The following lists events that happened during 2008 in New Zealand.

Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 4,280,300 * Increase since 31 December 2007: 34,500 (0.81%) * Males per 100 Females: 95.7

Incumbents

Regal and vice regal

Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

–

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

–

Anand Satyanand Sir Anand Satyanand, (born 22 July 1944) is a former lawyer, judge and ombudsman who served as the 19th Governor-General of New Zealand from 2006 to 2011. Satyanand was chair of the Commonwealth Foundation for two 2-year terms, ending in De ...

File:Garter Queen.jpg, Elizabeth II File:Anand Satyanand.JPG, Anand Satyanand

Government

2008 was the third and last year of the 48th Parliament, which was dissolved on 3 October. A general election was held on 8 November to elect the 49th Parliament, which saw the Fifth National Government elected. *

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 Hungerf ...

–

Margaret Wilson Margaret Anne Wilson (born 20 May 1947) is a New Zealand lawyer, academic and former Labour Party politician. She served as Attorney-General from 1999 to 2005 and Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2005 to 2008, during the Fifth L ...

then

Lockwood Smith Sir Alexander Lockwood Smith (born 13 November 1948) is a New Zealand politician and diplomat who was High Commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2017, and Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2008 to 2013. S ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier 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. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

–

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 ...

to 19 November, then

John Key Sir John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is a New Zealand retired politician who served as the 38th prime minister of New Zealand, Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016 and as Leader of the New Zealand National Party from 2006 to ...

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

– Michael Cullen to 19 November, then

Bill English Sir Simon William English (born 30 December 1961) is a New Zealand former National Party politician who served as the 39th prime minister of New Zealand from 2016 to 2017 and as the 17th deputy prime minister of New Zealand and minister of f ...

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

– Michael Cullen to 19 November, then Bill English *

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

–

Winston Peters Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020 ...

to 29 August, then Helen Clark (acting) to 19 November, then

Murray McCully Murray Stuart McCully (born 19 February 1953) is a former New Zealand politician. He is a member of the National Party, and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2017. Early life Born in Whangārei, McCully was educated at Arap ...

File:Margaret Wilson crop.jpg, Margaret Wilson File:Lockwood Smith (cropped).jpg, Lockwood Smith File:Helen Clark UNDP 2010.jpg, Helen Clark File:John Key by UNDP.jpg, John Key File:Michael Cullen, 2008.jpg, Michael Cullen File:Bill English KNZM (cropped).jpg, Bill English File:Winston Peters, 2011.jpg, Winston Peters File:Murray McCully Estonia 2010 (cropped).jpg, Murray McCully

Party leaders

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

– Helen Clark to 11 November, then

Phil Goff Philip Bruce Goff (born 22 June 1953) is a New Zealand politician. 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 Labour Party and leader of the Opposition between 11 No ...

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, ce ...

– John Key * Progressive –

Jim Anderton James Patrick Anderton (born Byrne; 21 January 1938 – 7 January 2018) was a New Zealand politician who led a succession of left-wing parties after leaving the Labour Party in 1989. Anderton's political career began when he was elected to th ...

New Zealand First New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...

– Winston Peters *

United Future United Future New Zealand, usually known as United Future, was a centrist political party in New Zealand. The party was in government between 2005 and 2017, first alongside Labour (2005–2008) and then supporting National (2008–2017). Uni ...

–

Peter Dunne Peter Francis Dunne (born 17 March 1954) is a retired New Zealand politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ōhāriu. He held the seat and its predecessors from 1984 to 2017—representing the Labour Party in Parliament from 1984 ...

* Act –

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 f ...

* 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

Russel Norman Russel William Norman (born 2 June 1967) is a New Zealand politician and environmentalist. He was a Member of Parliament and co-leader of the Green Party. Norman resigned as an MP in October 2015 to work as Executive Director of Greenpeace Aote ...

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 (born 8 April 1944) is a New Zealand politician. She was first elected to Parliament in 1996. Turia gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy in 2004, and eventually broke with the Labour P ...

and

Pita Sharples Sir Pita Russell Sharples (born Peter Russell Sharples, 20 July 1941) is a New Zealand Māori academic and politician, who was a co-leader of the Māori Party from 2004 to 2013, and a minister outside Cabinet in the National Party-led governme ...

