100 Notable alumni of
University of Canterbury
Updated:
The University of Canterbury is 532nd in the world, 11th in Oceania, and 3rd in New Zealand by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Canterbury sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Sam Neill
- Occupations
- film directorfilm actorscreenwriterdirectorwinegrower
- Biography
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Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill KNZM OBE is a New Zealand actor. Neill's career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he has been regarded as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
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Ernest Rutherford
- Occupations
- university teacherprofessorchemistphysicistpolitician
- Biography
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Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, OM, PRS, HonFRSE was a New Zealand physicist who was a pioneering researcher in both atomic and nuclear physics. Rutherford 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 elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances." He was the first Oceanian Nobel laureate, and the first to perform the awarded work in Canada.
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Rhys Darby
- Occupations
- comedianactortelevision actor
- Biography
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Rhys Montague Darby is a New Zealand actor and comedian, 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. He also won the 2012 Fred (Dagg) award at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, for best NZ show.
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John Key
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- In 1981 graduated with Bachelor of Commerce in accounting
- Occupations
- politicianinternational forum participanteconomist
- Biography
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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 New Zealand National Party from 2006 to 2016. After resigning from both posts in December 2016 and leaving politics, Key was appointed to the board of directors and role of chairman in several New Zealand corporations. After his father died when he was eight, Key was raised by his single mother in a state-house in the Christchurch suburb of Bryndwr. He attended the University of Canterbury and graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Commerce. He began a career in the foreign exchange market in New Zealand before moving overseas to work for Merrill Lynch, in which he became head of global foreign exchange in 1995, a position he would hold for six years. In 1999 he was appointed a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York until leaving in 2001.
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Ngaio Marsh
- Occupations
- autobiographerwriterstage actorplaywrighttheatrical director
- Biography
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Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh was a New Zealand mystery writer and theatre director. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1966.
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Scott Barrett
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
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Scott Kevin Barrett is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a lock for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and Taranaki in the Mitre 10 Cup. Barrett was chosen as the Crusaders' Captain for the 2020 Super Rugby season.
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Christopher Luxon
- Occupations
- political candidatepoliticiananti-abortion activistchief executive officer
- Biography
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Christopher Mark Luxon is a New Zealand politician and former business executive who has served as the 42nd prime minister of New Zealand since November 2023. He served as leader of the Opposition from 2021 to 2023. Luxon became member of Parliament (MP) for Botany in 2020. He had previously been the chief executive officer (CEO) of Air New Zealand from 2012 to 2019.
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Eleanor Catton
- Occupations
- novelistwriterscreenwriter
- Biography
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Eleanor Catton 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 into a 2016 film of the same name. Her second novel, The Luminaries, won the 2013 Booker Prize, making Catton the youngest author ever to win the prize (at age 28) and only the second New Zealander. It was subsequently adapted into a television miniseries, with Catton as screenwriter. In 2023, she was named on the Granta Best of Young British Novelists list.
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Beatrice Tinsley
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- In 1962 graduated with Master of Science
- Occupations
- astronomeruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Beatrice Muriel Hill Tinsley was a British-born New Zealand astronomer and cosmologist, and the first female professor of astronomy at Yale University, whose research made fundamental contributions to the astronomical understanding of how galaxies evolve, grow and die.
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Chiam See Tong
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Chiam See Tong is a Singaporean retired politician and lawyer who served as the Secretary-General of Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) between 1980 and 1993 and Secretary-General of Singapore People's Party (SPP) between 2011 and 2019 and the chairman of Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) between 2001 and 2011. He was the de facto Leader of the Opposition when he became the Member of Parliament (MP) for Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency (SMC) and served between 1984 and 2011.
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Vincent Ward
- Occupations
- film directordirectorscreenwriteractorfilm producer
- Biography
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Vincent Ward is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and artist. His films have received international recognition at both the Academy Awards and the Cannes Film Festival.
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Anote Tong
- Years
- 1952-.. (age 72)
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomat
- Biography
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Anote Tong is an I-Kiribati politician for the Pillars of Truth party and environmental activist 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 (9.1%). The elections were contested by the opposition, due to allegations of electoral fraud but the High Court of Tarawa had confirmed that there was no fraud. He was re-elected on 17 October 2007 for a second term (64%). In 2012, Tong was reelected for a third term, although with a significantly smaller percentage than in the previous two elections.
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Āpirana Ngata
- Occupations
- lawyerjuristhistorianpolitician
- Biography
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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 century, and is commemorated by his depiction on the fifty dollar note.
