The following lists events that happened during 2004 in New Zealand.

Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 4,114,300. * Increase since 31 December 2003: 52,800 (1.30%). * Males per 100 Females: 96.1.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Head of State A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 "

he head of state He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...

being an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...

–

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

–

Dame Silvia Cartwright Dame Silvia Rose Cartwright (née Poulter; born 7 November 1943) is a New Zealand jurist who served as the 18th governor-general of New Zealand, from 2001 to 2006. She was the second woman to hold the office, after Catherine Tizard, Dame Cather ...

Government

The

47th New Zealand Parliament The 47th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 2002 election, and it sat until 11 August 2005. The Labour Party and the Progressive Party, backed by United Future, command ...

continued. Government was a coalition between Labour and the small Progressive party with

United Future United Future New Zealand, usually known as United Future, was a Centrism, centrist List of political parties in New Zealand, political party in New Zealand. The party was in government between 2005 and 2017, first alongside New Zealand Labou ...

supporting

confidence and supply In parliamentary system, parliamentary democracies based on the Westminster system, confidence and supply is an arrangement under which a minority government (one which does not control a majority in the legislature) receives the support of one ...

votes. *

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...

–

Jonathan Hunt Jonathan Hunt may refer to: * Jonathan Hunt (New Zealand politician) (1938–2024), politician from New Zealand * Jonathan Hunt (Vermont congressman) (1787–1832), U.S. Representative from Vermont * Jonathan Hunt (Vermont lieutenant governor) (1738 ...

(Labour) *

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

–

Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008 and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...

(Labour) *

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...

– Michael Cullen (Labour) *

Minister of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...

– Michael Cullen (Labour) *

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

–

Phil Goff Philip Bruce Goff (born 22 June 1953) is a New Zealand retired politician and former diplomat. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament from 1981 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 2016. He served as Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, le ...

(Labour)

Opposition leaders

National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

–

Don Brash Donald Thomas Brash (born 24 September 1940) is a former New Zealand politician who was Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand), Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party, leader of the New Zealand National Party from ...

(

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...

) * Greens –

Jeanette Fitzsimons Jeanette Mary Fitzsimons (née Gaston; 17 January 1945 – 5 March 2020) was a New Zealand politician and environmentalist. She was the co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 1995 to 2009, and was a Member of Parliament from ...

and

Rod Donald Rodney David Donald (10 October 1957 – 6 November 2005) was a New Zealand politician who co-led the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, along with Jeanette Fitzsimons. He lived in Christchurch with his partner Nicola Shirlaw, and their thr ...

* Act –

Richard Prebble Richard William Prebble (born 7 February 1948) is a former member of the New Zealand Parliament. Initially a member of the New Zealand Labour Party, Labour Party, he joined the newly formed ACT New Zealand party under Roger Douglas in 1996, bec ...

Rodney Hide Rodney Philip Hide (born 16 December 1956) is a former New Zealand politician of the ACT New Zealand party. Hide was a Member of Parliament for ACT from 1996 until 2011, was ACT's leader between 2004 and 2011, and represented the constituency ...

New Zealand First New Zealand First (), commonly abbreviated to NZ First or NZF, is a political party in New Zealand, founded and led by Winston Peters, who has served three times as Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, deputy prime minister. The party has form ...

–

Winston Peters Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician. He has led the political party New Zealand First since he founded it in 1993, and since November 2023 has served as the 25th Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand), ...

–

Peter Dunne Peter Francis Dunne (born 17 March 1954) is a New Zealand retired politician. Dunne was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ōhāriu electorate and its predecessors from 1984 to 2017, first as a member of the Labour Party from 1984 to 1 ...

Māori Party Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

–

Tariana Turia Dame Tariana Turia (née Woon; 8 April 1944 – 3 January 2025) was a New Zealand Māori protest movement, Māori rights activist and politician. She was first elected to New Zealand Parliament, Parliament in 1996 as a representative of the Ne ...

Judiciary

* Chief Justice —

Sian Elias Dame Sian Seerpoohi Elias (born 13 March 1949) was the 12th chief justice of New Zealand, and was therefore the most senior member of the country's judiciary. She was the presiding judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand and on several occas ...

Main centre leaders

Mayor of Auckland The mayor of Auckland is the elected head of local government in the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island; one of 67 Mayors in New Zealand, mayors in the country. The principle city of the region (and its namesake) is Auckland. The may ...

