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100 Notable alumni of University of Canterbury

Updated: June 23, 2026 EliteDegrees

University of Canterbury is ranked #448 in the world and #3 in New Zealand by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from University of Canterbury sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with University of Canterbury won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.

Jenny Harper

1. Jenny Harper

1950-. (aged 76)
academic exhibition curator
Jenny Gwynndd Harper MNZM is a New Zealand academic and museum professional. She was most recently the director of Christchurch Art Gallery.
Norman Hardie

2. Norman Hardie

1924-2017 (aged 93)
mountaineer
Norman David Hardie QSO was a New Zealand climber who was one of the climbers on the 1955 British Kangchenjunga expedition who first reached the summit of the 8,586-metre (28,169 ft) mountain, the third-highest mountain in the world.
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Kevin E. Trenberth

3. Kevin E. Trenberth

1944-. (aged 82)
scientist climatologist meteorologist
Kevin Edward Trenberth CNZM is a New Zealand-American climate scientist who worked in the Climate Analysis Section at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research. He was a lead author of the 1995, 2001 and 2007 IPCC assessment reports. He also played major roles in the World Climate Research Programme, for example in its Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere program (TOGA),...
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George Julius

4. George Julius

1873-1946 (aged 73)
inventor
Sir George Alfred Julius was an English-born New Zealand inventor and entrepreneur. He was the founder of Julius Poole & Gibson Pty Ltd and Automatic Totalisators Ltd, and invented the world's first automatic totalisator.
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Michael Allardice

5. Michael Allardice

1991-. (aged 35)
rugby union player
Michael Allardice is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a lock for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Chiefs in the international Super Rugby competition.
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Kate Wilkinson

6. Kate Wilkinson

1957-. (aged 69)
lawyer politician
Catherine Joan Wilkinson is a New Zealand farmer and politician. She was a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the National Party from 2005 until her retirement in 2014. From 2008 until January 2013, she was a member of cabinet, holding the portfolios of Labour (from which she resigned over the Pike River Mine disaster), Conservation, Food...
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Allan Hubbard

7. Allan Hubbard

1928-2011 (aged 83)
businessperson
Allan James Hubbard QSO was a New Zealand businessman who lived in Timaru in the South Island of New Zealand, and was the founder of South Canterbury Finance, New Zealand's largest locally owned finance company. In 2006, the New Zealand Listener described Hubbard as the most powerful businessman in the South Island.
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Hubert Chanson

8. Hubert Chanson

1961-. (aged 65)
engineer civil engineer
Hubert Chanson is a professional engineer and academic in hydraulic engineering and environmental fluid mechanics. Since 1990 he has worked at the University of Queensland.
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Denis Glover

9. Denis Glover

1912-1980 (aged 68)
poet editor writer
Denis James Matthews Glover DSC was a New Zealand poet and publisher. Born in Dunedin, he attended the University of Canterbury where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts, and subsequently lectured. He worked as a reporter and editor for a time, and in 1937 founded the Caxton Press, which published the works of many well-known New Zealand writers of the...
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Liz Calder

10. Liz Calder

1938-. (aged 88)
publisher
Elisabeth Nicole Calder CBE is an English publisher and book editor.
Michael Myers

11. Michael Myers

1873-1950 (aged 77)
lawyer judge
Sir Michael Myers GCMG KC, also known as Mickey Myers, was the sixth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand from 1929 to 1946 and served occasionally as Administrator of New Zealand from 1930 to 1941. He was the first Jew to hold this position. He sat on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in 1936.
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Vicki Buck

12. Vicki Buck

1955-. (aged 71)
local politician mayor
Vicki Susan Buck is a New Zealand politician. She was Mayor of Christchurch for nine years from 1989 to 1998. Prior to being Mayor, Buck was a city councillor for the Pegasus ward, having been elected as the youngest city councillor in New Zealand at the age of 19. She retired after three mayoral terms, having been very popular.
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Charles Moihi Te Arawaka Bennett

13. Charles Moihi Te Arawaka Bennett

1913-1998 (aged 85)
diplomat military leader
Sir Charles Moihi Te Arawaka Bennett DSO PMN was a New Zealand broadcaster, military leader, public servant, and high commissioner to the Federation of Malaya (1959–1963). Of Māori descent, he identified with the Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Whakaue iwi.
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Margaret Austin

