Who is the greatest national hero of New Zealand?

Question

-in history
-1 person only

Answer 1

I would say that if you asked New Zealanders to give you the name of a New Zealand hero off the top of their heads, the first name that would come to mind for most would be:

Sir Edmund Hillary

This may be due to the fact that he is still alive and often featured in the news. However, if given time to think and consider all the possibilities, he would possibly be replaced by

Ernest Rutherford


What might surprise many, however, is the huge choice for such a small country. In 2005 a panel of New Zealanders were given the names of 430 notable NZers and asked to pick the top 100. From that list, the public were asked to choose the top 10. See the link below for the results.

PS: It is pleasing to note that very few All Blacks made it to the top 100 and none made it to the top 10!!! While we NZers are truly passionate about our rugby, we are mature enough to recognise that it takes more than playing a sport to turn you into a lasting hero.

Answer 2

Mr. Grame Harrison