File:Helen Clark 2.jpg, Helen Clark File:Phil Goff opens the Maritime Union of New Zealand Conference 2009 (4051339584).jpg, Phil Goff File:John Key National Party2.jpg, John Key File:Jim Anderton, 2010.jpg, Jim Anderton File:WinstonPetersEuropa.jpg, Winston Peters File:Peter Dunne.jpg, Peter Dunne File:Rodney Hide at parliament.JPG, Rodney Hide File:JeanetteFitzsimons.png, Jeanette Fitzsimons File:Russel Norman2.jpg, Russel Norman File:Pita sharples.jpg, Pita Sharples File:Tariana Turia NZgovt (cropped).jpg, Tariana Turia

Judiciary

* Chief Justice —

Sian Elias Dame Sian Seerpoohi Elias (born 13 March 1949) is a New Zealand former Government official, who served as the 12th Chief Justice of New Zealand, and was therefore the most senior member of the country's judiciary. She was the presiding judge o ...

File:Sian Elias.jpg, Dame Sian Elias

Main centre leaders

Mayor of Auckland The Mayor of Auckland is the directly elected head of the Auckland Council, the local government authority for the Auckland Region in New Zealand, which it controls as a unitary authority. The position exists since October 2010 after the amalga ...

–

John Banks John Banks or Bankes may refer to: Politics and law *Sir John Banks, 1st Baronet (1627–1699), English merchant and Member of Parliament * John Banks (American politician) (1793–1864), U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania *John Gray Banks (188 ...

Mayor of Tauranga The Mayor of Tauranga is the head of the municipal government of Tauranga, New Zealand, and presides over the Tauranga City Council. There is currently no Mayor of Tauranga. On 9 February 2021, a Crown Commission appointed by the Minister of L ...

– Stuart Crosby * Mayor of Hamilton – Bob Simcock *

Mayor of Wellington The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of 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 representati ...

–

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 head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system. The current mayor, Phil ...

– Bob Parker *

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 ...

–

Peter Chin Peter Wing Ho Chin, CNZM () (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 Z ...

File:John Banks.jpg, John Banks File:Stuart Crosby.jpg, Stuart Crosby File:Kerry Prendergast, 2011.jpg, Kerry Prendergast File:Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker.jpg, Bob Parker File:Peter Chin 2010 Otago Rally.jpg, Peter Chin

Events

January

* 22 January –

State funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...

for Sir

Edmund Hillary Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached t ...

February

March

April

* 5 April – A propane explosion at a coolstore in Tamahere kills firefighter senior station officer Derek Lovell, and seriously injures seven others.

May

* 8 May – The Tapuae Marine Reserve is established.

June

* 5 June – A newly redesigned flag for the Governor General of New Zealand is flown for the first time at Government House, Auckland.

July

* 1 July – Rail transport network is renationalised as

KiwiRail KiwiRail Holdings Limited is a New Zealand state-owned enterprise responsible for rail operations in New Zealand, and operates inter-island ferries. Trading as KiwiRail and headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail ...

* 11 July – Police Sergeant Derek Wootton (52) is struck and killed by a vehicle fleeing police, while laying road spikes at Titahi Bay.

August

* 1 August – Crown entities

Land Transport New Zealand Land Transport New Zealand was a Crown entity in New Zealand, tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, and includes responsibilities such as driver and vehicle licensing. It was created on 1 December 2004 by the Land Transpor ...

and

Transit New Zealand Transit New Zealand (Māori: Ararau Aotearoa), which existed from 1989 to 2008, was the New Zealand Crown entity responsible for operating and planning the New Zealand state highway network (10,894 km, about 12% of New Zealand's roads). It ...

merge to form the

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (commonly known as Waka Kotahi, and abbreviated as NZTA) is a New Zealand Crown entity tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, including the responsibility for driver and vehicle licensing, an ...

* 16 August –

Dunedin Hospital Dunedin Hospital is the main public hospital in Dunedin, New Zealand. It serves as the major base hospital for the Otago and Southland regions with a potential catchment radius of roughly 300 kilometres, and a population of around 300,000. Opera ...

is put in lockdown for a week after approximately 170 staff and patients fall ill to a

norovirus Norovirus, sometimes referred to as the winter vomiting disease, is the most common cause of gastroenteritis. Infection is characterized by non-bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Fever or headaches may also occur. Symptoms usually deve ...

outbreak, resulting in 2,300 appointments and procedures being delayed.