– John Banks to

Dick Hubbard Richard John Hubbard (born 18 November 1946) is a New Zealand businessman and politician, founder and former principal of Hubbard Foods in Auckland, and mayor of Auckland City from 2004 to 2007. He was elected mayor of Auckland City on 9 Octob ...

Mayor of Tauranga The mayor of Tauranga is the head of local government in Tauranga, New Zealand's fifth-largest city. The mayor presides over the Tauranga City Council. The mayor is directly elected using the single transferable vote method. The current mayor i ...

– Stuart Crosby * Mayor of Hamilton – David Braithwaite to Michael Redman *

Mayor of Wellington The mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of Wellington, the city of Wellington. The mayor presides over the Wellington City Council. The mayor is directly elected using the Single Transferable Vote method of proportional ...

–

Kerry Prendergast Dame Kerry Leigh Prendergast (née Ferrier; born 28 March 1953) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 33rd Mayor of Wellington between 2001 and 2010, succeeding Mark Blumsky. She was the second woman to hold the position, after Fran W ...

Mayor of Christchurch The mayor of Christchurch is the elected head of local government in Christchurch, New Zealand; one of 67 Mayors in New Zealand, mayors in the country. The mayor presides over the Christchurch City Council and is directly elected using the First ...

–

Garry Moore Garry Moore (born Thomas Garrison Morfit; January 31, 1915 – November 28, 1993) was an American entertainer, comedic personality, game show host, and humorist best known for his work in television. He began a long career with the CBS netwo ...

Mayor of Dunedin The mayor of Dunedin is the head of the local government, the city council of Dunedin, New Zealand. The mayor's role is "to provide leadership to the other elected members of the territorial authority, be a leader in the community and perform c ...

–

Sukhi Turner Dame Sukhinder Kaur Gill Turner (born Sukhinder Kaur Gill, 13 April 1952), commonly known as Sukhi Turner, is a New Zealand politician who served as the Mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand, from 1995 until her retirement from the position in 2004. Sh ...

Peter Chin Peter Wing Ho Chin (, born 1941) is a lawyer and was the 56th Mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand. He served two terms as Mayor from 2004 to 2010. Early life and career Peter Chin is a descendant of the earliest Chinese immigrants to New Zealand, ...

Other

State Services Commissioner The Public Service Commission (PSC; ), called the State Services Commission until 2020, is the central public service department of New Zealand charged with overseeing, managing, and improving the performance of the public sector organisations ...

–

Mark Prebble Mark Prebble (born 1951) is a former New Zealand civil servant. He was the State Services Commissioner, head of New Zealand's public service from May 2004 until 30 June 2008. On 25 January 2008, Prebble announced his retirement after 32 years in ...

Events

January

* 27 January:

National Party National Party or Nationalist Party may refer to: Active parties * National Party of Australia, commonly known as ''The Nationals'' * Bangladesh: ** Bangladesh Nationalist Party ** Jatiya Party (Ershad) a.k.a. ''National Party (Ershad)'' * Californ ...

leader

delivers a speech at Orewa highly critical of the government's policy towards

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

February

* 16 February: A state of emergency is declared in Manawatu-Wanganui due to flooding. * 17 February: A state of emergency is declared in

Marlborough Marlborough or the Marlborough may refer to: Places Australia * Marlborough, Queensland * Principality of Marlborough, a short-lived micronation in 1993 * Marlborough Highway, Tasmania; Malborough was an historic name for the place at the sou ...

Taranaki Taranaki is a regions of New Zealand, region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, Taranaki Maunga, formerly known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the ...

and the

Bay of Plenty Region The Bay of Plenty Region is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region in the North Island of New Zealand. Also called just the Bay of Plenty (BOP), it is situated around the Bay of Plenty, marine bight of that same name. The bay was name ...

March

April

* 8 April:

party announces it would give its support to the government's foreshore legislation. * 30 April:

announces she will vote against the Government's foreshore and seabed legislation.

May

* 5 May: A hīkoi against the foreshore and seabed legislation arrives in

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

. * 7 May: The government's foreshore and seabed Bill passes its first vote in Parliament. * 11 May: The Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act is passed. The Act allows people who have not reoffended for seven years to not declare minor criminal convictions in most circumstances.

