List of people from Gisborne, New Zealand

The following is a list of famous people born in Gisborne, New Zealand, and people who spent significant periods of their lives living in the Gisborne/East Coast area (from Wairoa to Te Kaha to Opotiki).

Media

• Murray Ball (1939- ), cartoonist, creator of Footrot Flats
• Rangi Coleman, former Bureau Chief of Maori Television, political journalist
• Witi Ihimaera (1944- ), author
• Bailey Mackey, former head of sport for Maori Television; executive producer of The GC; husband of former Shortland Street actress Emmeline Hawthorne)
• Neil Waka, former TVNZ journalist
• Joy Watson, award-winning author
• Tina Wickliffe, former Maori Television TVNZ political journalist

Political

• Aaryn Barlow, politician (Green)
• Sir James Carroll, acting Prime Minister (Independent then Liberal)
• Charles Chauvel, politician (Labour)
• Albert Davy, politician
• Catherine Delahunty, politician (Green)
• Meng Foon, current and longest sitting Mayor of Gisborne
• David Garrett, politician
• Parekura Horomia, politician (Labour)
• Gareth Hughes, politician (Green)
• Wayne Kimber, politician (National)
• Mokena Kohere, pioneer
• Te Kooti, activist
• Janet Mackey, politician, mother of Moana Mackey (Labour)
• Moana Mackey, politician, scientist, daughter of Janet Mackey (Labour)
• Apirana Ngata, politician, honoured by being on the NZ$50 note
• Wi Pere, politician
• Margaret Sievwright, women's rights activist
• Esme Tombleson, pioneer female politician
• Rana Waitai, politician
• Allan Wallbank, politician (Labour)
• Margaret Wilson, politician, speaker of the house

Art

• Peter Brown
• Jolene Douglas

Entertainment

• Rongo Brightwell, New Zealand Idol Top 5 2005
• Rowan Carlyle, musician, soil tester, all round good guy
• Jackie Clarke, actress, former New Zealand Idol judge
• Clark Gayford, television presenter
• Marie Te Hapuku, soprano
• Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, opera diva
• Darren Katene, 1814 member
• Tuini Ngawai, composer
• Ngoi Pēwhairangi, composer
• Cole Smith, The GC; cousin of Matai Smith
• Matai Smith, Pukana presenter
• Bronwyn Turei, actress
• Chanel Whalley, Australian Idol Top 10 2004

Military

• Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu, Victoria Cross recipient

Sports

• Aron Baynes, basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA and the Australia men's national basketball team
• Grant Bramwell, Olympic gold medalist - kayak
• James Broadhurst, All Blacks rugby union player.
• Shane Cameron, boxer
• Mark Carrington, cricketer
• Craig Clarke, rugby player
• Matt Cooper, All Black rugby union player
• George Nepia All Black
• Sandra Edge, netball player
• Rory Fallon, football player
• Hosea Gear, rugby player
• Rico Gear, All Black rugby player
• Tom Heeney, boxer
• Peta Hiku, Manly Sea Eagles and New Zealand Kiwis Test Rugby League player)
• Joe Hogan, croquet player
• Cory Hutchings, iron man
• Ian Kirkpatrick, All Black rugby player
• George Nepia, All Black rugby union player
• Charlie Ngatai, all Blacks & Maori All Blacks rugby union player
• Maz Quinn, surfer
• Wai Taumaunu, Silver Fern netball player
• Alan Thompson, Olympic gold medalist - kayaking
• Chris White, Olympic bronze medalist - rowing
• David White, cricketer

Business

• Bob Berry, dendrologist
• William Douglas Cook, horticulturist
• Peter Egan, meat industry
• Dame Bronwen Holdsworth (born 1943), businesswoman and arts sponsor^[1]
• Vaughan Jones, mathematician
• Robert Kerridge, tourism industrialist
• Stephen Parke, theoretical physicist
• Eric Partridge, lexicographer
• Professor Jack Richards, English and art scholar
• Bishop Leonard Williams

Academics

• Vaughan Jones
• Paul McHugh
• Don Merton
• Professor Dame Anne Salmond

Others

• Witi Ihimaera's nephew, Gary Lewis, who is married to Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, Lady Davina Windsor; born in Gisborne
• Lyn Provost, Controller and Auditor-General
• Terrance John Clark, international criminal and head of a crime syndicate which distributed heroin into New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom in the 1970s and 1980s, brother of former Gisborne Mayor, John Clark.
• Andrew Witters, co-founder of the musical festival Rhythm & Vines; his family own the vineyard where the festival is hosted
• One or both parents of all three 2013 X-Factor NZ finalists, Whenua Patuwai, Jackie Thomas and Benny Tipene, come from Gisborne.
• 3 News anchorman, Mike McRoberts's father comes from Wairoa.
• Director Lee Tamahori's father comes from Gisborne. Tamahori sent his children to high school in Gisborne.
• John Tamihere's wife, Awerangi Tamihere (daughter of Professor Mason Durie), comes from the Gisborne area.
• Silver Fern netball captain, Casey Kopua's husband Terry, was born and raised in Gisborne.
• Russell Crowe's mother's family comes from Reporua and later moved to Manutuke through his Wemyss/Hayes line.
• Actor David de Lautour's father was born and raised in Gisborne before relocating to Christchurch as an adult. His grandparents still live in Gisborne. He is also the great grandson of former Mayor, Cecil de Lautour.
• All Blacks rugby union player, Nehe Milner-Skudder's family are from Gisborne. His mother currently works at Ngata College in Ruatoria.
• Lisa Carrington's family are from Gisborne.

References