September

* 5 September – Fonterra advise Prime Minister

of the 2008 baby milk scandal. * 7 September – The Taputeranga Marine Reserve is opened. * 11 September – Undercover police Sergeant Don Wilkinson (47) is fatally shot in Mangere, after being discovered attempting to secretly fix a tracking device to a car. * 24 September - GO Wellington dispute - an industrial dispute between the GO Wellington bus company and drivers

October

On the 17th The Dominion Post Billboard Heading Reads "Market Madness" There is also a graph on the Billboard showing the NZX taking a big dive . This was indicative of the worlds sharemarkets in turmoil.

November

* 8 November –

and the

New Zealand National Party The New Zealand National Party ( mi, Rōpū Nāhinara o Aotearoa), shortened to National () or the Nats, is a centre-right political party in New Zealand. It is one of two major parties that dominate contemporary New Zealand politics, alongside ...

win the 2008 general election. John Key is able to form a Government and in

's speech that she resigns as leader of the

New Zealand Labour Party The New Zealand Labour Party ( mi, Rōpū Reipa o Aotearoa), or simply Labour (), is a centre-left political party in New Zealand. The party's platform programme describes its founding principle as democratic socialism, while observers descr ...

. * 9 November – Michael Cullen resigns as deputy leader of the Labour Party. * 19 November –

is sworn in as

Prime Minister of New Zealand The prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia o Aotearoa) is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, took office on 26 October 2017. The prime minister (inform ...

. * 27 November – 2008 Air New Zealand A320 test flight crash. Air New Zealand A320 Airbus crashes into the Mediterranean during a test flight, killing five New Zealand and two German air crew.

December

Holidays and observances

* 6 February –

Waitangi Day Waitangi Day ( mi, Te Rā o Waitangi), the national day of New Zealand, marks the anniversary of the initial signing – on 6 February 1840 – of the Treaty of Waitangi, which is regarded as the founding document of the nation. The first Wait ...

* 21 March – Good Friday * 23 March – Easter Sunday * 24 March – Easter Monday * 25 April –

Anzac Day , image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg , caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary. , observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...

* 2 June –

Queen's Birthday The King's Official Birthday (alternatively the Queen's Official Birthday when the monarch is female) is the selected day in the United Kingdom and most Commonwealth realms on which the birthday of the monarch is officially celebrated in those ...

* 5 June –

Matariki ), signalling the Māori new year., litcolor=, observedby=New Zealanders, nickname=, official_name=, alt=, image=M45 Pleiades Pbkwee (cropped to core 9 stars).jpg, relatedto=, date2022=24 June, date2023=14 July In Māori culture, Matariki is the ...

* 27 October –

Labour Day Labour Day ('' Labor Day'' in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for ...

Arts and literature

New books

* *

Awards

*BPANZ Book Design Awards - In association with Spectrum Print and the

New Zealand Listener The ''New Zealand Listener'' is a weekly New Zealand magazine that covers the political, cultural and literary life of New Zealand by featuring a variety of topics, including current events, politics, social issues, health, technology, arts, f ...

br>id=13
*BEST BOOK Title: Bill Hammond: Jingle Jangle Morning *BEST COVER Winner: Bill Hammond: Jingle Jangle Morning *NON-ILLUSTRATED Winner: Dear to Me *ILLUSTRATED Winner: Bill Hammond: Jingle Jangle Morning *EDUCATIONAL Winner: Astronomy Aotearoa NCEA Level 1 by Robert Shaw *CHILDREN’S Winner: The King's Bubbles by Ruth Paul

Music

*May -

New Zealand Music The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including ...

Month * 3 September: Technical Awards for the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards * 8 October:

Vodafone 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

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 ha ...

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 Suzanne Lynch MNZM.

Television

* Freeview, HD

Digital television Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using digital encoding, in contrast to the earlier analog television technology which used analog signals. At the time of its development it was considered an innovative advanc ...

is launched. *The country's first Chinese television channel, CTV8 (Chinese Television 8) is launched in early October.

Sport

Cricket

* New Zealand men's cricket team, the

Black Caps The New Zealand national cricket team represents New Zealand in men's international cricket. Named the Black Caps, they played their first Test cricket, Test in 1930 against England cricket team, England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth cou ...

plays three test matches against England and draws the series, each team having won a game

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 Chri ...

: Changeover *

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 ...

: Gotta Go Cullen

Thoroughbred racing

Netball

* The ANZ Netball Championship begins in April 2008.

Motorsport

Olympic Games

* New Zealand sends a team of 182 competitors across 17 sports.