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Margaret Mahy
- Occupations
- writernovelistscreenwriterchildren's writerlibrarian
- Biography
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Margaret Mahy 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 to win the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Medal for her "lasting contribution to children's literature".
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Roy Kerr
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- Studied in 1951-1954
- Occupations
- physicistmathematicianuniversity teacherbridge player
- Biography
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Roy Patrick Kerr 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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Ruby Tui
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- In 2010 studied media studies
- Occupations
- rugby union playerrugby sevens player
- Biography
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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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Andrea Hewitt
- Occupations
- triathlete
- Biography
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Andrea Hansen 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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Don Brash
- Occupations
- economistpolitician
- Biography
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Donald Thomas Brash is a former New Zealand 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
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Teddy Tahu Rhodes is a New Zealand operatic baritone.
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Michael Cullen
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- In 1967 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- economistpolitician
- Biography
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Sir Michael John Cullen was a New Zealand politician. He served as the 16th deputy prime minister of New Zealand, also as the minister of Finance, minister of Tertiary Education, and attorney-general. He was the deputy leader of the Labour Party from 1996 until November 2008, when he resigned following a defeat in the general election. He resigned from Parliament in April 2009, to become the deputy chairman of New Zealand Post from 1 November 2009 and chairman from 1 November 2010 until leaving the role in 2016. On 6 March 2020 he announced that he had resigned from the Lakes and Bay of Plenty district health boards, respectively. At the same time he also announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 small-cell lung cancer, which had also spread to his liver.
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Alan Gibbs
- Occupations
- art collector
- Biography
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Alan Gibbs is a New Zealand-born businessman, entrepreneur and art collector. After a successful business career in New Zealand, which made him one of that country's wealthiest individuals, he relocated to London in 1999. He retains strong links to New Zealand through his development of Gibbs Farm, one of the world's leading sculpture parks. He is the founder of Gibbs Amphibians, based in Detroit, Michigan, Nuneaton, UK, and Auckland, New Zealand, which pioneers high-speed amphibious vehicle technologies.
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Bill Rowling
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomat
- Biography
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Sir Wallace Edward Rowling, commonly known as Bill Rowling, 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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Megan Woods
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- In 1997 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- political candidatepolitician
- Biography
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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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Peter Dunne
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Peter Francis Dunne is a retired New Zealand politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ōhāriu. He held the seat and its predecessors from 1984 to 2017 – representing the Labour Party in Parliament from 1984 to 1994, and a succession of minor centrist parties from 1994. He was the Leader of Future New Zealand from 1994 to 1995, United New Zealand from 1996 to 2000, and United Future from 2000 to 2017.
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Stuart Nash
- Years
- 1967-.. (age 57)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Stuart Alexander Nash is a politician from New Zealand. He was a list member of the House of Representatives for the Labour Party from 2008 to 2011, and was re-elected in the 2014 election as representative of the Napier electorate. He entered Cabinet in October 2017, with the portfolios of Police, Revenue, Small Business and Fisheries. On 28 March 2023, following several breaches of conduct, including using his position to attempt to influence police procedures, it was revealed Nash communicated confidential details surrounding a Cabinet meeting to two of his donors, and Nash was removed from all Cabinet positions by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. In early April 2023, Nash confirmed that he would not be contesting the 2023 election.
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Adam Whitelock
- Occupations
- rugby union playerrugby sevens player
- Biography
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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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Toni Street
- Occupations
- television presenter
- Biography
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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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David Shearer
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- In 1986 graduated with Master of Science
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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David James Shearer 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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Rita Angus
- Occupations
- painterprintmakerartist
- Biography
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Rita Angus 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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Ken Henry
- Years
- 1957-.. (age 67)
- Occupations
- economistbusiness executivecivil servant
- Biography
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Kenneth Ross Henry is an Australian economist and public servant who served as the Secretary of the Department of the Treasury from 2001 to 2011.
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Amy Adams
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Amy Juliet Adams is a former New Zealand politician of the New Zealand National Party and the current chancellor of the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. She was the Member of Parliament for Selwyn from 2008 to 2020, when she retired.
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Phil Pringle
- Years
- 1952-.. (age 72)
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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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 initial attempt at planting a church in the Sydney suburb of Roseville. He is the founder of C3 Church Global, a church planting movement. He is also the founder and president of Oxford Falls Grammar School, Sydney.
