri Nations Series , Ranfurly Shield
• Cricket: Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team , Chappell-Hadlee Trophy , Cricket World Cup
• Gold: New Zealand Open , Check Category:New Zealand golfers in overseas tourniments.
• Horse racing: See Category:Horse racing in New Zealand, list winners.
• Rugby league New Zealand Warriors , Bartercard Cup , New Zealand national rugby league team , Rugby League World Cup
• Netball: Silver Ferns , National Bank Cup , Netball World Championships
• Soccer: New Zealand champions (soccer) , New Zealand Football Championship , New Zealand National Soccer League , New Zealand national soccer team , Chatham Cup ,
• Basketball: Tall Blacks , New Zealand Breakers
• Other Sports

Births

• 25 January: Adam Campbell, Australian rules footballer.
• 30 January: David Wikaira-Paul, actor.
• 2 February: Jeff Whittington, murder victim.
• 25 February: Benji Marshall, rugby player.
• 18 March (in Australia): Vince Lia, soccer player.
• 10 April: Brad Wilson, cricketer.
• 16 April: Daniel Flynn, cricketer.
• 16 April: Brendon Leonard, rugby player.
• 14 May: Sally Martin, actor.
• 9 June: Richard Kahui, rugby player.
• 19 June: Casey Williams, netball player.
• 22 June: Thomas Leuluai, rugby player.
• 22 June: Frank Andrews, singer.
• 27 June: Louis Anderson, rugby player.
• 8 July: Ben Roberts, rugby league player.
• 9 July: Bradley-John Watling, cricketer.
• 13 July: Rachel Priest, cricketer.
• 3 August: Sonny Bill Williams, rugby league player.
• 9 August: Bill Borman, musician.
• 28 September: Anton Devcich, cricketer.
• 10 October: Bronson Harrison, rugby player.
• 16 October: Brent Findlay, cricketer.
• October 30: Kayla Sharland, field hockey striker.
• November 10: Elizabeth Ryan, field hockey striker.
• 23 November: Stephen Brett, rugby union player.
• December 23: Emily Naylor, field hockey midfielder.

• Chris Currie, killed driver.
• Vicki Lin, television presenter.

category:1985 births

Deaths

• 1 May: Sir Basil Arthur, politician and speaker of the House of Representatives (died in office).
• 7 July: Ewen Solon, actor.
• 31 July: Murray Chapple, cricketer.
• 16 October: Bruce Levy, botanist.
• 31 December: Mal Matheson, cricketer.

• William H. Pettit, missionary and evangelical church leader.

References

See also

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

For world events and topics in 1985 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1985