New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers is a weekly television programme first shown on Prime Television New Zealand on 6 October 2005. 430 notable New Zealanders were ranked by a panel to determine the 100 most influential in New Zealand history. There were six episodes to present the list, and a final (seventh) episode, screened live on 17 November 2005, showed the rankings of the top ten of these people as a result of votes collected from the public via text and internet.

Diana Wichtel, reviewing the show in the New Zealand Listener, described it as "surprisingly watchable", but commented that the format was "history as striptease, with the programme counting down over the weeks to the big winner." Scott Kara, writing in The New Zealand Herald, called it "educational but not dull". Another review described it as "history ... as an Idol-style talent search".

Joseph Romanos, one of the panellists, produced a book later in 2005 containing profiles of the same 100 people. The book was revised for a 2008 edition.

Panel The show's rankings were produced by merging the ratings of eight panellists, who are all well-known New Zealanders:

Stacey Daniels – Television and radio personality Raybon Kan – Comedian Robyn Langwell – Editor of North & South magazine Douglas Lloyd-Jenkins – Writer and historian Melanie Nolan – Historian Joseph Romanos – radio host, sports writer Tainui Stephens – Television producer Kerre Woodham – Radio personality

Panel rankings

Ernest Rutherford (1871–1937) – physicist Kate Sheppard (1848–1934) – suffragist Sir Edmund Hillary (1919–2008) – mountaineer and explorer Sir George Grey (1812–1898) – Governor and Premier Michael Joseph Savage (1872–1940) – politician Sir Āpirana Ngata (1874–1950) – Māori politician Hōne Heke (c.1807/1808 – 1850) – Māori chief Dr Frederick Truby King (1858–1938) – founder of Plunket Society William Hobson (1792–1842) – co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi Jean Batten (1909–1982) – aviator Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes (1924–2006) – heart surgeon Sir Peter Snell (1938–2019) – runner Bill Pickering (1910–2004) – space scientist Sir Peter Jackson (born 1961) – film maker Janet Frame (1924–2004) – writer Te Rauparaha (1760s–1849) – Māori leader Sir Colin Meads (1936–2017) – All Black Dame Whina Cooper (1895–1994) – Māori leader Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923) – writer Thomas Brydone (1837–1904) and William Soltau Davidson (1846–1924) – refrigeration pioneers Richard Pearse (1877–1953) – aviation pioneer Te Whiti o Rongomai (c.1830–1907) – pacifist Māori leader Richard Seddon (1845–1906) – Premier and Prime Minister of New Zealand Sir Te Rangi Hīroa (Peter Buck) (1877–1951) – Māori leader Sir Julius Vogel (1835–1899) – politician Maurice Wilkins (1916–2004) – scientist Nobel laureate Helen Clark (born 1950) – politician Mabel Howard (1894–1972) – politician Sir Bernard Freyberg (1889–1963) – lieutenant-general Sir Harold Gillies (1882–1960) – plastic surgeon Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (born 1944) – opera singer Sir Keith Park (1892–1975) – air chief marshal Professor Alan MacDiarmid (1927–2007) – Nobel laureate chemist Sir Peter Blake (1948–2001) – yachtsman Dr C.E. (Clarence Edward) Beeby (1902–1998) – educationalist Jack Lovelock (1910–1949) – athlete Dr John Bedbrook – biotechnologist James K. Baxter (1926–1972) – poet Dr Fred Hollows (1929–1993) – eye surgeon Sir Murray Halberg (1933–2022) – athlete and philanthropist Neil Finn (born 1958) – musician Edward Gibbon Wakefield (1796–1862) – colony founder David Lange (1942–2005) – politician Sir Robert Muldoon (1921–1992) – politician Thomas Edmonds – industrialist Colin McCahon (1919–1987) – painter Colin Murdoch (1929–2008) – inventor Sir Archibald McIndoe (1900–1960) – plastic surgeon Rev Samuel Marsden (1765–1838) – missionary Peter Fraser (1884–1950) – politician John Clarke (1948–2017) – comedian Ettie Rout (1877–1936) – campaigner for safe sex Arthur Lydiard (1917–2004) – popularised jogging Kupe – discoverer of Aotearoa Te Puea Hērangi (1883–1952) – Māori leader Sir John Walker (born 1952) – runner Tim Finn (born 1952) – musician John A. Lee (1891–1982) – politician Sir James Wattie (1902–1974) – industrialist Sir Bill Hamilton (1899–1978) – inventor Norman Kirk (1923–1974) – politician Bill Gallagher (1911–1990) – inventor Dr Michael King (1945–2004) – historian Frances Hodgkins (1869–1947) – painter George Nēpia (1905–1986) – All Black Sir James Fletcher (1886–1974) – industrialist Mother Aubert (1835–1926) – nun Charles Heaphy (1820–1881) – explorer A.H. Reed (1875–1975) – publisher Frank Sargeson (1903–1982) – writer Sir Roger Douglas (born 1937) – politician Dr Matthew During (1956–2023) – neuroscientist Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki (c.1832–1893) – warrior Hongi Hika (1772–1828) – warrior chief Sir David Low (1891–1963) – cartoonist Kate Edger (1857–1935) – women's pioneer Dame Marie Clay (1926–2007) – educationalist Rewi Alley (1897–1987) – sinophile Thomas Rangiwahia Ellison (1867–1904) – rugby union captain Rua Kēnana Hepetipa (1869–1937) – prophet Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana (1873?–1939) – prophet Aunt Daisy (1879–1963) – broadcaster Charles Upham (1908–1994) – soldier Ralph Hotere (1931–2013) – artist Sir Richard Hadlee (born 1951) – cricketer Billy T. James (1948–1991) – comedian Sir Keith Sinclair (1922–1993) – historian Charles Goldie (1870–1947) – painter John Minto (born 1953) – activist Rudall Hayward (1900–1974) – film maker Witi Ihimaera (born 1944) – writer John Te Rangianiwaniwa Rangihau (1919–1987) – Māori language promoter Dave Dobbyn (born 1957) – songwriter Russell Coutts (born 1962) – sailor Jonah Lomu (1975–2015) – All Black Peter Mahon (1923–1986) – lawyer Georgina Beyer (1957–2023) – transgender politician A. J. Hackett (born 1958) – bungy jumping pioneer Denny Hulme (1936–1992) – Formula One driver Russell Crowe (born 1964) – actor

On the final programme, the 101st on the list was revealed:

101. Sir Mountford "Toss" Woollaston (1910–1998) – painter

Public rankings Ernest Rutherford (1871–1937) – scientist Kate Sheppard (1848–1934) – suffragist Sir Edmund Hillary (1919–2008) – explorer and humanitarian Charles Upham (1908–1994) – war hero Billy T. James (1948–1991) – comedian David Lange (1942–2005) – prime minister Sir Āpirana Ngata (1874–1950) – politician Colin Murdoch (1929–2008) – inventor of the disposable syringe Rua Kēnana Hepetipa (1869–1937) – prophet Roger Douglas (born 1937) – politician and economist

Other editions

Other countries have produced similar shows; see Greatest Britons spin-offs

References

External links New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers at Wayback Machine internet archive