14. Margaret Austin

1933-. (aged 93)
school teacher politician
Margaret Elizabeth Austin CNZM CRSNZ is a former New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1984 to 1996, representing first the Labour Party and then briefly United New Zealand.
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Jim Allen

15. Jim Allen

1922-2023 (aged 101)
visual artist
William Robert "Jim" Allen MNZM was a New Zealand visual artist. In 2015, he was named an Arts Foundation Icon by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand, an honour limited to 20 living people. Allen turned 100 years old in July 2022, and the occasion was marked by the Auckland Art Gallery with an exhibition of his works.
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Brianne West

16. Brianne West

businessperson
Brianne West is a New Zealand environmentalist, entrepreneur and the founder of plastic-free drinks brand Incrediballs and Ethique, the world's first zero-waste beauty brand. In 2016 she was named a "Global Thinker" by Foreign Policy magazine and in 2019 the EY Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
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William Alexander Sutton

17. William Alexander Sutton

1917-2000 (aged 83)
painter
William Alexander Sutton CBE was a New Zealand portrait and landscape artist.
Hugh Wilson

18. Hugh Wilson

1945-. (aged 81)
botanist academic conservationist
Hugh Dale Wilson is a New Zealand botanist. He has written and illustrated a number of books about New Zealand plants, and manages Hinewai Reserve on Banks Peninsula.
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Rosemary Banks

19. Rosemary Banks

1951-. (aged 75)
diplomat politician
Rosemary Banks is a New Zealand diplomat who serves as the Ambassador of New Zealand to the United States. She first held that position from 2018 to 2022 and was appointed to a second term in 2024. She is the first woman to hold the position.
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William Young

20. William Young

1952-. (aged 74)
lawyer judge
Sir William Gillow Gibbes Austen Young KNZM KC is a New Zealand judge and a non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong.
Clayton Cosgrove

21. Clayton Cosgrove

1969-. (aged 57)
politician
Clayton James Cosgrove is a former New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party.
Gavin Bishop

22. Gavin Bishop

1946-. (aged 80)
children's writer
Gavin John Bishop ONZM is an author and illustrator, from Invercargill, New Zealand. He is known for illustrating books from prominent New Zealand authors, including Joy Cowley and Margaret Mahy.
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Shane Cotton

23. Shane Cotton

1964-. (aged 62)
painter artist
Shane William Cotton ONZM is a New Zealand painter whose work explores biculturalism, colonialism, cultural identity, Māori spirituality, and life and death.
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Gaylene Preston

24. Gaylene Preston

1947-. (aged 79)
screenwriter film director director film producer
Dame Gaylene Mary Preston DNZM is a New Zealand filmmaker with a particular interest in documentary films.
Derek Quigley

25. Derek Quigley

1932-. (aged 94)
farmer lawyer politician
Derek Francis Quigley QSO is a New Zealand former politician. He was a prominent member of the National Party during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and was known for his support of free-market economics and trade liberalisation. Quigley left the National Party after clashing with its leadership, and later co-founded the ACT New Zealand party.
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Gemma New

26. Gemma New

1986-. (aged 40)
conductor
Gemma Elizabeth New ONZM is a New Zealand-born conductor. She is currently principal conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
Aaron Gilmore

27. Aaron Gilmore

1973-. (aged 53)
politician economist
Aaron Wayne Gilmore is a New Zealand former politician and member of the New Zealand National Party. He was a list MP from the 2008 election until the 2011 election and again from February to May 2013.
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Wira Gardiner

28. Wira Gardiner

1943-2022 (aged 79)
writer
Sir Harawira Tiri Gardiner KNZM was a New Zealand soldier, public servant, and writer. He was Māori, of Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pikiao, Whakatōhea, and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui descent.
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Lloyd Morrison

29. Lloyd Morrison

1957-2012 (aged 55)
banker investment banker businessperson
Hugh Richmond Lloyd Morrison CNZM was a Wellington, New Zealand-based investment banker and entrepreneur. He founded H.R.L. Morrison & Co in 1988, and Morrison & Co launched the infrastructure company Infratil in 1994.
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Duro Olowu

30. Duro Olowu

curator fashion designer
Duro Olowu is a Nigerian-born British fashion designer. He is best known for his innovative combinations of patterns and textiles that draw inspiration from his international background.
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Soe Tjen Marching