June

* 16 June: A meteorite crashes into an Auckland house, becoming the ninth recovered meteorite in New Zealand. * 30 June:

Statistics New Zealand Statistics New Zealand (), branded as Stats NZ, is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the collection of statistics related to the economy, population and society of New Zealand. To this end, Stats NZ produces New Zealand c ...

estimates for this date put the Cities of

Lower Hutt Lower Hutt () is a list of cities in New Zealand, city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. Administered by the Hutt City Council, it is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington#Wellington metropolitan area, Wellington metropoli ...

and

Tauranga Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...

at over 100,000 residents for the first time and Waimakariri District at over 40,000

July

* 1 July: First sitting of the new

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. * 10 July: Te Tai Hauauru by-election won by

for the new

. * 15 July:

2004 Israel–New Zealand passport scandal The 2004 Israel–New Zealand passport scandal was an incident of passport fraud in July 2004 that led New Zealand to take diplomatic sanctions against Israel. High-level contacts between the two countries were suspended after two Israeli citizen ...

: New Zealand imposes diplomatic sanctions against

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

after two Israeli citizens are convicted of passport fraud.

August

* 2 August: Around 7,500 Destiny Church members march on Parliament in black shirts to protest liberal social policies. * 15 August:

Tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

in Waitara. Two fatalities when a farmhouse is destroyed

* 19 August: Cereal maker

announces he is running for the position of

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

September

October

* 6 October:

Waikato Hospital Waikato Hospital is a major regional hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand. It provides specialised and emergency healthcareWaik ...

doctors complete a 22-hour surgery to separate a pair of

conjoined twins Conjoined twins, popularly referred to as Siamese twins, are twins joined '' in utero''. It is a very rare phenomenon, estimated to occur in anywhere between one in 50,000 births to one in 200,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in south ...

. * 9 October: 2004 local body and health board elections completed, but not all of the counting; and some results need to wait for special votes. All three West Coast mayors unseated, along with several in more populous centres such as Auckland. * 11 October: Disappearance under controversial circumstances of Iraena Asher at

Piha Piha is a coastal settlement in West Auckland, on the western coast of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is one of the most popular beaches in the area and a major day-trip destination for Aucklanders throughout the year, and especially ...

, a West Auckland beach.

November

* 1 November: A reciprocal working holiday agreement between New Zealand and Belgium comes into effect. * 18 November: Legislation passed vesting ownership of all land up to the high tide mark in New Zealand with the Crown. * 23 November: A magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes south-west of the South Island. * 29 November: The Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act comes into force.

December

* 9 December: The

Supreme Court of New Zealand The Supreme Court of New Zealand () is the highest court and the court of last resort of New Zealand. It formally came into being on 1 January 2004 and sat for the first time on 1 July 2004. It replaced the right of appeal to the Judicial Co ...

granted

Ahmed Zaoui Ahmed Zaoui (; born 26 November 1961) is an Algerian refugee. He arrived in New Zealand on 4 December 2002 where he sought refugee status. Objections from the Security Intelligence Service were withdrawn in September 2007, allowing him to remain ...

bail. He will reside in the Dominican Friary in Auckland. He will have to report to the police twice a week and must spend each night in the friary. * 9 December: The Civil Unions Act is passed. The Act establishes the new institution of civil union, available to same-sex and de facto couples. * 10 December: Smoking is banned in workplaces or licensed premises. * 26 December: 5

New Zealanders New Zealanders are people associated with New Zealand, sharing a common History of New Zealand, history, Culture of New Zealand, culture, and language (New Zealand English). People of various ethnicities and national origins are citizens of Ne ...

are among the victims of the

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time ( UTC+7), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 struck with an epicentre off the west coast of Aceh in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known in the sci ...

Undated

* National Communications Corporation Limited is founded.

Arts and literature

Awards

* Katherine Duignan wins the

Robert Burns Fellowship The Robert Burns Fellowship is a New Zealand literary residency. Established in 1958 to coincide with bicentennial celebrations of the birth of Robert Burns, it is often claimed to be New Zealand's premier literary residency. The list of past ...