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Nick Smith
- Occupations
- politicianengineer
- Biography
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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 November 2003 he was the deputy leader of the National Party, then in opposition under Don Brash.
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David Teece
- Occupations
- economistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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David John Teece is a New Zealand-born US-based organizational economist and the Professor 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.
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Bob Parker
- Occupations
- television producerpolitician
- Biography
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Sir Robert John Parker is a former New Zealand broadcaster and politician. He served as Mayor of Christchurch from 2007 to 2013.
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Jordan Luck
- Occupations
- musician
- Biography
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Jordan William Hunter Luck 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 a band called The Jordan Luck Band.
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Lianne Dalziel
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Lianne Audrey Dalziel 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 lying about a leak of documents to the media, but was reinstated as a Minister following Labour's return to office after the 2005 election. She resigned from Parliament effective 11 October 2013 to contest the Christchurch mayoral election. The incumbent, Bob Parker, decided not to stand again. She was widely regarded as the top favourite and won with a wide margin to become the 46th Mayor of Christchurch.
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Joel Hayward
- Occupations
- historianwriteruniversity teacheracademicpoet
- Biography
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Joel Hayward is a New Zealand-born British scholar, academic and writer. He has been listed in the 2023 and 2024 editions of The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims. He has been the Dean of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell and is now the Chief Executive of the Cambridge Muslim College in the United Kingdom.
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Rodney Hide
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Rodney Philip Hide 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 Minister of Regulatory Reform until 2011.
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Ruth Richardson
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Ruth Margaret Richardson 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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Rob Fyfe
- Occupations
- engineer
- Biography
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Robert Ian Fyfe is a New Zealand businessman and a former chief executive officer (CEO) of New Zealand national airline Air New Zealand.
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Petra Bagust
- Occupations
- television presenter
- Biography
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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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Feleti Sevele
- Years
- 1944-.. (age 80)
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- diplomatpoliticianeconomist
- Biography
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Feleti Vakaʻuta Sevele, Lord Sevele of Vailahi is a Tongan politician who served as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga from 30 March 2006 to 22 December 2010.
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David McPhail
- Occupations
- television actorscreenwritertelevision produceractorcomedian
- Biography
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David Alexander McPhail 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 Letter to Blanchy. All three shows featured his longtime friend Jon Gadsby.
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Braydon Ennor
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
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Braydon Maurice Ennor is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a wing and centre for Canterbury in the Mitre 10 Cup and Crusaders in super rugby.
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Nathan Cohen
- Occupations
- rower
- Biography
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Nathan Phillip Cohen 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 sport. Cohen and his rowing partner, Joseph Sullivan, won back-to-back gold medals in the men's double sculls at both the 2010 and 2011 World Rowing Championships. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he and his partner won the gold medal in the men's double sculls, after breaking the Olympic best time in the heats. In 2013, Cohen was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to rowing.
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Ginny Andersen
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- In 2004 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- political candidatepolitician
- Biography
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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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Glenn Wilson
- Occupations
- punditwriterpsychologist
- Biography
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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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Annea Lockwood
- Occupations
- composermusic teacher
- Biography
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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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Yamani Hafez Musa
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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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 2022 and Chairman of FELCRA Berhad from July 2020 to September 2021. In 2019 until 2022, He was a former member of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), a component of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. He is also the son of Musa Aman, the former Chief Minister of Sabah. In 2023, He is an official member of the Sabah People's Ideas Party (GAGASAN Rakyat), a component of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
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Brian Boyd
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- Studied in 1970-1974
- Occupations
- literary criticuniversity teacher
- Biography
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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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Wira Gardiner
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Sir Harawira Tiri Gardiner 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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Soe Tjen Marching
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- In 1997 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- university teachercomposerwriterpoetjournalist
- Biography
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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 Schleiermacher. In 2010, her work has been selected as one of the two best compositions in the International Competition for avant-garde composers held in Singapore. In her musical career, she has been mainly an autodidact.
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Pansy Wong
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Pansy Yu Fong Wong is a former New Zealand politician. She was New Zealand's first Asian MP, serving as a member of parliament for the National Party from 1996 to 2011. She was also New Zealand's first Asian Cabinet Minister, serving as Minister for Ethnic Affairs, Minister of Women's Affairs, Associate Minister for ACC, and Associate Minister of Energy and Resources in the Fifth National Government.
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Duro Olowu
- Born in
-
Nigeria - Occupations
- fashion designer
- Biography
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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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Tipene O'Regan
- Occupations
- businesspersonkaumātuahistorianacademiceducator
- Biography
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Sir Stephen Gerard "Tipene" O'Regan ONZ CRSNZ is a New Zealand academic and company director.
