Flavour of New Zealand

01-Jan-1978
The Forest Service introduced its Central North Island Indigenous Forest Policy, which would see sustainable logging from native state forests. ²

31-Mar-1978
During protests at the Raglan golf course, 17 arrests were made after 150 protesters led by Eva Rickard set up camp on the disputed land. The land had been compulsorily taken for military use in the Second World War. After continuing protests the golf club was ordered to pay a fair rent and the land reverted to Maori owners in 1979. ³

31-Mar-1978
Unemployment figures revealed the first stage of a dramatic rise which continued into the late 1990s. Since March 1977 unemployment had more than doubled from 9,679 to 22,300. ³

01-Apr-1978
Air New Zealand and NAC amalgamated ²

09-Jun-1978
Angered by ongoing strikes at freezing works, Southland farmers drove 1,000 ewes through the centre of Invercargill and slaughtered them in the main street. ³

16-Dec-1978
A replica of HMS Bounty was launched at Whangarei. ²

31-Dec-1978
An Argosy freighter took off from Blenheim to investigate strange lights seen by two pilots near the Kaikoura coast ten days earlier. The Argosy crew saw bright lights, one like a 'huge squashed orange', and other unusual atmospheric phenomena. ³