31. Soe Tjen Marching

1971-. (aged 55)
poet writer composer university teacher political activist
Soe Tjen Marching is a writer, academician, activist, and a composer of avant-garde music from Indonesia. In 1998, she won the national competition for Indonesian Contemporary Composers held by the German Embassy. Her compositions have been played in New Zealand, Indonesia and Japan. Her work has been released on the CD Asia Piano Avantgarde - Indonesia, played by pianist Steffen...
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Pansy Wong

32. Pansy Wong

1955-. (aged 71)
politician
Pansy Yu Fong Wong is a New Zealand former politician.
Tipene O'Regan

33. Tipene O'Regan

1939-. (aged 87)
kaumātua businessperson activist educator academic
Sir Stephen Gerard "Tipene" O'Regan ONZ CRSNZ is a New Zealand academic, company director and former chairman of the Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Board.
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Miriama Kamo

34. Miriama Kamo

1973-. (aged 53)
television presenter
Miriama Jennet Kamo is a New Zealand journalist, children's author and television presenter. She currently presents TVNZ's Māori current affairs programme Marae and presented the current affairs programme Sunday between 2002 and 2024, when the show was cancelled.
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Elsie Locke

35. Elsie Locke

1912-2001 (aged 89)
historian peace activist novelist writer
Elsie Violet Locke was a New Zealand communist writer, historian, and leading activist in the feminism and peace movements. Probably best known for her children's literature, The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature said that she "made a remarkable contribution to New Zealand society", for which the University of Canterbury awarded her an honorary D.Litt. in 1987. She was married...
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Keith Locke

36. Keith Locke

1944-2024 (aged 80)
politician
Keith James Locke MNZM was a New Zealand activist and politician. He was a Green Party Member of Parliament from 1999 to 2011.
Roger Sutton

37. Roger Sutton

1964-. (aged 62)
engineer
Roger Sutton is a business leader in Christchurch, New Zealand. He was chief executive of power lines company Orion New Zealand Limited from 2003 until 13 June 2011, when he commenced as CEO of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. He resigned in 2014 after being found guilty of serious misconduct by the State Services Commission.
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Michael Kerrisk

38. Michael Kerrisk

1961-. (aged 65)
software maintainer author engineer programmer
Michael Kerrisk is a technical author, programmer and, since 2004, maintainer of the Linux man-pages project, succeeding Andries Brouwer. He was born in 1961 in New Zealand and lives in Munich, Germany.
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Owen Marshall

39. Owen Marshall

1941-. (aged 85)
novelist
Owen Marshall Jones CNZM, who writes under the pen name Owen Marshall, is a New Zealand short story writer and novelist.
Duncan Webb

40. Duncan Webb

1968-. (aged 58)
politician political candidate
Duncan Alexander Webb is a New Zealand politician, lawyer and academic. He was a law professor at the University of Canterbury from 2000 to 2008, then became a partner at law firm Lane Neave. He was elected as a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for Christchurch Central, representing the Labour Party, in the 2017 general election.
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Glenn Wilson

41. Glenn Wilson

1942-. (aged 84)
pundit psychologist writer
Glenn Daniel Wilson is a psychologist best known for his work on attitude and personality measurement, sexual attraction, deviation and dysfunction, partner compatibility, and psychology applied to performing arts. He is a fellow of the British Psychological Society and makes frequent media appearances as a psychology expert, especially in TV news and documentaries.
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Brian Boyd

42. Brian Boyd

1952-. (aged 74)
scholar of English literary scholar literary critic university teacher
Brian David Boyd is a professor of literature known primarily as an expert on the life and works of author Vladimir Nabokov and on literature and evolution. He is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of English at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
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Phil Pringle

43. Phil Pringle

1952-. (aged 74)
writer
Philip Andrew Pringle OAM is a New Zealand-born Australian Christian evangelist. Pringle arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, from Christchurch in 1980 with his wife Chris. He is the senior pastor of C3 Church Sydney (formerly known as Christian City Church), which was started in a surf club in Dee Why before moving to a large, rented warehouse after an...
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Jan Tinetti

44. Jan Tinetti

1968-. (aged 58)
political candidate head teacher politician
Janette Rose Tinetti is a New Zealand politician and a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party.
Bob Parker

45. Bob Parker

1953-. (aged 73)
politician television producer
Sir Robert John Parker KNZM is a former New Zealand broadcaster and politician. He served as Mayor of Christchurch from 2007 to 2013.
Joel Hayward