Montana Book Awards 2004

*Deutz Medal for Fiction – ''Slow Water'' by Annamarie Jagose *Montana Medal for Non-fiction – ''The Trial of the Cannibal Dog'' by Anne Salmond *Readers' Choice – ''Penguin History of New Zealand'' by Michael King *Poetry – ''Sing-song'' by Anne Kennedy *History – ''The Trial of the Cannibal Dog'' by

Anne Salmond Dame Mary Anne Salmond (née Thorpe; born 16 November 1945) is a New Zealand anthropologist. She was New Zealander of the Year in 2013. In 2020, she was appointed to the Order of New Zealand, the highest honour in New Zealand's royal honour ...

*Lifestyle and contemporary culture – ''Classic fly fishing in New Zealand Rivers by'' David Hallett and John Kent *Biography – ''Mason'' by Rachael Barrowman *Illustrative – ''Central'' by Arno Gasteiger *Reference & Anthology – ''Whetu Moana: Contemporary Polynesian Poetry in English'' *Environment – ''Deep New Zealand: Blue Water, Black Abyss'' by Peter Batson *A.W. Reed Award for Contribution to New Zealand Literature – Joy Cowley

Music

New Zealand Music Awards The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously called the New Zealand Music Awards), conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ, honour outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording industry. The awards are among the most significant that ...

New categories introduced were 'Best Rock Album', 'People's Choice Award' and 'Airplay Record of the Year'. 'New Zealand Radio Programmer of the Year' was retired. *Album of the Year:

Scribe (rapper) Malo Ioane Luafutu, also called Jeshua Ioane Luafutu (born on 29 May 1979), and better known by his stage name Scribe, is a New Zealand rapper of Samoans, Samoan descent. He achieved two solo number ones on the singles chart from his debut album ...

– The Crusader *Single of the Year: Scribe – Stand Up *Best Group:

Dimmer A dimmer is a device connected to a light fixture and used to lower the brightness of the Lighting, light. By changing the voltage waveform applied to the lamp, it is possible to lower the Luminous intensity, intensity of the light output. Al ...

– You've Got To Hear The Music *Breakthrough Artist of the Year:

Brooke Fraser Brooke Gabrielle Ligertwood (née Fraser; born 15 December 1983) is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She uses both her maiden and married names professionally. After signing with Sony BMG in 2002, she gained recognition for her debut album, ...

– What To Do With Daylight *Best Male Solo Artist: Scribe – The Crusader *Best Female Solo Artist: Brooke Fraser – What To Do With Daylight *Highest Selling Nz Album:

Hayley Westenra Hayley Dee Westenra (born 10 April 1987) is a New Zealand classical crossover singer. Her first internationally released album, '' Pure'', reached number one on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide ...

– Pure *Highest Selling Nz Single:

Ben Lummis Ben Lummis (born Isileli Junior Brown on 1 June 1978) is a New Zealand R&B/pop/gospel recording artist who rose to musical fame as the winner of the first season of ''New Zealand Idol'' in 2004. Biography ''New Zealand Idol'' 2004 Lummis aud ...

– They Can't Take That Away *Songwriter of the Year: Scribe,

P-Money Peter Wadams (born 25 February 1978), better known by his stage name P-Money, is a New Zealand DJ and producer. In 2008 P-Money released the single "Everything", which featured the New Zealand R&B singer Vince Harder. The song reached num ...

, Con Psy &

Savage (rapper) Demetrius C. Savelio (born 28 June 1981), better known by his stage name Savage, is a New Zealand Hip hop music, hip hop recording artist, record producer and member of hip hop group the Deceptikonz. Savage was the first New Zealand hip hop ar ...

– Not Many : The Remix! *Best Music Video: Chris Graham – Stand Up (Scribe) *Best Rock Album (new category): Dimmer – You've Got To Hear The Music *Best Urban/Hip Hop Album: Scribe – The Crusader *Best Dance/Electronica Album:

Salmonella Dub Salmonella Dub is a Dub music, dub/drum n bass/reggae/roots reggae, roots band from New Zealand. The band was formed in 1992 by Andrew Penman, Dave Deakins, and Mark Tyler. The band has toured extensively throughout New Zealand, Australia, the Un ...

– One Drop East *Best Maori Album: Ruia – Hawaiki *Best Pacific Music Album:

Te Vaka Te Vaka (English: ''The Canoe'') is an Oceania, Oceanic music group that performs original contemporary Pacific music or "South Pacific Fusion". The group was founded in 1995 by singer and songwriter Opetaia Foaʻi in New Zealand. They have tou ...

