1997 in New Zealand:

Other years in New Zealand

1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

• Head of State - Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand
• Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys

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

Opposition Leaders

See: Category:New Zealand Parliament , New Zealand elections

• National - TBD (Leader of the Opposition)
• Greens - Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald
• Act - TBD
• Labour - TBD

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

31 August: News is coming in of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. British people are not aware of the tragedy, as they are still asleep.

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 Brow, 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

See: 1997 in music

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:New Zealand television, 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

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

Athletics

• Peter Buske wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:20:49 on March 8 in New Plymouth, while Terri-Lee Farr claims her first in the women's championship (2:55:20).

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

• See Category:New Zealand horse races, list winners.

Netball

• Silver Ferns
• National Bank Cup

Rugby league

• The Auckland Warriors competed in the breakaway Super League and finished 7th of 10 teams.
• Bartercard Cup
• New Zealand national rugby league team

Rugby Union

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

Soccer

• New Zealand National Soccer League
• New Zealand national soccer team
• Chatham Cup

• See Also: 1997 in sports , Category:1997 in sports

Births

• 2 January: Somebody, description

Category:1997 births

Deaths

• 2 January: Keith Hay, construction company founder, mayor of Mt Roskill, conservative activist.
• 10 April: Sir Robert Aitken, physician and university administrator.
• 6 July: Frank 'Brun' Smith, cricketer.
• 8 October: Desmond J. Scott, fighter pilot. ^[1]
• Bruce Beetham, politician.
• Matiu Rata, politician.
• Eva Rickard, Māori leader and activist.

Category:1997 deaths

References

1. ^ NZ fighter museum

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 1997 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 1997