This is an incomplete list of notable people from Adelaide.
Arts and music Prominent intellectuals, writers, artists, bands, and musicians to hail from Adelaide include:
Actors Dame Judith Anderson – Rebecca, And Then There Were None; Tony and Emmy Award winner Elspeth Ballantyne – Prisoner Holly Brisley – Home and Away Sam Clark – Neighbours Kate Fischer – Sirens Sir Robert Helpmann – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Nicholas Hope – Bad Boy Bubby Dichen Lachman – Neighbours, Dollhouse, Severance Anthony LaPaglia – Without a Trace Jonathan LaPaglia – Seven Days, The District Glenn McMillan – Wonderland, Power Rangers Ninja Storm John Noble – Fringe Ben Oxenbould – Hey Dad..! Teresa Palmer – December Boys, I Am Number Four Lois Ramsey – Road to Nhill, Home and Away Mandahla Rose – All About E, Oranges and Sunshine Xavier Samuel – The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Hugh Sheridan – Packed to the Rafters Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog; Oscar-nominated actor Sonia Todd – McLeod's Daughters Sarah Snook – Succession; Golden Globe winner Adam Tuominen – Power Rangers Ninja Storm, Underbelly: Razor, Escape from Pretoria Melanie Vallejo – Winners and Losers, Power Rangers Mystic Force Samara Weaving Shabana Azeez – The Pitt
Comedians Anthony Lehmann – aka "Lehmo" Lehmann Richard Marsland Shaun Micallef Greig Pickhaver – aka "H.G. Nelson" Roy Rene – aka "Mo McCackie" Frank Woodley
Film directors Mario Andreacchio David James Campbell Alex Frayne Rolf de Heer Scott Hicks Pip Karmel Justin Kurzel Anthony Maras Danny and Michael Philippou Michael James Rowland
Humanities Graeme Hugo – demographer and Federation Fellow (2002) J. J. C. Smart – philosopher Hugh Stretton – historian and sociologist Peter Sutton – anthropologist Wesley Wildman – philosopher, theologian, ethicist Ghil'ad Zuckermann – linguist and revivalist
Journalists Annabel Crabb – political writer and commentator Brady Haran – independent video journalist and Internet personality Jenni Hogan – TV reporter and host, Emmy Award winner Christian Kerr – political commentator and journalist David Koch – financial journalist and former presenter of Sunrise Bruce McAvaney – sports broadcaster Hamish McLachlan – television sports commentator for the Seven Network David Penberthy – editor-in-chief of the Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph
Musicians and bands Allday The Angels At Sunset Atlas Genius The Audreys Grace Bawden Jimmy Barnes The Beards Beeb Birtles Bit By Bats David Campbell Wes Carr Julian Cochran Cold Chisel Beccy Cole Michael Crafter Delta Fraternity Funkoars Peter Furler Dave Graney Angie Hart Hilltop Hoods The Hot Lies I Killed the Prom Queen Jim Keays Paul Kelly Rachael Leahcar Lowrider Tkay Maidza The Mark of Cain The Masters Apprentices Reece Mastin Sarah McLeod Sister Janet Mead Rudy Nikkerud Orianthi Panagaris Redgum Aleesha Rome Guy Sebastian Glenn Shorrock Sia Benjamin Speed The Superjesus Swanee Michelle Tumes The Twilights Universum Virgin Black Wolf & Cub Wade Nixon (Dankpods/Dankmus)
Visual artists James Ashton – painter and arts educator Dorrit Black – modernist printmaker and painter Michal Dutkiewicz – comic book artist and illustrator, three-time winner of the Stanley Award Robert Hannaford – portrait artist, three-time winner of the People's Choice Award of the Archibald Prize Barbara Hanrahan – artist, printmaker and writer Sir Hans Heysen – landscape painter, nine-time winner of the Wynne Prize Nora Heysen – portrait artist, first female winner of the Archibald Prize Ondrej Mares – sculptor and furniture maker Joseph Stanislaus Ostoja-Kotkowski – painting, photography, film-making, theatre design, fabric design, murals, kinetic and static sculpture, stained glass, vitreous enamel murals, op-collages, computer graphics, and laser art Geoffrey Proud – portrait and landscape painter, sculptor, winner of the 1990 Archibald Prize, winner of the 1975 Sulman Prize Jeffrey Smart – precisionist landscape painter Susan Dorothea White – painter, sculptor and printmaker
Writers Malcolm Afford – playwright and novelist Guy Boothby – novelist and travel writer James Bradley – novelist and critic Brian Castro – novelist Nancy Cato – author J. M. Coetzee – novelist and essayist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature Aidan Coleman – poet David Conyers – science fiction author Geoffrey Dutton – poet, author and historian, winner of the Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Max Fatchen – journalist and children's author Mem Fox – educator and children's author Holly Gramazio - novelist and game designer Peter Goldsworthy – novelist, poet and scriptwriter, winner of the Helpmann Award Christine Harris – children's and young adult author Max Harris – poet, critic and columnist Vernon Knowles – fantasy author Kym Lardner – children's author, illustrator, and storyteller Caleb Lewis – playwright Agnes Murgoci – folklorist DBC Pierre – novelist, winner of the Man Booker Prize Gillian Rubinstein – children's author and playwright Bel Schenk – poet Tony Shillitoe – fantasy author Tim Sinclair – poet and novelist Hugh Stretton – historian and sociologist Anne Summers – feminist writer and editor Colin Thiele – children's author and educator, winner of the Dromkeen medal David Thorne – humorist and satirist Russel Ward – historian and author of The Australian Legend Sean Williams – science fiction author Ben Winch – novelist Nan Witcomb – poet Laetitia Withall – poet, author and suffragette
Business and media Rick Allert – accountant, company director and chairperson Balfours family – bakery founders Barr Smith family – businessmen and philanthropists Matt Barrie – entrepreneur, CEO Freelancer Limited Shaun Bonétt – property developer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Cooper family – brewery founders Thomas Elder – pastoralist, politician and philanthropist Gerard family – founders of Clipsal Haigh family – chocolatiers Edward Hayward – owner and manager of John Martins Sir Sidney Kidman – pastoralist, entrepreneur and landowner Matthew and Zbigniew Michalewicz – entrepreneurs and co-founders of SolveIT Software Rupert Murdoch – media mogul, chairperson and CEO of News Corporation Wade Nixon – creator of the YouTube channel DankPods Mary Penfold – winemaker John Spalvins – managing director of Adelaide Steamship Company Robert Stigwood – impresario, entertainment entrepreneur and film producer Michael Tunn – radio announcer and program director Gary Turner – producer, record company owner and founder of LearnToPlayMusic.com
