New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers facts for kids
New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers was a TV show that first aired on Prime Television New Zealand on 6 October 2005. It aimed to find out who were the most important people in New Zealand's history. A group of experts ranked 100 famous New Zealanders.
The show had six episodes, counting down from number 100 to number 11. The final episode was live on 17 November 2005. It revealed the top ten people chosen by the experts and the top ten chosen by the public. People voted for their favorites by sending a text message or by voting online. Alison Mau was the narrator for the episodes.
Joseph Romanos, one of the experts on the show, also wrote a book in 2005. It was called New Zealand's Top History Makers and featured the same 100 people.
Meet the Experts
A group of experts, called a panel, decided who made it onto the list. They were people well-known in television, radio, writing, and history.
- Stacey Daniels – A TV and radio personality.
- Raybon Kan – A well-known comedian.
- Robyn Langwell – The editor of North & South magazine.
- Douglas Lloyd-Jenkins – A writer and historian.
- Melanie Nolan – A historian.
- Joseph Romanos – A radio host and sports writer.
- Tainui Stephens – A television producer.
- Kerre Woodham – A radio personality.
Top History Makers: Expert Choices
The panel of experts ranked 100 people they thought were the most important in New Zealand's history. Here are the top 20 people from their list:
- Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) – A brilliant physicist who helped us understand atoms.
- Kate Sheppard (1847-1934) – A leader in the fight for women's right to vote (suffragette).
- Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008) – The famous mountaineer who was one of the first to climb Mount Everest.
- Sir George Grey (1812-1898) – A former Governor and Premier of New Zealand.
- Michael Joseph Savage (1872-1940) – An important politician.
- Sir Āpirana Ngata (1874-1950) – A significant Māori politician and leader.
- Hone Heke (c.1807/1808 – 1850) – A powerful Māori chief.
- Dr Frederick Truby King (1858-1938) – The founder of the Plunket Society, which helps families and babies.
- William Hobson (1792-1842) – He helped write the Treaty of Waitangi.
- Jean Batten (1909–1982) – A brave aviatrix (female pilot) who made amazing flights.
- Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes (1924-2006) – A pioneering heart surgeon.
- Sir Peter Snell (1938–) – A legendary runner.
- William Pickering (1910-2004) – A space scientist.
- Sir Peter Jackson (1961-) – The famous film maker.
- Janet Frame (1924-2004) – A celebrated writer.
- Te Rauparaha (1760s–1849) – A powerful Māori leader.
- Sir Colin Meads (1936-2017) – A famous All Black rugby player.
- Dame Whina Cooper (1895-1994) – An important Māori leader.
- Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923) – A world-renowned writer.
- Thomas Brydone (1760s–1849) and William Soltau Davidson (1846-1924) – Pioneers in refrigeration.
Top History Makers: Public Choices
The public also got to vote for their favorite history makers. Here are the top 10 people chosen by the public:
|
|