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Miriama Kamo
- Years
- 1973-.. (age 51)
- Occupations
- television presenter
- Biography
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Miriama Jennet Kamo is a New Zealand journalist, children's author and television presenter. She currently presents TVNZ's flagship current affairs programme Sunday, and Māori current affairs programme Marae.
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Bruce Murray
- Occupations
- cricketerhistorian
- Biography
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Bruce Alexander Grenfell Murray 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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Michael Kerrisk
- Occupations
- engineerauthorsoftware maintainerprogrammer
- Biography
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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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Elsie Locke
- Occupations
- novelistpeace activisthistorianwriter
- Biography
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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 to Jack Locke, a leading member of the Communist Party.
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Mark Abbott
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
-
Mark Abbott is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a lock for Saitama Wild Knights in the Japan Rugby League One competition. He previously played for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship.
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Shane Cotton
- Occupations
- artistpainter
- Biography
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Shane William Cotton is a New Zealand painter whose work explores biculturalism, colonialism, cultural identity, Māori spirituality, and life and death.
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Gemma New
- Years
- 1986-.. (age 38)
- Occupations
- conductor
- Biography
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Gemma New is a New Zealand-born conductor. She is currently music director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and principal conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
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Nicola Willis
- Occupations
- political candidatepolitician
- Biography
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Nicola Valentine Willis is Deputy Leader of the National Party and Minister of Finance in a Coalition Government with ACT and New Zealand First. Willis entered the New Zealand Parliament in 2018, when she inherited Steven Joyce's seat in Parliament as the next on the party list after his retirement from politics.
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Duncan Webb
- Occupations
- political candidatepolitician
- Biography
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Duncan Alexander Webb is a New Zealand lawyer and politician. He was elected as a Member the New Zealand House of Representatives for Christchurch Central, representing the Labour Party, in the 2017 general election.
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Roger Sutton
- Years
- 1964-.. (age 60)
- Occupations
- engineer
- Biography
-
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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Aaron Gilmore
- Occupations
- economistpolitician
- Biography
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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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Nicky Wagner
- Occupations
- politicianbusinessperson
- Biography
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Nicola Joanne Wagner is a New Zealand teacher, businesswoman and politician. She represented the Christchurch Central electorate for the New Zealand National Party in the New Zealand Parliament.
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Derek Quigley
- Occupations
- farmerpoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Derek Francis Quigley 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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Denis Glover
- Occupations
- writereditorpoet
- Biography
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Denis James Matthews Glover 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 day (including Glover's own poetry). After a period of service in World War II, he and his friend Charles Brasch founded the literary magazine Landfall, which Caxton began publishing in 1947.
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Gaylene Preston
- Occupations
- film directorscreenwriterfilm producerdirector
- Biography
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Dame Gaylene Mary Preston is a New Zealand filmmaker with a particular interest in documentary films.
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Clayton Cosgrove
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Clayton James Cosgrove is a former New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party.
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Lloyd Morrison
- Years
- 1957-2012 (aged 55)
- Occupations
- bankerbusinessperson
- Biography
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Hugh Richmond Lloyd Morrison 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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David Moxon
- Occupations
- priest
- Biography
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Sir David John Moxon 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 primates of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. In the 2014 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Anglican Church.
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Michael Myers
- Occupations
- judgelawyer
- Biography
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Sir Michael Myers, 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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William Alexander Sutton
- Occupations
- painter
- Biography
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William Alexander Sutton was a New Zealand portrait and landscape artist.
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Keith Locke
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Keith James Locke is a former New Zealand member of parliament who represented the Green Party, being first elected to parliament in 1999 and retiring from parliament at the 2011 election.
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Owen Marshall
- Years
- 1941-.. (age 83)
- Occupations
- novelist
- Biography
-
Owen Marshall Jones, who writes under the pen name Owen Marshall, is a New Zealand short story writer and novelist. The third son of a Methodist minister younger brother of Allan Jones, and older brother of Rhys Jones, he came of age in Blenheim and Timaru, and graduated from the University of Canterbury with an MA in English in 1964. Marshall taught in a rural boys' high school for 25 years before becoming a full-time author.
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Charles Moihi Te Arawaka Bennett
- Occupations
- military leaderdiplomat
- Biography
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Sir Charles Moihi Te Arawaka Bennett 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 Ngati Pikiao and Ngati Whakaue iwi.
