Notable people from Dunedin
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The New Zealand city of
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
has produced a large number of notable people. Many are natives of the city, while others travelled to Dunedin to be educated at the University of Otago.


The arts


Visual arts

* Illustrator and engraver
John Buckland Wright John Buckland Wright (1897–1954) was a British printmaker, painter and draughtsman. He worked principally as an etcher and engraver, and was self-taught. Biography Buckland Wright was born on 3 December 1897 in Dunedin, New Zealand. He moved ...
* Australian war artist H. Septimus Power was born in Dunedin in 1877 * Cartoonist Colin Wilson * Caricature artist
Murray Webb Murray George Webb (born 22 June 1947 in Invercargill) is a prominent New Zealand caricature artist and a former New Zealand Test cricketer. Cricket career Six feet four inches tall, Murray Webb was a fast bowler who played first-class cricket ...
*
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
painter
Ralph Hotere Hone Papita Raukura "Ralph" Hotere (11 August 1931 – 24 February 2013) was a New Zealand artist. He was born in Mitimiti, Northland and is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most important artists. In 1994 he was awarded an honorary do ...
lived and worked in Port Chalmers * Painters Grahame Sydney, Jeffrey Harris and Claire Beynon all live in Dunedin * Pete Wheeler, painter, lived in Dunedin for several years *
Frances Hodgkins Frances Mary Hodgkins (28 April 1869 – 13 May 1947) was a New Zealand painter chiefly of landscape and still life, and for a short period was a designer of textiles. She was born and raised in New Zealand, but spent most of her working l ...
(1869–1947), New Zealand's most celebrated expatriate painter, born in Dunedin, trained at the Dunedin School of Art and first matured here as an artist *
Alfred Henry O'Keeffe Alfred Henry O'Keeffe (21 July 1858 - 27 July 1941), was a notable New Zealand artist and art teacher, who spent the majority of his life in Dunedin. During the first quarter of the twentieth century, he was one of the few New Zealand artists to e ...
(1858–1941), prominent artist during the early 20th Century *
Colin McCahon Colin John McCahon (; 1August 191927May 1987) was a prominent New Zealand artist whose work over 45 years consisted of various styles, including landscape, figuration, abstraction, and the overlay of painted text. Along with Toss Woollaston and ...
, painter * Rodney Kennedy, artist, critic, drama director and patron * Children's book illustrator David Elliot currently lives in Port Chalmers * Prominent architects Francis Petre,
Edmund Anscombe Edmund Anscombe (8 February 1874 – 9 October 1948) was one of the most important figures to shape the architectural and urban fabric of New Zealand. He was important, not only because of the prolific nature of his practice and the quality of ...
, and Robert Lawson all lived and worked in Dunedin *
Lindsay Daen Lindsay Daen (1923–2001), was a New Zealand sculptor and artist who worked and resided in Puerto Rico. Daen created landmark sculptures in Puerto Rico, Australia and the United States. He was a member of the Royal Art Society in Sydney, whose a ...
, sculptor *
Shona McFarlane Shona Graham McFarlane (27 March 1929 – 29 September 2001) was a New Zealand artist, journalist and broadcaster. Biography McFarlane was born in Gore and educated at Otago Girls' High School, and studied teaching at the Dunedin Teachers' C ...
, artist and journalist who wrote and illustrated "Dunedin, Portrait of a City" (1970, Whitcombe & Tombs, ) *
Ernest Heber Thompson Ernest Heber Thompson (20 January 1891–13 April 1971) was a New Zealand painter, printmaker and teacher who was notable for having served as a war artist in both World War I and in World War II. Biography Thompson was born in Dunedin in New ...
, artist *
Jan McLean Jan McLean is a retired dollmaker from Dunedin in New Zealand.Biography
''www.janmcleandolls.info''. Retrieved 24 Janua ...
, dollmaker *
Arthur George William Sparrow Arthur George William Sparrow (1896–1967) was a notable New Zealand commercial artist, photographer and businessman. He was born in Dunedin, New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific ...
, commercial artist, photographer and businessman