46. Joel Hayward

1964-. (aged 62)
historian poet university teacher writer
Joel Hayward FRHistS FRSA is a New Zealand-born British scholar, academic and writer. He has been listed in the 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions of The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims. He has been the Dean of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, the Chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences as well as Director of the...
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Ruth Richardson

47. Ruth Richardson

1950-. (aged 76)
lawyer politician
Ruth Margaret Richardson CNZM is a retired New Zealand politician of the National Party who served as Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1993. Her 1991 budget, which she dubbed the "Mother of all Budgets", formed the catalyst for her party's economic reforms known in the media as "Ruthanasia".
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Jordan Luck

48. Jordan Luck

1962-. (aged 64)
musician
Jordan William Hunter Luck MNZM is the former lead singer and songwriter of the New Zealand rock band the Exponents. He was born in Vanderhoof in the province of British Columbia, Canada. His family moved to Tokarahi (near Oamaru) and later moved to Geraldine where he grew up. He attended University of Canterbury and College House. He is now in...
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Lianne Dalziel

49. Lianne Dalziel

1960-. (aged 66)
lawyer politician
Lianne Audrey Dalziel CNZM is a New Zealand politician and former mayor of Christchurch. Prior to this position, she was a member of the New Zealand Parliament for 23 years, serving as Minister of Immigration, Commerce, Minister of Food Safety and Associate Minister of Justice in the Fifth Labour Government. She resigned from Cabinet on 20 February 2004 after apparently...
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Yamani Hafez Musa

50. Yamani Hafez Musa

1979-. (aged 47)
politician
Yamani Hafez bin Musa is a Malaysian politician who served as the Deputy Minister of Finance II in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and former Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz from August 2021 to the collapse of the BN administration in November 2022, Member of Parliament (MP) for Sipitang from May 2018 to November...
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Rob Fyfe

51. Rob Fyfe

1961-. (aged 65)
engineer
Robert Ian Fyfe CNZM is a New Zealand businessman and a former chief executive officer (CEO) of New Zealand national airline Air New Zealand.
Feleti Sevele

52. Feleti Sevele

1944-. (aged 82)
diplomat economist politician
Feleti Vakaʻuta Sevele, Lord Sevele of Vailahi is a Tongan politician who served as the prime minister of Tonga from 30 March 2006 to 22 December 2010.
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Ginny Andersen

53. Ginny Andersen

1975-. (aged 51)
politician political candidate
Virginia Ruby Andersen is a New Zealand politician. She has been a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party since the 2017 New Zealand general election.
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Petra Bagust

54. Petra Bagust

1972-. (aged 54)
television presenter
Petra Bagust is a New Zealand television presenter, radio host, podcaster and media chaplain, perhaps best known for her role as co-presenter of TVNZ's morning show Breakfast.
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Braydon Ennor

55. Braydon Ennor

1997-. (aged 29)
rugby union player
Braydon Maurice Ennor is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a wing and centre for Canterbury in the Bunnings NPC and the Crusaders in Super Rugby.
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Annea Lockwood

56. Annea Lockwood

1939-. (aged 87)
music educator composer
Annea Lockwood is a New Zealand-born American composer and academic musician. She taught electronic music at Vassar College. Her range is vast and often includes microtonal, electro-acoustic soundscapes and vocal music, as well as recordings of natural found sounds. She has also recorded Fluxus-inspired pieces involving burning or drowning pianos.
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David McPhail

57. David McPhail

1945-2021 (aged 76)
screenwriter television actor comedian actor television producer
David Alexander McPhail ONZM QSM was a New Zealand comedic actor and writer whose television career spanned four decades. McPhail first won fame on sketch comedy show A Week of It, partly thanks to his impressions of New Zealand prime minister Robert Muldoon. He went on to appear in multiple series of sketch show McPhail and Gadsby, and hit comedy...
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David Teece

58. David Teece

1948-. (aged 78)
university teacher economist
David John Teece CNZM is a New Zealand-born US-based organizational economist, Professor emeritus in Global Business and director of the Tusher Center for the Management of Intellectual Capital at the Walter A. Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and as of 2024, Distinguished Scholar of Strategy and Innovation at the University of South Florida Muma College...
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Anote Tong