– Tutuki *Best Jazz Album: The Rodger Fox Big Band – A Rare Connection *Best Classical Album:

John Psathas John Psathas, (born Ioannis Psathas, ; 1966) is a New Zealand Greek composer. He has works in the repertoire of such high-profile musicians as Evelyn Glennie, Michael Houstoun, Michael Brecker, Joshua Redman and the New Juilliard Ensemble, a ...

– Psathas : Fragments *Best Gospel / Christian Album: Magnify – In Wonder *International Achievement:

*People's Choice Award (new category): Scribe *Best Producer: P-Money – The Crusader (Scribe) *Best Engineer: Chris Van De Geer – Passenger – (Carly Binding) *Best Album Cover: Ben Sciascia – Postage (Supergroove) *Airplay Record of the Year (new category): Goldenhorse – Maybe Tomorrow *Best Country Music Album: Donna Dean – Money *Best Country Music Song: Donna Dean – Work It Out *Best Folk Album: Brendyn Montgomery And Mike Considine – Mountain Air *Lifetime Achievement Award: Shaun Joyce

Performing arts

Benny Award The Benny Award is bestowed on a New Zealand variety entertainer. It is presented annually by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, a non-for-profit organisation and showbusiness club, founded in 1966 and awarded to a variety performer who h ...

presented by the

Variety Artists Club of New Zealand The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc (VAC) is a non-for-profit organisation and show business club. It was founded in 1966 and became an incorporated society in 1972. The VAC was formed to promote goodwill within the New Zealand enterta ...

to Eldred Stebbing MNZM.

Television

* 28 March:

Māori Television Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

commences. * 22 September: Animated series ''

bro'Town ''bro'Town'' is a New Zealand Adult animation, adult animated sitcom that aired on TV3 (New Zealand), TV3 from 22 September 2004 to 24 May 2009. It starred David Fane, Mario Gaoa, Shimpal Lelisi and Oscar Kightley. Overview The main charact ...

'' premieres on TV3. * '' The Insider's Guide To Happiness''

Film

* 29 February: '' The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' wins all 11

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

for which it was nominated. *''

Fracture Fracture is the appearance of a crack or complete separation of an object or material into two or more pieces under the action of stress (mechanics), stress. The fracture of a solid usually occurs due to the development of certain displacemen ...

'' *'' In My Father's Den'' *'' Kaikohe Demolition''

Internet

See
NZ Internet History

Sport

Athletics

* Dale Warrender wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:23:40 on 1 May in

Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...

, while Nyla Carroll claims her second in the women's championship (2:46:44).

Basketball

* The National Basketball League was won by the

Auckland Stars The Auckland Stars were a New Zealand basketball team based in Auckland. The Stars competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at ASB Stadium. Team history The Auckland Stars, then known as Auckland Metro, were ...

who beat the

Nelson Giants The Nelson Giants are a New Zealand professional men's basketball team based in Nelson, New Zealand, Nelson. The Giants compete in the National Basketball League (New Zealand), National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the T ...

80–68 in the final. * The

Women's National Basketball League The Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) is a professional women's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Australia composed of eight teams. The league was founded in 1981 and is the Women's sports, women's counterpart to the Na ...

was won by the Canterbury Wildcats who beat the Nelson Sparks 68–58 in the final.

Cricket

* The State Championship for 2003–04 was won by the

Wellington Firebirds The Wellington Firebirds are one of six New Zealand men's first-class cricket teams that make up New Zealand Cricket. It is based in Wellington. It competes in the Plunket Shield first class (4-day) competition, The Ford Trophy domestic one d ...

. * In December Australia and New Zealand played a series of 3 one-day matches in Australia for the inaugural

Chappell–Hadlee Trophy The Chappell–Hadlee Trophy in cricket is a One Day International & Twenty20 International cricket series between Australia and New Zealand. It is named after legendary cricketing families from the two countries: the Chappell brothers ( Ian, ...

. After winning one game each, the decider was washed out by rain, so the trophy was shared.

Horse racing

Harness racing

New Zealand Trotting Cup The New Zealand Cup for standardbred horses, also known as either the New Zealand Trotting Cup or the New Zealand Pacing Cup is a Group One (G1) harness race held annually by the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in C ...

: Just An Excuse – 2nd win *

Auckland Trotting Cup The Auckland Pacing Cup which is sometimes referred to as the Auckland Trotting Cup or merely the Auckland Cup is a race held at Alexandra Park in Auckland, New Zealand for Standardbred horses. It is one of the two major harness races, along with ...