Literature

*
Thomas Bracken Thomas Bracken (c. December 1843 – 16 February 1898) was an Irish-born New Zealand poet, journalist and politician. He wrote "God Defend New Zealand", one of the two national anthems of New Zealand, and was the first person to publish the ph ...
, late-nineteenth century poet who wrote the New Zealand National Anthem '' God Defend New Zealand'' and who was the first person to publish the phrase " God's Own Country" * Nobel Prize short-listee
Janet Frame Janet Paterson Frame (28 August 1924 – 29 January 2004) was a New Zealand author. She was internationally renowned for her work, which included novels, short stories, poetry, juvenile fiction, and an autobiography, and received numerous awar ...
, born there in 1924, died there in 2004
NZ Edge biography
* Writer
James K. Baxter James Keir Baxter (29 June 1926 – 22 October 1972) was a New Zealand poet and playwright. He was also known as an activist for the preservation of Māori culture. He is one of New Zealand's most well-known and controversial literary figures. H ...
, born in Dunedin in 1926 and wrote many of his plays there in the 1960s in association with Rosalie and Patric Carey's
Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and gra ...
* Playwright Roger Hall * Short story writer O. E. Middleton * Brian Turner, poet and former Hockey International *
Catherine Chidgey Catherine Chidgey (born 8 April 1970) is a New Zealand novelist, short-story writer and university lecturer. Her honours include the inaugural Prize in Modern Letters; the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship to Menton, France; Best First Book at bot ...
, author, who now lives in Dunedin * Writer and publisher A.H. Reed *
Philip Temple Robert Philip Temple (born 1939 in Yorkshire, England) is a Dunedin-based New Zealand author of novels, children's stories, and non-fiction. His work is characterised by a strong association with the outdoors and New Zealand ecology. Career ...
* Writer Christine Johnston, author of the novels Shark Bell and Blessed Art Thou Among Women, which won the 1990 Heinemann Reed Fiction Award, and the short-story collection The End of the Century. * John Sligo, born in Dunedin in 1944. A prolific author, his novel "Final Things" won the NSW Premier's Award for fiction in 1998. He died in Sydney 2010. *
Eileen Louise Soper Eileen Louise Soper (née Service, 14 December 1900 – 24 October 1989) was a New Zealand journalist, writer and Girl Guide Commissioner. She was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 1900. As an adult, she was active in the cult ...
, wrote for children as Dot of 'Dot's Little Folk' in the
Otago Witness The ''Otago Witness'' was a prominent illustrated weekly newspaper in the early years of the European settlement of New Zealand, produced in Dunedin, the provincial capital of Otago. Published weekly it existed from 1851 to 1932. The introduction ...
.


Drama

*
Bruce Allpress Bruce Robert Allpress (25 August 1930 – 23 April 2020) was a New Zealand actor. Biography Allpress grew up in Dunedin, the second son of William and Gladys Allpress. He began performing in the 1960s in a vaudeville minstrel show called the Che ...
, (1930- 2020) New Zealand actor ('' Came a Hot Friday'', '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'', ''
The Water Horse ''The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep'' (stylised on-screen as simply ''The Water Horse'') is a 2007 fantasy drama film directed by Jay Russell and written by Robert Nelson Jacobs, based on Dick King-Smith's children's novel ''The Water Horse'' ...
'') *
Alan Dale Alan Hugh Dale (born 6 May 1947) is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale enjoyed theatre and rugby. After retiring from the sport, he took on a number of occupations, before deciding to become a professional actor at age 27. Dale subsequentl ...
, New Zealand actor who also has been on many Australian and U.S. TV shows *
Bridget Armstrong Bridget Armstrong (born 1937, Dunedin) is a New Zealand actress. She appeared on stage, film and TV several times, including '' The Lost Tribe (The Goodies)''; as Nurse Rosemary Layton, in the ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' ' episode, ''We Shall See' ...
, born 1937; actress.