59. Anote Tong

1952-. (aged 74)
diplomat politician
Anote Tong is an I-Kiribati environmental activist and former politician for the Pillars of Truth party with half Chinese heritage, who served as the fourth president of Kiribati, from 2003 to 2016. He won the election in July 2003 with a slim plurality of votes cast (47.4%) against his older brother, Harry Tong (43.5%) and the private lawyer Banuera Berina...
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Nick Smith

60. Nick Smith

1960-. (aged 66)
politician
Nicolas Rex Smith is a New Zealand politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the National Party from 1990 to 2021. He served as a Cabinet minister, holding various posts including Minister for Building and Housing, Minister for the Environment, Minister for Climate Change Issues, and Minister of Local Government. For a brief time between October and...
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Margaret Mahy

61. Margaret Mahy

1936-2012 (aged 76)
screenwriter novelist writer librarian children's writer
Margaret Mahy ONZ was a New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. Many of her story plots have strong supernatural elements but her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growing up. She wrote more than 100 picture books, 40 novels and 20 collections of short stories. At her death she was one of thirty writers...
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Don Brash

62. Don Brash

1940-. (aged 86)
politician economist
Donald Thomas Brash is a New Zealand former politician who was Leader of the Opposition and leader of the New Zealand National Party from October 2003 to November 2006, and leader of the ACT New Zealand party for seven months from April to November 2011.
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Teddy Tahu Rhodes

63. Teddy Tahu Rhodes

1966-. (aged 60)
opera singer
Teddy Tahu Rhodes is a New Zealand-born operatic baritone based in Australia. He has performed at opera houses in New Zealand, Australia, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, New York City and throughout Europe. Apart from many appearances in the standard repertoire, he has sung leading roles in Australian and world premieres. His recordings range from Baroque oratorios, operas, Lieder...
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Feleti Teo

64. Feleti Teo

1962-. (aged 64)
diplomat politician
Feleti Penitala Teo is a Tuvaluan politician and lawyer who is serving as the 14th prime minister of Tuvalu since 2024. He was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu in the 2024 Tuvaluan general election, with his previous role being the executive director of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).
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Michael Cullen

65. Michael Cullen

1945-2021 (aged 76)
politician economist
Sir Michael John Cullen KNZM was a New Zealand politician. He was a Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1981 to 2009, the Deputy Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1996 to 2008 and a senior minister in the Fifth Labour Government from 1999 to 2008, serving as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and...
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Andrea Hewitt

66. Andrea Hewitt

1982-. (aged 44)
triathlete
Andrea Hansen MNZM is a New Zealand triathlete who placed third at the 2009 ITU Triathlon World Championships and competed at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics.
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Bill Rowling

67. Bill Rowling

1927-1995 (aged 68)
diplomat politician
Sir Wallace Edward Rowling KCMG PC was a New Zealand politician who was the 30th prime minister of New Zealand from 1974 to 1975. He held office as the leader of the Labour Party.
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Stuart Nash

68. Stuart Nash

1967-. (aged 59)
politician
Stuart Alexander Nash is a New Zealand politician and lawyer. He was a member of the House of Representatives for Labour Party from 2008 to 2011, and was re-elected in 2014 election as a representative of Napier electorate. In October 2017 when Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister of New Zealand, Nash entered Labour Cabinet, with a portfolios of Police, Revenue,...
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Megan Woods

69. Megan Woods

1973-. (aged 53)
politician political candidate
Megan Cherie Woods is a New Zealand Labour Party politician who served as a Cabinet Minister in the Sixth Labour Government and has served as Member of Parliament for Wigram since 2011.
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David Shearer

70. David Shearer

1957-. (aged 69)
politician
David James Shearer MBE is a New Zealand United Nations worker and politician. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament for the Labour Party from 2009 to 2016, serving as Leader of the Opposition from 2011 to 2013.
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Ken Henry

71. Ken Henry

1957-. (aged 69)
economist civil servant business executive
Kenneth Ross Henry AC is an Australian economist and public servant who served as the Secretary of the Department of the Treasury from 2001 to 2011.
Rita Angus

72. Rita Angus

1908-1970 (aged 62)
printmaker painter
Henrietta Catherine Angus, known as Rita Cook early in her career, was a New Zealand painter who, alongside Colin McCahon and Toss Woollaston, is regarded as one of the leading figures in twentieth-century New Zealand art. She worked primarily in oil and watercolour, and became known for her portraits and landscapes.
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Adam Whitelock