Law and politics Julie Bishop – Minister for Foreign Affairs and deputy leader of the Liberal Party of Australia Sir John Langdon Bonython – member of the first Australian parliament Sir John Lavington Bonython – mayor and lord mayor of Adelaide Michael Bradley – mayor of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada James Crawford – legal academic and judge of the International Court of Justice (2014) Mario Despoja – leader of the Croatian community in Australia Natasha Stott Despoja – senator and leader of the Australian Democrats Alexander Downer – Foreign Affairs Minister and leader of the opposition Alexander Downer, Sr. – member of the House of Representatives and High Commissioner to London John Downer – twice premier of South Australia John Finnis – professor of Law at University College, Oxford Julia Gillard – prime minister and leader of the Australian Labor Party Janine Haines – senator and leader of the Australian Democrats Sir Charles Kingston – premier of South Australia and Minister for Trade and Customs in the first Commonwealth parliament Dame Roma Mitchell – Australia's first female QC, first female judge, and first female governor Christopher Pyne – Minister for Defence Catherine Helen Spence – suffragist, electoral reformer, prohibitionist, and first female political candidate in Australia Ian Wilson – member of the Australian House of Representatives and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Sir Keith Wilson – senator and member of the Australian House of Representatives Penny Wong – Labor politician and Minister for Foreign Affairs List of mayors and lord mayors of Adelaide List of premiers of South Australia :Category: Federal politicians from South Australia
Science World-renowned Adelaide scientists include:
Col Bailey – naturalist Len Beadell – surveyor, roadbuilder and explorer; asteroid 3161 Beadell is named after him William Henry Bragg – physicist, chemist and mathematician, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics William Lawrence Bragg – physicist and crystallographer, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics and youngest Nobel laureate Rodney Brooks – roboticist, director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and founding member of the iRobot corporation Ronald Fisher (1890–1962), polymath, mathematician, statistician, biologist, geneticist, Baron Howard Florey – pharmacologist and pathologist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Basil Stuart Hetzel AC – medical researcher who made a major contribution to combating iodine deficiency Cecil Madigan – geologist and meteorologist, member of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition Sir Douglas Mawson – geologist and explorer, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition Sir Mark Oliphant – nuclear physicist, winner of the Hughes Medal and the Faraday Medal Enid Lucy Robertson – botanist, conservationist Reg Sprigg – geologist and conservationist George Szekeres – mathematician, after whom the George Szekeres Medal is named Terence Tao – mathematician, winner of the Fields Medal Andy Thomas – aerospace engineer and NASA astronaut David Unaipon – inventor and writer, commemorated on the Australian fifty-dollar note Robin Warren – pathologist and researcher, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine Sir Hubert Wilkins – Antarctic aviation pioneer, Arctic explorer, ornithologist and geographer
Sport Internationally and nationally recognised sports people from Adelaide include:
Aerobatics Chris Sperou – thirteen-time National Aerobatics Champion, and five-time participant in the FAI World Aerobatic Championships
Archery Simon Fairweather – Olympic gold medalist
Athletics Matthew Clarke (born 1995) – distance runner Jessica Stenson (born 1987) – distance runner
Australian rules football Nathan Buckley – captained the Collingwood Football Club, winner of the Brownlow Medal Mark Ricciuto – player for the Adelaide Crows, winner of the Brownlow Medal Adam Cooney – player for the Western Bulldogs and the Essendon Football Club, winner of the Brownlow Medal Matthew Pavlich – captained the Fremantle Football Club Adelaide Football Club players Port Adelaide Football Club players
Basketball Mark Bradtke – played one season in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers, played in the NBL for the Adelaide 36ers, Melbourne Tigers and Brisbane Bullets Lindsay Gaze – played for the Australian Boomers in three Olympics and coached the team in four Olympics Joe Ingles – plays for the Orlando Magic in the NBA Ben Madgen – plays in the NBL for the Sydney Kings Brett Maher – played in the NBL for the Adelaide 36ers Mike McKay – played in the NBL for the West Adelaide Bearcats, Adelaide 36ers, Brisbane Bullets, Canberra Cannons and Wollongong Hawks Brad Newley – plays in Spain for CB Gran Canaria, drafted to the NBA by the Houston Rockets Erin Phillips – plays in the WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury, played for the Connecticut Sun Luke Schenscher – played in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls and the Portland Trail Blazers Phil Smyth – played in the NBL for the St Kilda Saints, Canberra Cannons, Adelaide 36ers and Sydney Kings
Brazilian jiu-jitsu Craig Jones – two-time ADCC silver medalist (2019–2022)
Cricket Greg Blewett – played for the Australian national cricket team Sir Donald Bradman – captained Australia, all-time highest Test batting average of any player with 99.94 (Note: Bradman was born in Cootamundra, New South Wales in 1908 and moved to Adelaide in 1934.)