Paralympics

* New Zealand sends a team of 30 competitors across seven sports.

Rugby league

*The

New Zealand national rugby league team The New Zealand national rugby league team (Māori: Tīma rīki motu Aotearoa) has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of ...

won the

2008 Rugby League World Cup The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since its inauguration in 1954, and the first since the 2000 tournament. The tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final b ...

. *The

New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...

finished 8th in the

National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

and in the playoffs made it through to the semi-finals, beating minor premiers the

Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...

in the progress. *The inaugural season of the new

Bartercard Premiership The NZRL Bartercard Premiership was a six-team rugby league competition that ran in 2008 and 2009. It replaced the now-defunct Bartercard Cup competition as the highest level of rugby league in New Zealand. Matches have been broadcast on SKY Netw ...

saw

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

defeat

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

38-10 in the grand final.

Rugby union

Rowing

Shooting

*Ballinger Belt – Brian Carter (Te Puke)

Soccer

*30 October – 16 November – New Zealand hosts the inaugural

FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup is an international association football tournament for female players under the age of 17. It is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The tournament is held in even-numbered ye ...

. Matches are held in Albany,

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

and

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) 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 second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

. * The

Chatham Cup The Chatham Cup is New Zealand's premier 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 2022 winners Auckland City, who defeated Eastern ...

is won by

East Coast Bays AFC East Coast Bays is a football club located on Auckland's North Shore. The club has won the Chatham Cup and the NRFL Premier Division three times. History East Coast Bays were founded following a public meeting held at the Progressive Hall (si ...

who beat

Dunedin Technical Dunedin Technical (known locally as Tech) is a semi-professional association football club in Dunedin, New Zealand. They compete in the ODT FootballSouth Premier League and were the 2018 ODT FootballSouth Premier League champions. Club history ...

1—0 in the final.Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com

Tennis

Births

* 18 September –

Silent Achiever Silent Achiever (foaled 18 September 2008) is a champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse. On 3 March 2012, she won the 137th running of the New Zealand Derby. She was the first filly to win the race since 1993, and only the fourth in the las ...

, Thoroughbred racehorse * 23 September – Zurella, Thoroughbred racehorse

Deaths

January

* 1 January – Joan Dingley, mycologist (born 1916) * 2 January –

Lindsay Poole Alick Lindsay Poole (4 March 1908 – 2 January 2008) was a New Zealand botanist and forester. Academic career Poole started at the New Zealand State Forest Service 1926, then to Auckland University College on a scholarship. After various jo ...

, botanist and forester (born 1908) * 4 January **

Graham Percy Graham Percy (7 June 1938 – 4 January 2008) was a New Zealand-born artist, designer and illustrator. His work was the subject of ''The Imaginative Life and Times of Graham Percy'', a major posthumous exhibition of his work which was shown at ga ...

, artist, designer and illustrator (born 1938) ** Bert Walker, politician (born 1919) * 6 January – Charlie Steele, Jr., association football player (born 1930) * 10 January – Sir

George Laking Sir George Robert Laking (15 October 1912 – 10 January 2008) was a New Zealand diplomat who served as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador to the United States, Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Chief Ombudsman. Early life Lak ...

, diplomat (born 1912) * 11 January – Sir

, mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist (born 1919) * 16 January –

Hone Tūwhare Hone Peneamine Anatipa Te Pona Tūwhare (21 October 1922 – 16 January 2008) was a noted Māori people, Māori New Zealand poet. He is closely associated with The Catlins in the Southland region of New Zealand, where he lived for the latter ...

, poet (born 1922)

February

* 12 February –

Ron Chippindale Ronald Chippindale (26 March 1933 – 12 February 2008) was the Chief Inspector of Air Accidents in charge of the New Zealand Office of Air Accidents Investigations. Early life and family Born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, on 26 March ...

, pilot, air accident investigator (born 1933) * 14 February – June Schoch, athlete (born 1926) * 16 February – K. Radway Allen, fisheries biologist (born 1911) * 19 February –

Barry Barclay Barry Ronald Barclay, New Zealand Order of Merit, MNZM (12 May 1944 – 19 February 2008) was a New Zealand filmmaker and writer of Māori people, Māori (Ngāti Apa) and Pākehā (European) descent. Background Barclay was born in Masterton and ra ...