Music

* Pianist Arthur Alexander (1891-1969) was born in Dunedin. * Music teacher Jennie Macandrew (1866-1949) was born in Dunedin. * Many of New Zealand's top bands of the 1980s and early 1990s started out in Dunedin, establishing the Dunedin sound. These include
The Chills The Chills are a New Zealand rock band that formed in Dunedin in 1980. The band is essentially the continuing project of singer/songwriter Martin Phillipps, who is the group's sole constant member. For a time in the 1990s, the act was billed a ...
,
The Clean The Clean was a New Zealand indie rock band that formed in Dunedin in 1978. They have been described as the most influential band to come from the Flying Nun label, which recorded many artists associated with the "Dunedin sound".Schmidt, Andr ...
, Straitjacket Fits,
Sneaky Feelings Sneaky Feelings are a New Zealand pop rock band which releases on the Flying Nun Records music label. The band formed in 1980 with the line-up of Matthew Bannister (guitar & vocals), David Pine (guitar & vocals), Kat Tyrie (bass guitar & vocal ...
,
The 3Ds The 3Ds were a New Zealand noise pop band based from Dunedin, together from 1988 to 1997. They recorded three albums and several EPs, the best known of which is ''The Venus Trail'' (1993). They achieved commercial and critical success worldwid ...
, Toy Love, the Verlaines and musicians
Martin Phillipps Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...
and
David Kilgour David William Kilgour (February 18, 1941 – April 5, 2022) was a Canadian human rights activist, author, lawyer, and politician. He was also a Senior Fellow to the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. Kilgour graduated from the Universi ...
. *
Noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise music, noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimal music, minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, a ...
band
The Dead C The Dead C are a New Zealand based music and art trio made up of members Bruce Russell, Michael Morley and Robbie Yeats. Russell plays electric guitar, Morley sings and plays electric guitar or laptop, and Yeats plays drums. They have been c ...
formed in Dunedin in 1986. *
Netherworld Dancing Toys Netherworld Dancing Toys was a New Zealand band from Dunedin formed in 1982. In 1985, their single "For Today" reached number 3 in the New Zealand singles chart. History The group formed at the University of Otago. The band members included Ma ...
active from 1982 to 1985. * Rock band
High Dependency Unit A high-dependency unit is an area in a hospital, usually located close to the intensive care unit, where patients can be cared for more extensively than on a normal ward, but not to the point of intensive care. It is appropriate for patients who h ...
formed in Dunedin in 1994. * Pat Kraus started his music career in Dunedin. * Patricia Payne,
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
tic
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
and
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typically b ...
. * Maaka Pohatu ( Modern Māori Quartet) *
Millie Lovelock Millicent Ellen Lovelock (born ) is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from New Zealand who performs as Repulsive Woman. She was a member of Dunedin bands, Astro Children (2010–2017, 2019) and Trick Mammoth (2013–2015). As Repulsive Woman she ...
(born 1993 or 1994) singer-songwriter-guitarist


