People from New Zealand

28 people remembered here.

• 
  Sam Neill

  1947 – 2026 · Winegrower

  181 candles · 10 tributes
• 
  Paddy Payne

  1936 – 2026 · Jumps jockey

  Hawera-born trainer who raised a racing family and a Melbourne Cup winner.

  80 candles · 7 tributes
• 
  Rodney Charters

  1945 – 2026 · Cinematographer

  The New Zealand eye behind nearly every early episode of 24.

  73 candles · 5 tributes
• 
  Jim Peters

  1937 – 2026 · Educator

  Northland educator, NZ First MP and Auckland Pro Vice-Chancellor Maori who served classroom, council and country.

  66 candles · 7 tributes
• 
  Barry Cleavin

  1939 – 2026 · Fine art printmaker (intaglio/etching

  NZ master printmaker who made doubt, bones and Hereweka speak in ink.

  66 candles · 7 tributes
• 
  John Broughton

  1947 – 2026 · Academic

  Māori health professor and playwright who wove hauora and theatre into Aotearoa's story.

  55 candles · 6 tributes
• 
  Margaret Clark

  1941 – 2026 · Political scientist

  First New Zealand woman professor of political science; a wise Wellington teacher.

  47 candles · 3 tributes
• 
  Ginger Molloy

  1937 – 2026 · Grand Prix motorcycle racer

  Huntly privateer who finished second to Agostini in the 1970 500cc world championship.

  39 candles · 4 tributes
• 
  Les Mills

  1934 – 2026 · Olympic athlete

  New Zealand Olympian, Auckland mayor and founder of the Les Mills fitness brand.

  10 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Russell Stone

  1923 – 2026 · Historian and academic

  The father of Auckland history, still sharing what he knew at 103.

  9 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Pauline Parker

  1938 – 2026 · Teacher and riding instructor (as Hilary Nathan)

  Christchurch-born woman at the heart of the 1954 Parker-Hulme case, who spent her later life as Hilary Nathan teaching children and horses.

  9 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Peter Barrett

  1940 – 2026 · Antarctic geologist

  Antarctic geologist who found the first tetrapod fossil on the ice and led Victoria University's polar research centre.

  9 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Peter Johns

  † 2026 · Tararua District councillor

  Woodville's councillor who brought energy, humour and steel to Tararua's table.

  9 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Cameron Bell

  1939 – 2026 · Rugby league coach

  New Zealand rugby league coach who led Auckland past Great Britain and Australia.

  8 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Margaret Bedggood

  1939 – 2026 · Jurist

  Chief Human Rights Commissioner who taught generations that law can be an agent of change.

  8 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Geoff Thompson

  1940 – 2026 · Politician

  First MP for Horowhenua who steered the National Party into the MMP era.

  7 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Cheryl Smith

  1970 – 2026 · Rugby union player and coach

  Two-time world champion Black Fern who gave everything she could to rugby and to Te Tai Tokerau.

  7 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Robert Kururangi

  1957 – 2026 · Rugby union wing

  Counties Manukau wing and 1978 All Black who helped win the province's only NPC title.

  6 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Adrian Rurawhe

  1961 – 2026 · Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives

  Second Māori Speaker of New Zealand's House; Labour MP for Te Tai Hauāuru.

  6 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Phil Gifford

  1947 – 2026 · Sportswriter

  New Zealand sportswriter and broadcaster who made rugby talk smarter and funnier.

  5 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Arch Jelley

  1922 – 2026 · Athletics coach and school principal

  The Dunedin teacher who coached John Walker to the first sub 3:50 mile and Olympic gold, and was still coaching Olympians at 93.

  4 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Ken Ring

  † 2026 · Writer and long-range weather forecaster

  New Zealand's Moon Man, who read the weather in the tides and never stopped believing anything was possible.

  4 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Kirsty Lay

  † 2026 · Model and businesswoman

  Christchurch's Face of the Eighties, remembered as a pioneering New Zealand model and businesswoman.

  4 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Georgina Beyer

  1957 – 2023 · Politician

  World's first openly transgender mayor and MP, she proved rural New Zealand could lead the world on dignity.

  4 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Paul Gay

  † 2026 · Educator and outdoor education advocate

  He led Southland's children into Fiordland for 43 years so they could know the natural world.

  3 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Lyndsay Rackley

  1944 – 2026 · Radio broadcaster

  Sixty-five years on the air with New Zealand's oldest radio station.

  3 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Danny Watson

  † 2026 · Broadcaster and television presenter

  Warm New Zealand broadcaster of children's television and afternoon talkback, and a devoted beekeeper.

  3 candles · 1 tributes
• 
  Sir John Mace

  1932 – 2026 · New Zealand Army officer

  NZSAS Original who rose from Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam to lead New Zealand's Defence Force.

  3 candles · 1 tributes