, filmmaker (born 1944) * 28 February – Peter Bannister, botanist (born 1939)

March

* 13 March – Tessa Birnie, concert pianist (born 1934) * 18 March –

Ruth Dallas Ruth Minnie Mumford (29 September 1919 – 18 March 2008), better known by her pen name Ruth Dallas, was a New Zealand poet and children's author. Biography Dallas was born in Invercargill, the daughter of Frank and Minnie Mumford. She became ...

, poet and children's author (born 1919) * 21 March –

Merv Wallace Walter Mervyn Wallace (19 December 1916 – 21 March 2008) was a New Zealand cricketer and former Test match captain. Former New Zealand captain John Reid called him "the most under-rated cricketer to have worn the silver fern." He was nick ...

, cricketer (born 1916)

April

* 2 April – Sir Geoffrey Cox, newspaper and television journalist (born 1910) * 6 April – Tony Davies, rugby union player (born 1939) * 10 April –

Greg Hough Greg Hough is a Christian musician and, with Bob Hartman, one of the founding members in 1972 of the Christian rock band, Petra. During the 1970s, he and Hartman were the band's main songwriters and lead singers. Career Hough left the band ...

, association football player (born 1958) * 11 April –

Fraser Colman Fraser MacDonald Colman (23 February 1925 – 11 April 2008) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He represented the electorates of Petone from 1967 to 1978, and then when Petone was renamed, Pencarrow from 1978 to 1987, when he ...

, politician (born 1925) * 12 April – Dame Augusta Wallace, jurist, first woman District Court judge (born 1929) * 15 April – Mahinārangi Tocker singer–songwriter (born 1955)

May

* 4 May –

Colin Murdoch Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May 2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and veterinarian who made a number of significant inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun, the disposable hypodermic syringe and the child-pro ...

, pharmacist, veterinarian and inventor (born 1929) * 8 May –

William L. Holland William Lancelot Holland (28 December 1907 – 8 May 2008) worked with the Institute of Pacific Relations from 1928 until 1960 as Research Secretary; American IPR Executive Secretary and editor of its periodical, ''Far Eastern Survey''; IPR Secret ...

, Pacific affairs academic (born 1907) * 20 May – Mihi Edwards, writer, social worker, teacher (born 1918)

June

* 1 June – Doug Zohrab, diplomat (born 1917) * 4 June –

John Armitt Sir John Alexander Armitt (born 2 February 1946) is an English civil engineer, and current chairman of the UK's National Infrastructure Commission. From 2007 Armitt was chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, the body which successfully bu ...

, wrestler (born 1925) * 5 June **

Colin Kay Colin Milton Kay (30 October 1926 – 5 June 2008) was a New Zealand sportsman and politician. He was the 34th Mayor of Auckland City, elected for one term serving from 1980 to 1983, and chairman of the Auckland Regional Council from 1986 to 1 ...

, athlete and politician, mayor of Auckland (1980–83) (born 1926) **

Bruce Purchase Bruce Purchase (2 October 1938 – 5 June 2008) was a New Zealand actor known for his roles on stage and television. Born in Thames, New Zealand, he won a scholarship to study acting in England, training at RADA, and went on to become a foundin ...

, actor (born 1938) * 24 June **

Neill Austin Howard Neill Austin (12 December 1924 – 24 June 2008) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He held many positions with Federated Farmers. Early life Austin was born in 1924 in Rawene, a town on the south side of the Hoki ...

, politician (born 1924) **

Charlie Dempsey Charles John Dempsey (4 March 1921 – 24 June 2008) was a Scottish-born New Zealand association football administrator. Early life Dempsey was a builder and emigrated with his wife to New Zealand in 1952. Career Dempsey was President o ...

, association football administrator (born 1921) * 27 June – Lyn Davis, rugby union player (born 1943) * 30 June – Just An Excuse, Standardbred racehorse (foaled 1998)

July

* 16 July – Bob Walton, police officer (born 1921) * 17 July – Sir

Graham Speight Sir Graham Davies Speight (21 July 1921 – 17 July 2008) was a New Zealand High Court judge. He served as the acting Queen's Representative in the Cook Islands in 1984. Speight was born in Auckland on 21 July 1921. He was educated at Newmarke ...

, jurist (born 1921) * 25 July – Walter Metcalf, physical chemistry academic (born 1918) * 31 July –

Falani Aukuso Falaniko "Falani" Iosefo Aukuso (September 1948 – 31 July 2008) was the deputy director general of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. Aukuso was a native of Tokelau. He served as the Tokelauan director of education. He later worked as ...

