My first three thoughts were Lord Rutherford, Sir Edmund Hilary and Charles Upham, the only combat soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice.
I should also have added the well-known theatrical director and crime writer, Ngaio Marsh.
I think that might be “Hillary” and “Sherpa” (link).
It’s Hackett. The natives of Vanuatu were first; he also got inspiartion from the Oxford Dangerous Sports Club.
Not to mention inspiration.
And perhaps we should include Russell Coutts, who has amassed a very respectable record in Americas Cup races (though not always on behalf of his homeland).
Two more–Arthur Lydiard who invented the health and fitness sport of jogging, and Phil Keoghan, host of The Amazing Race.
Xema thanks for the corrections. I was up far too late last night.
Andrew Adamson, director of Shrek (and in-making ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’).
Bruce Maclaren. Formula One.
We could start a whole thread on Kiwi directors in Hollywood:
Andrew Adamson
Martin Campbell
Lee Tamahori
Vincent Ward
Roger Donaldson
Geoff Murphy
And some other bloke…scruffy, with a beard…name escapes me…did some fantasy movies recently.
As for Kiwi actors who haven’t been mentioned {and Shortland Street alumni, one and all}:
Marton Csokas
Martin Henderson
See, calm kiwi, I’m not a Pom.
I would love to say:
Sir Richard Hadlee
Martin Crowe
But I suspect, unless Americans have suddenly developed a love for the glory that is cricket, I am not going to find many
Lance Cairns!
Sir Richard Hadlee was one of my all time favourite players. Three cool Richard Hadlee events I recall:
In the First Test in 1985 Hadlee had the first 8 wickets to fall and I was cheering for him to get all 10. Geoff Lawson hit Brown over Hadlee’ head and he chased it and took the catch over his shoulder while I prayed he would drop it. Next over he picked up the last wicket.
Final Test 1987 Australia lead the series 1-0 but are trying to draw. Hadlee has 5 wickets in each innings and Australia are 9 down with Mike Whitney facing Hadlee. Hadlee beats him all ends up and Whitney is plainly LBW but the umpire, despite Hadlee’s spread-leg fingers-raised appeal, gives him not out. Hadlee just turns and walks back to his mark, not even a raised eyebrow.
One off Test at Wellington in 1990. Hadlee was bowling to Steve Waugh who though only on 25 had been in for over an hour and a half. Hadlee bowled him a ball that started outside off stump and swung in to pitch on leg stump. Waugh moved inside it and tried to glide it down to fine leg but the ball pitched and cut the other way, clipping the top of the off stump. I had always thought it the best ball I had ever seen and was pleased that Steve Waugh recalled it on retirement as the best ball he ever faced.
Chris Cairns is far cooler.
A few years ago when the Aussies toured New Zealand they were all issued with player notes on the Black Caps. Someone left their notes behind and the New Zealanders got them. The notes about Chris Cairns said that although he was very talented he crumbled under pressure and so they should keep on top of him. When Chris Cairns heard this he thought about and decided that the Aussies were right, he wasn’t being tough enough when things went wrong. He then proceeded to score a century, 2 half centuries and average 56.83 as well as taking 10 wickets and topping the wickettakers in the one day series.
Yeah, Chris is a better player, but no-one could bash 'em out of the ground - one-handed- like his dad.
Janet Frame?
That is probably the best ball I have ever seen bowled. Bar none. And I am sure I used to have a photo of the appeal you were talking about.
In other news, yeah Chris is a better cricketer but his old man had a flair seldom seen. Such raw power is unbelievable. I suspect many of our American friends might not be aware of the sizes cricket fields come in and may not appreciate the enormity of doing what Cairns could do
How big is a cricket field and what could ol’ Lance do on one?
Film-making pioneer Colin McKenzie.
I heard recently that Erroll Flynn was from New Zealand? Is that true? If so, he’s one that hasn’t been named yet.
According to the official Errol Flynn website he was born in Hobart in the Australian state of Tasmania.
Well, although pitches are a standard size, grounds do vary: the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s site lists it as being 169.7 meters long and 146.2 meters wide: it’s been shortened by 7.6 meters since 1983, when Lance Cairns played his most fanous innings there: in a one-day game against Australia, he smashed a total of 52 off 25 balls {including 50 off 21 balls}, in a swashbuckling stand which clocked six sixes off a single innnings.
For those unfamiliar with cricket scoring, to get a six the batsman has to clear the ball over the boundary without it touching the ground: Cairns wasn’t just clearing the boundary, he was raining them up in the stands and on the roof, and what’s more he was hitting them one-handed, like a man brushing away flies. It wasn’t the most scientific innings ever played, but as a sheer display of hitting power it was jaw-dropping, and probably the most entertaining display I’ve ever seen.