List of people from Wellington

This is a list of notable people who were born in Wellington, New Zealand, or who spent a significant part of their lives living in the region.

Katherine Mansfield Birthplace in Thorndon

(Alphabetically by surname)

The arts

Comedy

• Raybon Kan - comedian

Drag

• Pollyfilla (Colin McLean) - drag queen

Drama

• Russell Crowe - Oscar-winning actor
• Anna Paquin - Oscar-winning actress
• Antonia Prebble - actress
• Emmett Skilton - actor
• Karl Urban - actor

Film

• Costa Botes - film-maker
• Jane Campion - Oscar winning film-maker
• Peter Jackson - Oscar-winning film-maker
• Clive Revill - film and theatre actor
• Richard Taylor - head of film prop and special effects company Weta Workshop; multiple Oscar winner
• Fran Walsh - Oscar-winning screenwriter

Music

• Jemaine Clement - musician, member of Flight of the Conchords
• Brooke Fraser - multi-platinum selling singer
• Andy Kent - bass player for You Am I
• Ben Lummis - singer, 2004 New Zealand Idol winner
• Tina Matthews - musician (The Crocodiles), puppeteer, writer
• Bret McKenzie - musician, member of Flight of the Conchords
• John Psathas - composer
• Eddie Rayner - musician - Crowded House, Split Enz
• Frankie Stevens - entertainer, singer and judge of New Zealand Idol
• Jon Toogood - singer and guitarist for the rock band Shihad
• Rosita Vai - singer, 2005 New Zealand Idol winner

Visual arts

• Tom Scott - cartoonist, political commentator

Writing

• Ivan Bootham - novelist, short story writer, poet and composer
• Neil Cross - writer
• Richard Curtis - movie and TV writer and director
• Lauris Edmond (dec.) - poet
• Patricia Grace - writer
• Lloyd Jones - award winning writer
• Elizabeth Knox - celebrated author
• Katherine Mansfield (dec.) - writer
• Christopher Pugsley - writer

Broadcasting

• John Campbell - broadcaster and news journalist
• Selwyn Toogood (dec.) - broadcaster

Business

• Sam Morgan - founder of online auction site TradeMe
• Peter Vincent - entrepreneur, founder/CEO of Vincent Aviation
• Jack Yan - publisher and graphic designer

Politics and public service

• Lettie Annie Allen - public servant and political activist
• Robin Cooke, Baron Cooke of Thorndon (dec.) - barrister and jurist
• Bill Hastings - lawyer, Chief Censor
• Jack Marshall (dec.) - former Prime Minister
• Nancy Wake (dec.) - World War II British agent

Science and technology

• Rod Drury - technology entrepreneur
• Alan MacDiarmid (dec.) - scientist
• William Hayward Pickering (dec.) - electrical engineer, former head of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California

Sport

• Leo Bertos - footballer
• Russell Coutts - professional sailor
• Simon Elliott - footballer
• Chris Killen - footballer
• Melissa Moon - two-time world mountain running champion
• Wynton Rufer - footballer
• Jonathan Sarfati - chess master and author, raised in Wellington
• Ross Taylor - cricketer
• Tana Umaga - former captain of the All Blacks

Other

• Ben Hana - a well-known homeless man