73. Adam Whitelock

1987-. (aged 39)
rugby sevens player rugby union player
Adam Whitelock is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played as a midfield back or wing. He previously played for the Crusaders in Super Rugby, Canterbury in the ITM Cup. and Bayonne in the Top 14. Whitelock also played for the All Blacks Sevens team.
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Amy Adams

74. Amy Adams

1971-. (aged 55)
lawyer politician
Amy Juliet Adams is a New Zealand lawyer and former politician. Since 2022 she has been chancellor of the University of Canterbury.
Roy Kerr

75. Roy Kerr

1934-. (aged 92)
mathematician physicist bridge player university teacher
Roy Patrick Kerr CNZM FRS FRSNZ is a New Zealand mathematician who discovered the Kerr geometry, an exact solution to the Einstein field equation of general relativity. His solution models the gravitational field outside an uncharged rotating massive object, including a rotating black hole. His solution to Einstein's equations predicted spinning black holes before they were discovered.
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Ernest Rutherford

76. Ernest Rutherford

1871-1937 (aged 66)
chemist professor university teacher nuclear physicist politician
Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, was a New Zealand physicist and chemist who was a pioneering researcher in both atomic and nuclear physics. He has been described as "the father of nuclear physics" and "the greatest experimentalist since Michael Faraday." In 1908, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his investigations into the disintegration of the...
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Rhys Darby

77. Rhys Darby

1974-. (aged 52)
actor comedian television actor
Rhys Montague Darby is a New Zealand actor and comedian. He is known for his energetic physical comedy routines, telling stories accompanied with mime, and sound effects of things such as machinery and animals. He was nominated for the Billy T Award in 2001 and 2002 and won the 2012 Fred (Dagg) Award for best NZ show at the New...
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Christopher Luxon

78. Christopher Luxon

1970-. (aged 56)
chief executive officer political candidate politician
Christopher Mark Luxon is a New Zealand politician and businessman who has served as the 42nd prime minister of New Zealand since 2023. A member of the National Party, he has been member of Parliament (MP) for Botany since 2020 and previously served as leader of the Opposition from 2021 to 2023. Prior to entering politics, he was the chief...
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John Key

79. John Key

1961-. (aged 65)
politician economist
Sir John Phillip Key is a New Zealand retired politician who served as the 38th prime minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016 and as leader of the National Party from 2006 to 2016.
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Michael Hurst

80. Michael Hurst

1957-. (aged 69)
actor television actor screenwriter film actor stage actor
Michael Eric Hurst ONZM is a British-born New Zealand actor, director, and writer. He is known as a theatre actor, especially in Shakespearean roles, and more widely known for his roles in the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess as Iolaus. He directed the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Ash vs Evil Dead. He...
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Ngaio Marsh

81. Ngaio Marsh

1895-1982 (aged 87)
stage actor writer autobiographer novelist film actor
Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh DBE was a New Zealand writer.
Scott Barrett

82. Scott Barrett

1993-. (aged 33)
rugby union player
Scott Kevin Barrett is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a Lock for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and Taranaki in the Bunnings NPC. Barrett was named All Black Captain in June 2024.
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Vincent Ward

83. Vincent Ward

1956-. (aged 70)
screenwriter director film director film producer actor
Vincent Ward ONZM is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and artist.
Āpirana Ngata

84. Āpirana Ngata

1874-1950 (aged 76)
historian jurist lawyer politician
Sir Āpirana Turupa Ngata was a prominent New Zealand statesman. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have served in parliament in the mid-20th century, and is also known for his work in promoting and protecting Māori culture and language. His legacy is one of the most prominent of any New Zealand leader in the 20th...
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Ruby Tui

85. Ruby Tui

1991-. (aged 35)
rugby sevens player rugby union player
Ruby Malae Tui is a New Zealand rugby union player. She competed internationally when the national rugby sevens team won the silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics tournament. She won a gold medal in rugby sevens at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She was a member of the Black Ferns team that won the 2021 Rugby World Cup.
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Bruce Murray

86. Bruce Murray

1940-2023 (aged 83)
historian cricketer
Bruce Alexander Grenfell Murray QSO was a Test cricketer for New Zealand who played 13 Tests as a right-handed opening batsman between 1968 and 1971. He was a school principal in the Wellington area from 1981 to 2002, and the author of several geography textbooks. After retiring from teaching, he was a cricket administrator in Wellington and a historian.
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Alan Gibbs

