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). Those in italic are people who weren't born in the Gisborne region but have/had spent a majority of their lives living in the region. Examples include cartoonist Murray Ball and former politician, Janet Mackey.
Political
Ron Bailey Harry Barker (1898–1994), mayor and editorAaryn Barlow (1984– ), politician (Green)Sir James Carroll (1857–1926), acting Prime Minister (Independent then Liberal)Charles Chauvel (1969– ), politician (Labour)Bob Clarkson (1939– ), politician (National)David Coleman (1881–1951), politician (Labour) and mayorTrevor Davey (1926–2012), politician (Labour)Albert Davy (1886–1959), politician (Reform then United)Catherine Delahunty (1953– ), politician (Green)Harry Dudfield (1912–1987), politician (National)Meng Foon , longest sitting Mayor of GisborneDavid Garrett (1957– ) politician (ACT)Edward Francis Harris (1834–1898), public servantParekura Horomia (1950–2013), politician (Labour)Gareth Hughes (1981– ), politician (Green)Wayne Kimber (1949–2004), politician (National)Mokena Kohere (1812–1894), pioneerRēweti Kōhere (1871–1954), Labour politician and historianDouglas Lysnar (1867–1942), politician (Reform) and mayorJanet Mackey Moana Mackey (1974– ), politician, scientist, daughter of Janet Mackey (Labour)Ethel McMillan (1904–1987), politician (Labour)Āpirana Ngata (1874–1950), politician (National), honoured by being on the NZ$50 noteWi Pere (1837–1915), politician (Liberal), son of Thomas Halbert and half-brother of Otene Pitau and Kate Wyllie.Otene Pitau (1834–1921), tribal leader, son of Thomas Halbert and half-brother of Wi Pere and Kate Wyllie.Hone Heke Rankin (1896–1964), tribal leaderArnold Reedy (1903–1971), tribal leaderLena Ruru (1902–1977), tribal leaderMargaret Sievwright (1844–1905), women's rights activistTe Kooti (1832–1893), activistEsme Tombleson (1917–2010), politician (National)William Tucker (1843–1919), mayorRana Waitai (1942–2021), politician (National then New Zealand First then Mauri Pacific)Allan Wallbank (1937– ), politician (Labour)Margaret Wilson (1947– ), politician (Labour), speaker of the houseKate Wyllie (1840–1913), tribal leader daughter of Thomas Halbert , half-sister of Wi Pere and Otene Pitau and grandmother of Tu WyllieTu Wyllie (1954– ), politician (New Zealand First)
Art
Entertainment
Jackie Clarke (1966– ), actress, former New Zealand Idol Clarke Gayford (1977- ), former reality show contestant and VJ, current television personality and model as well as the husband of former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern .George Henare (1945– ), actorRongo Keene (formerly Brightwell) , New Zealand Idol Darren Katene , 1814 memberTuini Ngawai (1910–1965), composerShaquille Paranihi-Ngauma (1993– ), Titanium memberNgoi Pēwhairangi (1921–1985), composerEru Potaka-Dewes (1939–2009), actor and activistCole Smith , reality actor (The GC Matai Smith (1977– ), Pukana Marie Te Hapuku , sopranoKiri Te Kanawa (1944– ), opera divaBronwyn Turei (1984– ), actressChanel Whalley (1977– ), Australian Idol Phyllis Williams (1905–1993), singer
Military
Sports
Jock Aird Cody Andrews (1987– ), cricketer (Northern Districts)Ken Armstrong Keith Bagley (1931–1999), rugby union player (All Blacks, Poverty Bay)Rowan Barbour (1922–2004), cricketer (Northern Districts)Hamish Barton (1976– ), cricketer (Argentina, Auckland, Canterbury) and son of Peter BartonPeter Barton (1941– ), cricketer (Northern Districts, Otago) and father of Hamish BartonAron Baynes (1986– ), basketball player (Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs (NBA )) and the Australia men's national basketball team Rachel Beale (1985– ), netball player (Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic)Grant Bramwell (1961– ), Olympic gold medalist (LA 1984) kayakerGeorge Bridge (1995– ), rugby union player (Crusaders, Canterbury)James Broadhurst Roger Broughton (1958–2004), cricketer (Northern Districts)Shane Cameron (1977– ), boxerMark Carrington (1961– ), cricketer (Northern Districts)Bill Carson (1916–1944), cricketer (Black Caps, Auckland) and rugby union player (All Blacks, Auckland)Craig Clarke (1983– ), rugby union player (Connacht, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Chiefs)Matthew Cooper (1966– ), rugby union player (All Black , Croatia, Highlanders, Chiefs)Graeme Dingle (1945– ), outdoor adventurer and mountaineerWhetu Douglas (1991– ), rugby union player (Maori All Blacks, Waikato)Sandra Edge (1962– ), netball player (Silver Ferns)Kelly Evernden (1961– ), tennis playerGordon Falcon (1970– ), rugby league (Penrith Panthers) and rugby union player (Maori All Blacks)Rory Fallon (1982– ), football player (All Whites, Truro City)Darryl Fitzgerald (1990– ), canoeistMosese Fotuaika (1992–2013), rugby league player (West Tigers)Hosea Gear (1984– ), rugby union player (All Blacks, Maori All Blacks, Chiefs, Clermont) and brother of Rico GearRico Gear (1978– ), rugby union player (All Blacks, Maori All Blacks, Kintetsu Liners, Crusaders) and brother of Hosea GearBernard Graham (1922–1992), cricketer (Auckland)Tony Graham (1962– ), cyclistToa Halafihi (1993– ), rugby union player (Hurricanes, Taranaki)Tom Heeney (1898–1984), boxerPeter Henderson (1926–2014), rugby union (All Blacks, Wanganui) and rugby league player (Huddersfield)Peta Hiku (1992– ), rugby league player (Penith Panthers, Manly Sea Eagles , New Zealand Kiwis )Cory Hutchings (1972– ), iron manMichelle Hyland (1984– ), cyclistAndy Jefferd (1953– ), rugby union player (All Blacks, Ngati Porou East Coast, Canterbury)Ian Kirkpatrick (1946– ), rugby union player (All Blacks, Canterbury, Poverty Bay)Robert Kururangi (1957– ), rugby union player (All Blacks, Maori All Blacks, Counties)Jamie Lee (1971– ), cricketer (Northern Districts)Gordon Macpherson (1962– ), rugby union player (All Blacks, Otago, Poverty Bay) and coach (Atlanta Renegades, Glasgow Hutchesons Aloysians RFC)Sarah Mason (1995– ), surferGuy McGregor (1930– ), field hockey player (Black Sticks)Atunaisa Moli (1995– ), rugby union player (Chiefs, Waikato)Tom Morrison (1913–1985), rugby union player (All Blacks, Wellington)George Nēpia (1905–1986), rugby union player (All Blacks, Ngati Porou East Coast)Charlie Ngatai (1990– ), rugby union player (All Blacks, Maori All Blacks, Chiefs)Ross Nicholson (1975– ), football player (All Whites, Onehunga Sports)Miah Nikora (1985– ), rugby union player (Connacht, Hurricanes)Brendon O'Connor (1989– ), rugby union player (Leicester Tigers, Blues)Bob O'Dea (1930–1986), rugby union player (All Blacks, Thames Valley)Maz Quinn (1976– ), surferWilliam Lee Rees Gordon Robertson (1909–1983), cricketer (Otago)Grant Robinson (1979– ), cricketer (Northern Districts)Victor Simpson (1960– ), rugby union player (Maori All Blacks, Canterbury)Graham Sligo (1954– ), field hockey player (1984 New Zealand Olympic Team)Harry Tapping (1926–2008), cricketer (Auckland)Wai Taumaunu (1962– ), netball player (Silver Ferns)Alan Thompson (1959– ), Olympic gold medal kayakerBlade Thomson (1990– ), rugby union player (Maori All Blacks, Hurricanes)John Turnbull (1935– ), cricketer (Auckland, Northern Districts)Des Webb Chris White (1960– ), Olympic bronze medalist rowerDavid White (1961– ), cricketer (Northern Districts)Richard "Tiny" White (1925–2012), rugby union player (All Blacks, Poverty Bay) & mayorJohn Williams (1941–2007), cricketer (Auckland)
Business
Academics
George Cruickshank Reremoana Hakiwai (1889–1981), community leader, cookRongowhakaata Halbert (1894–1973), historianWilliam Hamblett (1879–1960), archdeaconVaughan Jones (1952–2020), Fields Medallist , mathematicsKingi Areta Keiha (1900–1961), law clerkPaul McHugh , lawyerDon Merton (1939–2011), conservationistStephen Parke (1950-- ), theoretical physicistRugby Pratt (1875–1946), minister & historianLyn Provost , Controller and Auditor-General Allan Pyatt (1916–1991), Bishop of ChristchurchHubert Ryburn (1897–1988), ministerAnne Salmond (1945– ), anthropologist & authorJean Mary Sandel (1916–1974), surgeonTe Kani te Ua (1892–1966), tribal leader, genealogistAlan Ward (1935–2014), historianHerbert Williams (1860–1937), bishopHugh Williams (1939– ), judge
Others
Witi Ihimaera's nephew, Gary Lewis , who is married to Queen Elizabeth II 's cousin, Lady Davina Windsor ; born in Gisborne
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 hostedOne or both parents of all three 2013 X-Factor NZ 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 (nee Durie) (daughter of Professor Mason Durie ), comes from the Gisborne area and is a descendant of Thomas Halbert.Silver Fern netball captain, Casey Kopua 's husband Terry, was born and raised in Gisborne and is also a descendant of Thomas Halbert.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.One of the founding fathers of Gisborne , Thomas Halbert emigrated to New Zealand and lived in Gisborne until his death. He married six times and some of his children include Wi Pere & Kate Wyllie .
Rugby union player, Bill Cunningham 's mother, Hera is from Gisborne. He is also the grandson of Thomas Halbert, nephew of Otene Pitau, Wi Pere and Kate Wyllie and half-brother of fellow rugby player, Moana Paratene.
While not from Gisborne, William Gisborne is who the city (as well as its sister city in Victoria, Australia) is named after.
Richmal Oates-Whitehead , gained notoriety after she pretended to be a doctor during the aftermath of the 7/7 attacks in London.
References