Politics and business

* A large proportion of the country's leading companies in and beyond the twentieth century originated in Dunedin. A selection of relevant company or brand names includes Arthur Barnett, Cottonsofts, Donaghy, Fletchers, Fisher and Paykel, Fulton Hogan,
Hallensteins Hallensteins Glassons is a New Zealand fashion company based in Auckland, with stores in New Zealand and Australia. Brands Hallensteins Brothers Hallenstein Brothers (often shortened to Hallensteins) is a men's fashion, street and lifestyle ret ...
, Methven, Mosgiel, NZI, Ravensdown, the Union Company of Sir James Mills,
RadioWorks MediaWorks New Zealand is a New Zealand-based company specialising in radio, outdoor advertising and interactive media. It is jointly owned by U.S. company Oaktree Capital Management and out-of-home advertising company QMS. It operates nine n ...
(formerly
Radio Otago Radio Otago was a radio company that operated a group of local radio stations in radio markets around New Zealand from the 1970s to the late 1990s. Radio Otago was started in 1971 when Dunedin station 4XO was started, 4XO was originally branded a ...
), Wests, Whitcoulls, and Wrightson. *
Dave Cull David Charles Cull (1 April 1950 – 27 April 2021) was the mayor of the city of Dunedin in New Zealand. He became the 57th Mayor of Dunedin in October 2010 and was re-elected in both the 2013 mayoralty race and 2016 mayoral election. Before ...
, Former Mayor of Dunedin (2010-2019) * Deputy Prime Minister (1999–2008) Michael Cullen *
Pamela Tate Pamela Mary Tate is a former judge of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria in Australia. She was appointed to the position in 2010, having previously served as the Solicitor-General of Victoria. She retired from the bench in 2 ...
SC, appointed Solicitor-General for
Victoria, Australia Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in Au ...
in 2003, was born in Dunedin, and received one of her degrees from the University of Otago. *
Ethel Benjamin Ethel Rebecca Benjamin (19 January 1875 – 14 October 1943) was New Zealand's first female lawyer. On 17 September 1897, she became the first woman in the British Empire to appear as counsel in court, representing a client for the recovery of a ...
, New Zealand's first female lawyer *
Mai Chen Mai Chen is a New Zealand and Harvard educated lawyer with a professional and specialist focus in constitutional and administrative law, Waitangi tribunal and courts, human rights, white collar fraud and regulatory defence, judicial review, re ...
, prominent constitutional lawyer * Bendix Hallenstein, businessman * Frank Winfird Millar (1885–1944), public servant and union official


Science

* Tramway and mining engineer
George Smith Duncan George Smith Duncan (11 July 1852 – 4 September 1930) was a tramway and mining engineer best known for his work on cable trams, and for his work in the gold mining industry. Duncan was born on 11 July 1852New Zealand Birth Index: 1852/313 ...
* Two of the founders of modern
plastic surgery Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...
, Harold Gillies and
Archibald McIndoe Sir Archibald Hector McIndoe (4 May 1900 – 11 April 1960) was a New Zealand plastic surgeon who worked for the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew. Early life Archi ...
were born in Dunedin in 1882 and 1900 respectively. * Popular email program
Pegasus Mail Pegasus Mail is a proprietary email client developed by David Harris (who also develops the Mercury Mail Transport System). It was originally released in 1990 for internal and external mail on NetWare networks with MS-DOS and later Apple Macint ...
was written by David Harris while he was employed by the University of Otago. * Michael Woodruff a pioneer in the science of organ transplantation *
John Carew Eccles Sir John Carew Eccles (27 January 1903 – 2 May 1997) was an Australian neurophysiologist and philosopher who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the synapse. He shared the prize with Andrew Huxley and Alan Llo ...
became a professor and head of the Department of Physiology at the University of Otago from 1944 to 1951; before winning the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, accord ...
in 1963 for describing the electric transmission of impulses along nerves. * Political scientist Jim Flynn, discoverer of the
Flynn effect The Flynn effect is the substantial and long-sustained increase in both fluid and crystallized intelligence test scores that were measured in many parts of the world over the 20th century. When intelligence quotient (IQ) tests are initially standa ...
in IQ, is based at the University of Otago. *
Forensic psychiatrist Forensic psychiatry is a subspeciality of psychiatry and is related to criminology. It encompasses the interface between law and psychiatry. According to the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, it is defined as "a subspecialty of psychiatr ...
John Macdonald * Email server Eudora Internet Mail Server (also Apple Internet Mail Server) was written by Glenn Anderson while he was a student at the University of Otago. * Mathematician
Alexander Aitken Alexander Craig "Alec" Aitken (1 April 1895 – 3 November 1967) was one of New Zealand's most eminent mathematicians. In a 1935 paper he introduced the concept of generalized least squares, along with now standard vector/matrix notation fo ...
* Chemist and lecturer Frederick Thomas Seelye.