87. Alan Gibbs

1939-. (aged 87)
art collector
Alan Timothy Gibbs is a New Zealand-born businessman, entrepreneur and former public servant.
Nicola Willis

88. Nicola Willis

1981-. (aged 45)
politician political candidate
Nicola Valentine Willis is a New Zealand politician who has been deputy leader of the National Party since 2021. She is also the Minister of Finance, the Minister for Social Investment, the Minister for Economic Growth, and was also the Minister for the Public Services in the Sixth National Government.
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Eleanor Catton

89. Eleanor Catton

1985-. (aged 41)
novelist screenwriter writer
Eleanor Catton MNZM is a New Zealand novelist and screenwriter. Born in Canada, Catton moved to New Zealand as a child and grew up in Christchurch. She completed a master's degree in creative writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters. Her award-winning debut novel, The Rehearsal, written as her Master's thesis, was published in 2008, and has been adapted...
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Chiam See Tong

90. Chiam See Tong

1935-. (aged 91)
lawyer politician
Chiam See Tong is a Singaporean former politician and lawyer who was serving as secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), between 1980 to 1993, and later served as secretary-general of the Singapore People's Party (SPP) between 2011 to 2019 and as chairman of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) from 2001 to 2011. Chiam was the de facto Leader of...
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Sam Neill

91. Sam Neill

1947-. (aged 79)
film actor film director television actor actor winegrower
Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill is a New Zealand actor. His career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he is regarded as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
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Tracey McLellan

92. Tracey McLellan

1970-. (aged 56)
politician political candidate
Tracey Lee McLellan is a New Zealand politician. From 2020 to 2023, she was a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party. In 2024, she re-entered parliament after the resignation of fellow Labour List MP Rino Tirikatene.
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Tracy Phillips

93. Tracy Phillips

1968-. (aged 58)
high jumper police officer
Tracy Joy Phillips MNZM is a former New Zealand high jumper and police officer. She competed for New Zealand at two Commonwealth Games, in 1990 and 1994, winning a bronze medal in the high jump in 1990. Phillips joined the New Zealand Police in 1990, rising to the rank of inspector. She is noted for her advocacy for LGBTIQ+-friendly policies...
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Nicky Wagner

94. Nicky Wagner

1953-. (aged 73)
businessperson politician
Nicola Joanne Wagner is a former New Zealand politician. After a career in teaching and business, she was a National Party member of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2005 to 2020, when she retired.
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David Moxon

95. David Moxon

1951-. (aged 75)
Anglican priest
Sir David John Moxon KNZM GCStJ is a New Zealand Anglican bishop. He was until June 2017, the Archbishop of Canterbury's Representative to the Holy See and Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome. He was previously the Bishop of Waikato in the Diocese of Waikato and Taranaki, the archbishop of the New Zealand dioceses and one of the three...
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Peter Dunne

96. Peter Dunne

1954-. (aged 72)
politician
Peter Francis Dunne CNZM is a New Zealand retired politician.
Wendy Larner

97. Wendy Larner

1963-. (aged 63)
university teacher geographer social scientist
Wendy Larner FAcSS FLSW FRSNZ FNZGS is a New Zealand social scientist who has focussed on the interdisciplinary areas of globalisation, governance and gender. She has been Vice-Chancellor and President of Cardiff University since September 2023.
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Nathan Cohen

98. Nathan Cohen

1986-. (aged 40)
rower
Nathan Phillip Cohen MNZM is a New Zealand rower. He is a two-time world champion, and won a gold medal in the Olympics. In 2006, rowing a single scull, he won a gold medal at the World University Games. In doing so, he became the first New Zealander to win a gold medal at the World University Games in any...
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Rodney Hide

99. Rodney Hide

1956-. (aged 70)
politician
Rodney Philip Hide QSO 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 Epsom constituency from 2005 to 2011. In the Fifth National Government, Hide was Minister of Local Government, Associate Minister of Commerce and...
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Toni Street

100. Toni Street

1983-. (aged 43)
television presenter
Toni Street is a New Zealand television presenter and sports commentator. She is best known for co-hosting the New Zealand current affairs programme Seven Sharp alongside Mike Hosking, as well as presenting morning shows and sports reporting for One News.
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