Paul de Jonge remembering life in NZ when the population hit three million in 1973. Photo / Dean Purcell
Paul de Jonge remembering life in NZ when the population hit three million in 1973. Photo / Dean Purcell
NZ's population is increasing by one person every five minutes and 26 seconds and is forecast to hit five million within the next few months. We look at the different stages of our nation's growing population in this five-part series. Lincoln Tan talks to an Auckland businessman about the timethe population hit three million in 1973.
It was the "greatest thing since sliced bread" for Paul de Jonge, who remembers clearly rushing home from school that day in 1973 to watch television - for the first time in colour.
He was then a 13-year-old student at Papatoetoe Intermediate School, and the family's colour TV made him very popular with his friends.
"We just couldn't wait for school to end so we could all rush to my place," de Jonge said.
"I still remember how excited we all were as we watched Sesame Street, and how life-like Bert, Ernie and Big Bird all looked."
Colour television was broadcast for the first time in New Zealand on October 31, 1973. It was also around that time when the country's population passed three million.
"For us kids, colour TV was the best thing since sliced bread and I remember going 'wow' at how amazing all the graphics and even advertisements looked," de Jonge said.
The radio and stage show It's in the bag made its TV debut, and ran until 1990.
Dr Wardlow Friesen, Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Auckland, said although generally about 80 per cent of New Zealand's population growth was due to natural increase, the rise was far greater during the "baby boom" period.
But fertility rates dropped after 1973 as a wider range of contraception and sterilisation methods became available, and New Zealand went through a period of "baby bust".
More Kiwis started moving overseas, especially to Australia, after a trans-Tasman travel arrangement allowed citizens of both countries to travel freely without a passport.
Norman Kirk was Prime Minister at the time in a Government where Labour had a majority of 55 seats to National's 32 seats.
A proposed 1973 Springbok tour was cancelled by the Kirk-led government amid fears that it could spark the "greatest eruption of violence this country has ever known".
When a decision was made by Arab oil producers to cut supplies in the wake of the Yom Kippur war with Israel, New Zealand had its first oil price shock.
Oil prices soared from US$3 a barrel to around US$20 virtually overnight. The economy was hit hard.
Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street, one of the first television shows to be aired in colour in 1973. Photo / File
Higher fuel prices pushed up freight costs, increased the price of goods and led to higher wage rates and retail prices.
The combination of events contributed to the country's slip into recession by 1976.
New Zealand's economy was also jolted by Britain's decision to join the European Economic Community that year.
All bilateral agreements between New Zealand and Britain had to be terminated and preferential treatment of British exports to NZ ended four years later.
Britain, the "Mother Country", had until then been New Zealand's major export market and main supplier of imports.
In 1973, exports to the UK fell to less than 30 per cent of all exports and in the next two decades dropped to below 10 per cent.
Back on the telly, the wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips on November 14 became the first international live broadcast in New Zealand.
Kiwis had their eyes glued on colour TV screens as the royal couple walked through Westminster Abbey.
It was estimated a global audience of 500 million watched the ceremony, which also fell on the 25th birthday of Anne's brother, Charles, Prince of Wales.
The Princess was accompanied to the ceremony in the glass state coach by her father, the Duke of Edinburgh.
The wedding of Captain Mark Phillips and Princess Anne was televised in colour in November 1973 and was watched by 500 million worldwide. Photo / Getty Images
De Jonge said it was considered "almost unbelievable" at the time that an event taking place half the world away could be watched "live" here.
The ceremony featured state carriages, the Household Calvary, Irish Guards and Coldstream Guards.
The wedding cake had silver tiers formed in the shape of a hexagon with a statue of a female jockey leaping a fence placed on top as a tribute to Anne's career as an equestrian.
On the local entertainment scene, comedian John Clarke introduced New Zealand to his alter-ego Fred Dagg and a host of "Trevs".
Dagg was a stereotypical farmer and Kiwi bloke from Taihape. His signature outfit was a black singlet and gumboots.
He would poke fun at Kiwi blokes and "sheilas" on his show.
Events that made the news included the arrest of 23 protesters after clashes with police outside American defence facilities at Harewood and Weedons in Christchurch.
In sport, Kiwi batsman Glenn Turner became just the seventh cricketer to score 1000 runs in first-class matches in England.
New Zealand hosted and won the inaugural Oceania Cup football tournament after they beat Tahiti 2-0 in the final.
The country hit record temperatures that year. On February 7 the mercury hit 42.4C in Rangiora, 42.3C in Marlborough and 41.6C in Christchurch. Darfield and Temuka both also reached 39.4C.
Countdown to five million Kiwis
Tomorrow: 2003, four million Friday: 2019, five million and beyond