Elsu Elsu (19 December 1999 – July 2023) was a New Zealand-bred black Standardbred horse, Standardbred pacer who was the 2005 Australasian Pacers Grand Circuit champion and was the New Zealand Horse of the Year in the 2003/04 and 2004/05 seasons. El ...

– 2nd win

Olympic Games

* New Zealand sends a team of 148 competitors in 18 sports.

Paralympics

* New Zealand sends a team of 35 competitors across nine sports.

Rugby league

Bartercard Cup The Bartercard Cup (successor of the Lion Red Cup) was the top level rugby league club competition in New Zealand from 2000 until 2007. For the entire life of the tournament it was sponsored by Bartercard. The cup was administered by the New Ze ...

won by the Mt Albert Lions

Rugby union

* June – July: 2004 Philips International Series: The

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...

beat

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

36–3,

36–12,

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

41-7 and

Pacific Islanders rugby union team The Pacific Islanders was a combined international rugby union team that played from 2004 to 2008. It represented Fiji national rugby union team, Fiji, Samoa national rugby union team, Samoa and Tonga national rugby union team, Tonga; Niue Rugby Un ...

41–26. * 17 July: The

beat

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

16–7 at

Westpac Stadium Wellington Regional Stadium (commercially known as Sky Stadium through naming rights) is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand. The stadium's bowl site size is . The stadium was built in 1999 by Fletcher Construction and is situa ...

as part of the

2004 Tri Nations Series The 2004 Tri Nations Series, an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, was the ninth in the series. The competition is organised by SANZAAR, SANZAR, a consortium of the three countri ...

* 24 July: The

beat

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

23–21 at

Jade Stadium Lancaster Park, also known as Jade Stadium and AMI Stadium for sponsorship reasons, was a sports stadium in Waltham, a suburb of Christchurch in New Zealand. The stadium closed permanently due to damage sustained in the February 2011 earthqu ...

as part of the

* 7 August: The

lose 18–23 to

Telstra Stadium Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Ol ...

as part of the

* 14 August: The

lose 26–40 to

Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium (known as Emirates Airline Park for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby union and association football stadium in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by th ...

as part of the

* 15 August:

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...

beat

33-28 to take the

Ranfurly Shield The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challenge ...

* 5 September:

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

beat

33-26 to take the

* 13 November: The

beat

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

59–10 at

Stadio Flaminio The Stadio Flaminio is a stadium in Rome. It lies along the Via Flaminia, three kilometres northwest of the city centre, 300 metres away from the Parco di Villa Glori. The interior spaces include a covered swimming pool, rooms for fencing, amate ...

as part of the 2004 All Black Tour of Europe * 20 November: The

beat

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

26–25 at

Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium (), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium () for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it has a retractable roof and is the home of the Wales national rugby union team; it has ...

as part of the 2004 All Black Tour of Europe * 27 November: The

beat

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

45–6 at

Stade de France Stade de France (, ) is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the List of football stadiums in France, largest stadium i ...

as part of the 2004 All Black Tour of Europe * 4 December: The

beat The Barbarians 47–9 at

Twickenham Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...

as part of the 2004 All Black Tour of Europe

Shooting

*Ballinger Belt – ** Edd Newman (United States) ** John Whiteman (Upper Hutt), second, top New Zealander

Soccer

* The

Chatham Cup The Chatham Cup is New Zealand's premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout tournament in men's association football. It is held annually, with the final contested in September. The current champions of the Chatham Cup are Wellington Olymp ...

is won by

Miramar Rangers Miramar Rangers AFC is a New Zealand association football club in the Wellington suburb of Miramar. The club is one of the most successful in New Zealand, having won the Chatham Cup four times and the National League title twice. Over the last ...

who beat Waitakere City F.C. 1–0 in the final after extra time.

Births

* 1 January – Sylvia Brunt, rugby union player * 7 January – Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, rugby union player * 8 February **

Jorja Miller Jorja Miller (born 8 February 2004) is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side rugby union, and is a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team. Miller was a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team t ...