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William Young
- Occupations
- judgelawyer
- Biography
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Sir William Gillow Gibbes Austen Young was a Supreme Court Judge, former President of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand, and, briefly, a judge of the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by Attorney-General Chris Finlayson in June 2010, taking effect from 1 July.
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Hubert Chanson
- Occupations
- civil engineerengineer
- Biography
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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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Hugh D. Wilson
- Occupations
- botanistacademic
- Biography
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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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Vicki Buck
- Years
- 1955-.. (age 69)
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- 1972-1975 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in political science
- 1976-1977 graduated with Master of Arts in political science
- Occupations
- mayorlocal politician
- Biography
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Vicki Susan Buck is a New Zealand politician. She was Mayor of Christchurch for nine years from 1989 to 1998. She retired after three terms, having been very popular. She made a political comeback, standing in the 2013 local elections in the Riccarton-Wigram ward as councillor for Christchurch City Council, being returned with the highest number of votes across all city wards. She subsequently accepted the role of deputy mayor.
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Rosemary Banks
- Years
- 1951-.. (age 73)
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomat
- Biography
-
Rosemary Banks is a New Zealand diplomat who served as the Ambassador of New Zealand to the United States between 2018 and 2022. She is the first woman to hold the position.
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Michael Allardice
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
-
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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Liz Calder
- Occupations
- publisher
- Biography
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Elisabeth Nicole Calder is an English publisher and book editor.
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Kate Wilkinson
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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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 Safety, and Associate Immigration, before being removed from cabinet by Prime Minister John Key.
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Jenny Harper
- Occupations
- exhibition curatoracademic
- Biography
-
Jenny Gwynndd Harper is a New Zealand academic and museum professional. She was most recently the director of Christchurch Art Gallery.
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George Julius
- Occupations
- inventor
- Biography
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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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Jacqueline Fahey
- Occupations
- painterwriter
- Biography
-
Jacqueline Mary Fahey is a New Zealand painter and writer.
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Norman Hardie
- Occupations
- mountaineer
- Biography
-
Norman David Hardie 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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Nigel Priestley
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- earthquake engineer
- Biography
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Michael John Nigel Priestley was a New Zealand earthquake engineer. He made significant contributions to the design and retrofit of concrete structures, and developed the first displacement-based method of seismic design.
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Gavin Bishop
- Occupations
- children's writer
- Biography
-
Gavin John Bishop 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. Bishop's first published picture book was Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant, published in 1981 by Oxford University Press.
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Hamish Keith
- Years
- 1936-.. (age 88)
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
-
Hamish Henry Cordy Keith is a New Zealand writer, art curator, arts consultant and social commentator.
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Philip Burdon
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
-
Philip Ralph Burdon is a former New Zealand politician and lawyer by profession. He was the co-founder of Meadow Mushrooms.
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Russell Kirkpatrick
- Occupations
- novelist
- Biography
-
Russell Kirkpatrick is a New Zealand novelist, geography lecturer, mapmaker and photographer. He has contributed to a number of notable atlases, and since 2004 has completed two fantasy trilogies. He is a three-time winner of the award for best novel (adult category) at New Zealand's Sir Julius Vogel Awards. His books were first published in Australia and in the mid-2010s he moved to Canberra, where (as of 2022) he now lectures at the University of Canberra.
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C. E. Beeby
- Enrolled in the University of Canterbury
- In 1923 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- pedagoguediplomat
- Biography
-
Clarence Edward Beeby, most commonly referred to as C.E. Beeby or simply Beeb, was a New Zealand educationalist and psychologist. He was influential in the development of the education system in New Zealand, first as a director of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) from 1936, and then as Director of Education (head of the Ministry of Education) from 1940, initially under the First Labour Government. He also served as ambassador to France and on the UNESCO executive.
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Brianne West
- Years
- 1980s
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
-
Brianne West is a New Zealand environmentalist, entrepreneur and the founder of 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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John Wood
- Years
- 1944-.. (age 80)
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
-
Lionel John Wood is a former New Zealand diplomat and a former chancellor of the University of Canterbury. He was Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and served two separate terms as New Zealand's Ambassador to the United States in Washington.
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Max Bradford
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Maxwell Robert Bradford is a former New Zealand politician and cabinet minister. He was an MP for the National Party from 1990 to 2002. He is best known for introducing the "Bright Future" economic initiative in 1999, and for changes to the retail sector of the electricity industry in 1998.