Sport


Cricket

* Australian test
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
international Clarrie Grimmett. * New Zealand test cricket international and Black Caps coach
Warren Lees Warren Kenneth Lees (born 19 March 1952) is a New Zealand cricketer and coach (sport), coach. He played 21 Test and 31 ODIs from 1976 to 1983 as a wicket-keeper batsman. He was coach of the Black Caps from 1990 to 1993. Domestic career He ...
. * New Zealand test cricket captain Ken Rutherford. * New Zealand test cricket captain Bert Sutcliffe
MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...
. * New Zealand test cricket international and Black Caps coach Glenn Turner. * Jeff Wilson (see under Rugby, below) * New Zealand captain
Brendon McCullum Brendon Barrie McCullum (born 27 September 1981) is a cricket coach, commentator and former cricketer representing New Zealand, who played all formats, including as captain. McCullum was renowned for his quick scoring, notably recording the f ...
, raised in South Dunedin. * Pakistani test cricket international and TVNZ cricket commentator, Billy Ibadulla. * First-class cricketer John Cushen * Grant Cederwall, played for Wellington from 1978/79–1990/91.


Netball and basketball

* New Zealand
netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...
international and Silver Fern coach
Lois Muir Dame Lois Joan Muir (née Osborne; born 16 April 1935) is a New Zealand netball coach and administrator, and a former representative netball and basketball player. Muir represented New Zealand in two sports, playing with the Tall Ferns from 195 ...
. * Tall Blacks basketball captain
Glen Denham Glen Ivan Denham (born 1963 or 1964) is a New Zealand former basketball player. He is of Māori descent. Early life Denham was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, the son of a teacher and butcher. His father was Australian and his mother was of Māor ...
.


Rugby union

*
All Black The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
first-five Tony Brown. * Double international
All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
and Kiwis rugby league player Marc Ellis. * Scotland
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
international John Leslie. *
All Black The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
half-back
Byron Kelleher Byron Terence Kelleher (born 3 December 1976 in Dunedin, New Zealand) is a former rugby union scrum-half who played for Stade Toulouse in the French Top 14 and has played 57 tests for the All Blacks. He was a very aggressive player, who speciali ...
*
All Black The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
full-back and coach Laurie Mains. *
All Black The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
captain
Anton Oliver Anton David Oliver (born 9 September 1975) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. Previously, he played as a hooker for Marlborough (one of the predecessors to today's Tasman side) and Otago in the National Provincial Championship and Ai ...
. *
All Black The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
captain
Taine Randell Taine Randell (born 5 November 1974) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. He was a versatile loose forward and a former All Blacks captain. He was born in Hastings, New Zealand, and is of Ngāti Kahungunu and Waikato Tainui descent. ...
. *Double international
All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
and Black Caps
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
player Jeff Wilson.