, Tokelauan public servant

August

* 6 August –

Ken Going Kenneth Tautohe Going (18 February 1942 – 6 August 2008) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A Rugby union positions#Full-back, full-back, Going represented Northland Rugby Union, North Auckland at a provincial level, and was a member of th ...

, rugby union player (born 1942) * 9 August – Bob Cunis, cricket player and coach (born 1941) * 16 August – Rei Hamon, artist (born 1919) * 25 August –

Hardwicke Knight Frederic Hardwicke Knight, QSO (12 July 1911 – 25 August 2008) was a London-born photographer, historian and collector who emigrated to New Zealand in 1957 to take up a medical photography position in Dunedin. He lived at Broad Bay, New Zeala ...

, historian and photographer (born 1911) * 31 August – Victor Yates, rugby union and league player (born 1939)

September

* 7 September – Sir

Hamish Hay Sir Hamish Grenfell Hay (8 December 1927 – 7 September 2008) was a New Zealand politician, who served as Mayor of Christchurch for fifteen years, from 1974 to 1989. He was Christchurch's longest-serving mayor. Early life and family Hay was one ...

, politician, mayor of Christchurch (1974–89) (born 1927) * 8 September –

Ron Guthrey Albert Ronald Guthrey (15 January 1916 – 8 September 2008) was a New Zealand local politician. He served as a Christchurch City Councillor for 22 years before being elected Mayor of Christchurch. He was a World War II veteran and he and his ...

, soldier, politician, mayor of Christchurch (1968–71) (born 1916) * 11 September – Sue Garden-Bachop, rugby union player, coach and administrator (born 1961) * 13 September –

Duncan Laing Andrew James Duncan Laing (20 June 1933 – 13 September 2008), generally known as Duncan Laing, was a New Zealand swimming coach based in Dunedin. He coached Olympian Danyon Loader, winner of two gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and a ...

, swimming coach (born 1933) * 15 September ** Peter Hanan, swimmer (born 1915) ** Arthur Stubbs, soldier, oldest New Zealand war veteran (born 1904) * 21 September – Al Hobman, professional wrestler (born 1925) * 25 September ** Wynne Bradburn, cricketer (born 1938) ** Brian Donnelly, politician and diplomat (born 1949)

October

* 2 October –

Rob Guest Robert John Guest (17 July 19501 October 2008) was a New Zealand-Australian actor, television personality and host and singer, who started his career in pop music in New Zealand, before becoming best known for his work in Australian musical th ...

, actor and singer (born 1950) * 14 October – Dame Daphne Purves, educator (born 1908) * 15 October –

Des Townson Desmond Thomas Townson (16 March 1934 – 15 October 2008) was a New Zealand yacht designer. As a teenager he won the Tanner Cup in 1950, the nation's premier teenage yachting championshipNeil Purvis, rugby union player (born 1953) * 29 October – John Darwin, statistician and public servant (born 1923)

November

* 6 November – Kevin J. Sharpe, mathematician, theologian and archaeologist (born 1950) * 7 November –

Hedley Howarth Hedley John Howarth (25 December 1943 – 7 November 2008) was an international cricketer who played 30 Tests and nine One Day Internationals for New Zealand. The elder brother of Geoff Howarth, former New Zealand captain, he was born and die ...

, cricketer (born 1943) * 8 November – Hugh Cook, science fiction writer (born 1956) * 27 November –

Mike Minogue Michael John Minogue (20 October 1923 – 27 November 2008) was a New Zealand National Party politician, lawyer and mayor. Biography Minogue was born on 20 October 1923. He attended Timaru Boys' High School, St. Patrick's College ...

, politician (born 1923) * 29 November – Robert Wade, chess player (born 1921)

December

* 6 December – Peter Wardle, plant ecologist (born 1931) * 13 December – John Drake, rugby union player (born 1959) * 16 December –

Peg Batty Kathleen Elaine "Peg" Batty (15 December 1920 – 16 December 2008) was a New Zealand cricketer who played primarily as a right-arm medium bowler. She appeared in four Test matches for New Zealand between 1949 and 1954. She played domestic cri ...

, cricketer (born 1920) * 24 December –

Ian Ballinger Ian Roy Ballinger (21 October 1925 – 24 December 2008) was a New Zealand shooter who won a bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Ballinger competed at three consecutive Olympic Games (1968, 1972 and 1976) and two Commonwealth Games ( ...

, sports shooter (born 1925)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008 in New Zealand

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

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

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See also

References

External links