The following lists events that happened during 1976 in New Zealand .
Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,163,400.[ 1]
Increase since 31 December 1975: 19,700 (0.63%).[ 1]
Males per 100 females: 99.5.[ 1]
Regal and viceregal [ edit ]
Parliamentary opposition [ edit ]
Main centre leaders [ edit ]
28 February – Nelson by-election – Mel Courtney (Labour ) elected to replace the late Stan Whitehead .
1 April – The New Zealand Fire Service is formed, following the nationwide merger of urban fire boards and fire brigades brought about by the Fire Service Act 1975.
9 April – Upper Hutt becomes the first telephone exchange to implement subscriber toll dialling , allowing national calls to be made without operator assistance.[ 5]
7 June – The nation's first McDonald's restaurant opens in central Porirua ; a Big Mac initially cost 75c.[ 6]
17 July – 1 August – New Zealand competes at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal , Quebec , Canada , despite 28 African nations boycotting the games over New Zealand's sporting ties with apartheid South Africa . The nation wins four medals: two gold, one silver and one bronze.
15 September – The Union Company 's Lyttelton to Wellington ferry service is cancelled, having operated since 1895 and by the Ministry of Transport since 1974, facing increased competition from air travel and the Railways ' Cook Strait ferry service .
1 November – The Waitangi Day Act 1976 commences, replacing the New Zealand Day public holiday with Waitangi Day on 6 February.
14 December – The Weights and Measures Amendment Act commences, officially completing metrication in New Zealand.
Arts and literature [ edit ]
See 1976 in art , 1976 in literature
ALBUM OF THE YEAR NZSO – Symphony No. 2
RECORDING ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR Dr Tree
BEST NEW ARTIST Dr Tree
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Alan Galbraith – Taking It All in Stride
ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Peter Hitchcock – Taking It All in Stride
ARRANGER OF THE YEAR David Frazer – Taking It All in Stride
COMPOSER OF THE YEAR John Hanlon – Night Life
See: 1976 in music
Radio and television [ edit ]
See: 1976 in New Zealand television , 1976 in television , List of TVNZ television programming , Category:Television in New Zealand , Category:New Zealand television shows , Public broadcasting in New Zealand
See: Category:1976 film awards , 1976 in film , List of New Zealand feature films , Cinema of New Zealand , Category:1976 films
UK-born Jack Foster wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:16:27 on 6 March in Auckland .
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
2
1
1
4
New Zealand sends a team of 80 competitors.
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
0
0
0
0
New Zealand sends a team of five alpine skiers.
New Zealand sends a team of 12 competitors.
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
7
1
5
12
1 January – Karl Burnett , actor
13 January – Bic Runga , singer, songwriter
12 February – Christian Cullen , rugby union footballer
14 March – Sarah Ulmer , cyclist
31 March – Anna Rowberry , netball player
6 April – Bruce Reihana , rugby player
10 April – Jason Richards , motor racing driver (d. 2011)
7 May – Stacey Jones , rugby league footballer
14 May – Jason Reeves , broadcaster
3 June – Miriama Smith , actress
8 June – Grant Donaldson , cricketer
7 July – Ron Cribb , rugby union footballer
3 August – Rachel Sutherland , field hockey player
3 September – Ivan Vicelich , soccer player
13 September – Craig McMillan , cricketer
3 October – Simon Wills , motor racing driver
4 November – Troy Flavell , rugby union footballer
20 November – Doug Viney , K-1 fighter
3 December – Byron Kelleher , rugby union footballer
13 December – Mark Paston , soccer player
15 December – Joseph Yovich , cricketer
21 December – Mark Dickel , basketball player
Category:1976 births
9 January: Sir Stanley Whitehead , politician and 15th Speaker of the House of Representatives.
7 February (in Australia): Sir Cedric Stanton Hicks , nutrition scientist.
12 June: Herb Lilburne , All Black captain.
15 July: Peter Gilbert , boxer.
20 July: Tom Lowry , cricketer.
19 August: Ken Wadsworth , cricketer.
21 August: Ken James , cricketer.
12 November: Cliff Porter , All Black captain.
14 November: Ernest Toop , politician, deputy mayor of Wellington
Media related to 1976 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons
1976 in Oceania
Sovereign states Associated states of New Zealand