List of Famous people born in Otago Region, New Zealand
Brendon McCullum
Brendon Barrie McCullum is a New Zealand cricket coach, commentator and former cricketer, who played all formats, and also a former captain in all forms. McCullum took quick scoring to Test matches as well, notably recording the fastest test century of all time. He is considered as one of the most successful batsmen and captains of New Zealand cricket. He retired from all forms of cricket in August 2019.
David Bain
The Bain family murders were the deaths by gunshot of Robin and Margaret Bain and three of their four children – Arawa, Laniet and Stephen – in Dunedin, New Zealand, on 20 June 1994. The only suspects were David Cullen Bain, the oldest son and only survivor, and Robin Bain, the father. David Bain, aged 22, was charged with five counts of murder. In May 1995, he was convicted on each of the five counts and sentenced to mandatory life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of sixteen years.
Ben Smith
Benjamin Robert Smith is a New Zealand rugby union player, currently representing Pau in the French Top 14. He formerly played for the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition and for Otago in the ITM Cup.
Justin Ives
Justin Ives is a New Zealand-born Japanese rugby union player. He was named in Japan's squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Ben McLachlan
Ben McLachlan is a New Zealand-born tennis player who, although he still lives in New Zealand, now represents Japan, having switched his national allegiance in June 2017. He was entitled to do so because his mother is Japanese. He is a doubles specialist, who first reached his career-high doubles ranking of world No. 18 on 5 November 2018, after the Paris Masters. He attended the University of California, Berkeley.
Byron Kelleher
Byron Terence Kelleher is a former rugby union scrum-half who played for Stade Toulouse in the French Top 14 and has played 57 tests for the All Blacks. He was a very aggressive player, who specialized in pick-and-go techniques.
Fraser Barron
Fraser Barron DSO & Bar, DFC, DFM, was an officer of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) who flew as a pilot with Bomber Command and was killed in flying operations during the Second World War.
Alan Dale
Alan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand-born actor. As a child, Dale enjoyed theatre and rugby. After retiring from the sport, he took on a number of occupations, before deciding to become a professional actor at age 27. With work limited in New Zealand, Dale moved to Australia, where he played Dr. John Forrest in The Young Doctors from 1979 to 1982. He later appeared as Jim Robinson in Neighbours, a part he played from 1985 until 1993. He left the series when he fell out with the producers over the pay he and the rest of the cast received. In 2018 it was revealed that Dale would reprise his role as Jim for one episode on 25 December, 25 years after his last appearance.
Tony Brown
Tony Eion Brown is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer, who played mainly at first five-eighth. He is an assistant coach for the Japan national rugby union team, having previously been the head coach of Otago and the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition.
Hamish Bond
Hamish Byron Bond is a New Zealand road cyclist and former rower. He was a double Olympic gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympic Games and at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. He has won six consecutive World Rowing Championships gold medals in the coxless pair and has set two world best times in the coxless and coxed pair. He made a successful transition from rowing to road cycling after the 2016 Summer Olympics focussing on the road time trial.