Other sports

*
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
champion
long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
er Yvette Corlett (née Williams). * Olympic Finn class yachting gold medalist and three times
America Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one fr ...
-winning captain Russell Coutts ( DCNZM,
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
). * Anna Grimaldi, sprinter and long jumper, Paralympic gold medalist (2016). *
Greg Henderson Gregory Henderson (born 10 September 1976) is a New Zealand former professional track and road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2017. His career includes winning the scratch race at the 2004 world championships and, in ...
, former world champion and Olympian in track and road cycling. * Internationally recognised swimming coach
Duncan Laing Andrew James Duncan Laing (20 June 1933 – 13 September 2008), generally known as Duncan Laing, was a New Zealand swimming coach based in Dunedin. He coached Olympian Danyon Loader, winner of two gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and a ...
. * Double
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
champion
swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...
Danyon Loader Danyon Joseph Loader (born 21 April 1975) is an Olympic champion, former world record holder swimmer from New Zealand, based in Dunedin. He remains the national record holder in the 400 metre freestyle short course. He swam for New Zealand a ...
. * World record-breaking middle-distance athlete
Jack Lovelock John Edward Lovelock (5 January 1910 – 28 December 1949) was a New Zealand athlete who became the world 1500m and mile record holder and 1936 Olympic champion in the 1500 metres. Early life Lovelock was born in the town of Crushingto ...
. * New Zealand hockey international (and award-winning poet) Brian Turner. * New Zealand international
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
er
Greg Turner Greg Turner (born 21 February 1963) is a New Zealand professional golfer. Turner was born in Dunedin. He attended the University of Oklahoma in the United States but has spent most of his career on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European ...
. * New Zealand
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
internationals Andrew Boyens,
Michael McGarry Michael McGarry (born 17 May 1965) was a successful association footballer who frequently represented New Zealand in the 1980s and 1990s. Club career His senior career began with Dunedin City and later Mosgiel, before he moved to Australia to ...
, Alex Stenhouse and
Steve Wooddin Stephen Wooddin (born 16 January 1955 in England) is a former New Zealand association football player who was a leading striker during the country's successful campaign to qualify for the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. He was a left-footed att ...
* World champion track cyclist
Alison Shanks Alison Shanks (born 13 December 1982) is a retired New Zealand professional racing cyclist, specialising in individual pursuit in track cycling and individual time trial in road bicycle racing. Prior to that she was an Otago Rebels netballer, t ...


Military

* Sir
Keith Park Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park, (15 June 1892 – 6 February 1975) was a New Zealand-born officer of the Royal Air Force (RAF). During the Second World War, his leadership of the RAF's No. 11 Group was pivotal to the Luftwaffe's defe ...
, World War I air ace, later Air Marshal in the defence of London during World War II. * Duncan Boyes, English recipient of the Victoria Cross in 1864 in Japan, was buried in Dunedin in 1869. *
Horace Robert Martineau Horace Robert Martineau VC (31 October 1874 – 7 April 1916) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Military career ...
, English recipient of the Victoria Cross in 1899 in South Africa, was buried in Dunedin in 1916. * Fraser Barron, standout bomber pilot during World War II


Other

*Surveyor and explorer John Turnbull Thomson was a Dunedin resident. *
David Bain On 20 June 1994, Robin and Margaret Bain and three of their four childrenArawa, Laniet and Stephenwere shot to death in Dunedin, New Zealand. The only suspects were David Cullen Bain, the eldest son and only survivor, and Robin Bain, the father ...
, subject of one of New Zealand's most famous legal
causes célèbres Causes, or causality, is the relationship between one event and another. It may also refer to: * Causes (band), an indie band based in the Netherlands * Causes (company) Causes.com is a civic-technology app and website that enables users to orga ...
was born in Dunedin. * Rachel Armitage, community leader, welfare worker, and first female BA graduate at
Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
. *Presbyterian minister and social activist
Rutherford Waddell Rutherford Waddell (1850–1932) was a notable New Zealand Presbyterian minister, social reformer and writer. He was born in Ireland and after failing to finding a position as a missionary or a minister Waddell and his wife migrated to New Zeal ...
spent his entire ministry in Dunedin. *
Mary Ronnie Mary Allan Ronnie (12 June 1926 – 17 March 2023) was a New Zealand librarian. She was New Zealand's first female National Librarian, from 1976 to 1981, and the first woman in the world to head a national library. Before becoming National Li ...
, City Librarian, first woman National Librarian and first woman National Librarian in the world. *David Gray, the perpetrator of the 1990 Aramoana massacre in which 14 people were killed, was born in Dunedin and raised in Port Chalmers. * Colin Bouwer, a South-African-born doctor and Head of Psychiatry at the University of Otago, spent 16 years in prison for the murder of his third wife three years after they became residents of Dunedin.


References

{{Use dmy dates, date=April 2017 *Notable
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...