, rugby union player ** Georgia Plimmer, cricketer * 18 February – Isaiya Katoa, rugby league player * 25 February – Cody Vai, rugby union player * 3 March – Tanner Stowers-Smith, rugby league player * 15 March – Demitric Sifakula, rugby league player * 27 March – Jamal Todd, cricketer * 8 April – Fran Jonas, cricketer * 14 April –

Keano Kini Keano Kini () (born 14 April 2004) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Gold Coast Titans as a or in the National Rugby League. Background Kini was born in Auckland, New Zealand and is of Māori, English and Samoan d ...

, rugby league player * 15 April – Malachi Wrampling-Alec, rugby union player * 22 April – Emma Findlay, field hockey player * 23 April – Payton Spencer, rugby union player * 8 May – Izzy Gaze, cricketer * 10 May – Jenna Hastings, mountain biker * 12 July – Laura Littlejohn, swimmer * 14 August – Jay Herdman, association footballer * 8 October – C'est La Guerre, Thoroughbred racehorse * 3 November – Auckland Reactor, Standardbred racehorse * 1 December – Joshua Willmer, swimmer * 18 December – Tristyn Cook, rugby union player

Exact date unlisted

* Allen Chi Zhou Fan, chess player * Vyanla Punsalan, chess player

Deaths

January

* 11 January – Sir Peter Elworthy, farmer, farming leader, businessman (born 1935) * 19 January – Murray Watkinson, rower (born 1939) * 21 January – Jock Newall, association football player (born 1917) * 25 January – Sonny Schmidt, bodybuilder (born 1953) * 29 January –

Janet Frame Janet Paterson Frame (28 August 1924 – 29 January 2004) was a New Zealand author. She is internationally renowned for her work, which includes novels, short stories, poetry, juvenile fiction, and an autobiography, and received numerous award ...

, writer (born 1924)

February

* 11 February –

June Westbury June Alwyn Westbury (née Cantwell; July 26, 1921 – February 11, 2004) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1979 to 1981, sitting as a Manitoba Liberal Party, Liberal. Westbury was ...

, politician (born 1921) * 14 February –

Jock Butterfield John Rutherford "Jock" Butterfield (18 January 1932 – 14 February 2004) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He was named amongst the finest that New Zealand produced during the 20th century. A New Zeala ...

, rugby league player (born 1932) * 16 February – Don Cleverley, cricketer (born 1909) * 17 February – Sir Peter Quilliam, jurist (born 1920) * 21 February – Norval Morris, lawyer, criminologist, novelist (born 1923) * 26 February – Roger Mirams, filmmaker (born 1918) * 29 February – Graham Gordon, doctor (born 1927)

March

* 1 March –

John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. He studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his John Lithgow filmography, diverse work on stage and screen. He has rece ...

, politician (born 1933) * 3 March – Susan Moller Okin, feminist political philosopher (born 1946) * 4 March – Arthur Kinsella, politician (born 1918) * 5 March – Martin Emond, cartoon illustrator and painter (born 1969) * 8 March – Frank Mooney, cricketer (born 1921) * 17 March – Sir William Pickering, rocket scientist (born 1910) * 19 March – Chris Timms, sailor (born 1947) * 30 March – Michael King, historian and biographer (born 1945)

April

* 6 April – Joan Monahan (née Hastings), swimmer, botanist and schoolteacher (born 1925) * 16 April – John Caselberg, writer and poet (born 1927)

May

* 3 May – Rahera Windsor, founding member and kuia of Ngāti Rānana (born 1925) * 15 May – Hector Wilson, rugby union player (born 1924) * 17 May – Ken Mudford, motorcycle racer (born 1923) * 19 May ** Rowan Barbour, cricketer (born 1922) **

Tim Hewat Timothy Edward Patterson Hewat (4 May 1928 – 19 May 2004) was an Australian television producer and journalist. He has been described as the "maverick genius of Granada TV, Granada television's current affairs in its formative years" and "one o ...

, television producer and journalist (born 1928) * 21 May – Frank McMullen, rugby union player and referee (born 1933) * 22 May –

Wayne Kimber Wayne Allan Kimber (1949 – 22 May 2004) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He was born in Auckland in 1949. Professional career Kimber was a town planner by profession and worked for Gisborne City Council. His research led t ...

, politician (born 1949)

June

* 5 June – Jack Foster, athlete (born 1932) * 24 June ** Pat Kelly, trade union leader (born 1929) ** Ron Sharp, farmer, inventor of the herringbone milking shed (born 1919) * 25 June –

Morton Coutts Morton William Coutts (7 February 1904 – 25 June 2004)''Obituary: ...

