41.2889° S, 174.7773° E
WELLINGTON
Most Famous People Born in Wellington, New Zealand
- Notable people
- 814
- Peak decade
- 1980s
- Median birth year
- 1956
- Most distinctive
- Cricket 10.8×
Wellington's profile splits clean between cricket and cinema. The Basin Reserve and generations of Black Caps drive an outsized Cricket bench, and a harbor-club Rower scene has produced Olympic medalists out of all proportion to the city's size. The quieter story is the Miramar film industry — Weta Workshop turned Wellington into the southern hemisphere's effects capital, which is why the roster also leans heavily on screenwriters and directors.
One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Wellington during each.
Notable Births by Decade
Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1980s with 126 notable births.
What Wellington Is Known For
Click any row to filter the list of people below.
Player is Wellington's biggest profession — 21% of all notables (167).
Wellington over-indexes on cricket — 10.8× the global rate.
Wellington under-produces football — only 0.5× the global rate.
Profession Mix Over Time
Each band shows a profession family's share of Wellington's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.
- Sports
- Politics & Law
- Film & TV
- Science
- Writing
- Music
- Other
- Filtered to 1920s Clear ×
Peter Whittle (mathematician)
Born 1927
Brian Brake
1927 - 1988
Alexander Grant (dancer)
1925 - 2011
Bob Scott (rugby)
1921 - 2012
Robin Cooke, Baron Cooke of Thorndon
1926 - 2006
Colin Allan
1921 - 1993
J. C. P. Williams
Born 1922
Barrie R. Jones
1921 - 2009
Guy Ngan
1926 - 2017
John Ritchie (composer)
1921 - 2014
Marie Clay
1926 - 2007
Gordon Gostelow
1925 - 2007
Bruce Mason
1921 - 1982
Brian Barratt-Boyes
1924 - 2006
Roy McKenzie
1922 - 2007
Jill McDonald
1927 - 1982
John O'Shea (director)
1920 - 2001
Henry Connor (botanist)
1922 - 2016
Kenneth Clark (ceramicist)
1922 - 2012
Christine Cole Catley
1922 - 2011
Frank Mooney
1921 - 2004
Bob Goslin
1928 - 1988
Eric Dempster
1925 - 2011
Al Hobman
1925 - 2008
Gerald O'Brien
1924 - 2017
Tom O'Donnell (doctor)
1926 - 2014
George James Macdonald
1921 - 1982
Peter Arnold (cricketer)
Born 1926
John Todd (businessman)
1927 - 2015
Gordon Leggat
1926 - 1973
Leslie Denis Swindale
Born 1928
Marty McDonnell
1920 - 2005
John Forrester (Maler)
1922 - 2002
Ian Colquhoun
1924 - 2005
John Tynan
1925 - 2020
Bob Vance (cricketer)
1924 - 1994
Trevor McMahon
Born 1929
Laurie Salas
1922 - 2017
John C. Yaldwyn
1929 - 2005
Vincent Bevan
1921 - 1996
Joan Francis
1921 - 1961
Fraser Colman
1925 - 2008
Jean Stonell
1929 - 2008
Elise Mourant
1921 - 1990
Reginald Johansson
1925 - 2007
Pat Ralph
1920 - 1995
Brian Steele (rugby union)
Born 1929
Randal Elliott
1922 - 2010
Joan Hatcher
1923 - 2006
Eris Paton
1928 - 2004
Ron Murray (cricketer)
1927 - 1951
Tui Uru
1926 - 2013
Edward Thorne (naval officer)
1923 - 2013
Roy McLennan
1924 - 2013
John Jeffries (judge)
1929 - 2019
Lester Castle
1921 - 1986
Kevin Dwyer (cricketer)
1929 - 2020