, inventor, brewer (born 1904)

July

* 5 July –

Robert Burchfield Robert William Burchfield CNZM, CBE (27 January 1923 – 5 July 2004) was a lexicographer, scholar, and writer, who edited the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' for thirty years to 1986, and was chief editor from 1971. Education and career Born in ...

, lexicographer (born 1923) * 11 July – Sir Terry McLean, sports journalist and writer (born 1913) * 22 July – Paul Clarkin, polo player (born 1950) * 28 July – Dame Janet Paul, publisher, painter and art historian (born 1919) * 29 July – Maurice Dixon, rugby union player (born 1929)

August

* 14 August **

Eric Petrie Eric Charlton Petrie (22 May 1927 – 14 August 2004) was a New Zealand cricketer who played 14 Test matches for New Zealand from 1955 to 1966 as a wicket-keeper. Domestic career Petrie began playing for Waikato in the Hawke Cup in 1945–46. ...

, cricketer (born 1927) ** Sir Trevor Skeet, politician (born 1918) * 21 August –

Amelia Batistich Amelia Batistich (née Barbarich; 11 March 1915 – 21 August 2004) was a New Zealand fiction writer of Croatian New Zealanders, Croatian descent. Life Batistich was born in Dargaville to John Barbarich and Milka Matutinovich, settlers from Da ...

, writer (born 1915) * 23 August – Trevor Blake, cricketer (born 1937) * 25 August – Roger Broughton, cricketer (born 1958) * 26 August – Bill Marsters, Cook Islands religious leader (born 1923)

September

* 1 September – Sir Alan Stewart, university administrator (born 1917) * 2 September – Alan Preston, association football player and cricketer (born 1932) * 11 September – Ruth Symons, cricketer (born 1913) * 20 September – Pat Hanly, painter (born 1932) * 29 September – David Jackson, boxer (born 1955)

October

* 5 October –

Maurice Wilkins Maurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins (15 December 1916 – 5 October 2004) was a New Zealand-born British biophysicist and Nobel laureate whose research spanned multiple areas of physics and biophysics, contributing to the scientific understanding ...

, physicist and molecular biologist (born 1916) * 10 October – Maurice Shadbolt, writer and playwright (born 1932) * 23 October –

George Silk George Silk (17 November 1916 – 23 October 2004) was a New Zealand-born Australian photojournalist. He served as a photojournalist for Life magazine, ''Life'' for 30 years. Early life Silk was born in the New Zealand town of Levin, New Zea ...

, photojournalist (born 1916)

November

* 1 November – Barry Brown, boxer (born 1931) * 7 November –

Eddie Charlton Edward Francis Charlton (31 October 1929 – 7 November 2004) was an Australian professional snooker and billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning e ...

, snooker and billiards player (born 1929) * 8 November –

Frank Houston William Francis "Frank" Houston (22 April 1922 – 8 November 2004) was a Pentecostal Christian pastor in the Assemblies of God in New Zealand and Australia. Frank Houston founded Sydney Christian Life Centre, which would eventually come und ...

, religious leader (born 1922) * 12 November – Jim Eyles, archaeologist (born 1926)

December

* 8 December – Noel Mills, rower (born 1944) * 11 December –

Arthur Lydiard Arthur Leslie Lydiard (6 July 1917 – 11 December 2004) was a New Zealand runner and athletics coach. He has been lauded as one of the outstanding athletics coaches of all time and is credited with popularising the sport of running and makin ...

, athlete, athletics coach (born 1917) * 17 December – Ray Dowker, cricketer and association football player (born 1919) * 29 December – Liddy Holloway, actor and television scriptwriter (born 1947)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2004 in New Zealand

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Years of the 21st century in New Zealand 2000s in New Zealand

Population

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Government

Opposition leaders

Judiciary

Main centre leaders

Other

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Undated

Arts and literature

Awards

Montana Book Awards 2004

Music

New Zealand Music Awards The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously called the New Zealand Music Awards), conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ, honour outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording industry. The awards are among the most significant that ...

Performing arts

Television

Film

Internet

Sport

Athletics

Basketball

Cricket

Horse racing

Harness racing

Olympic Games

Paralympics

Rugby league

Rugby union

Shooting

Soccer

Births

Exact date unlisted

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

See also

References