New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers was a weekly television programme first shown on Prime Television New Zealand on 6 October 2005. 100 New Zealanders were ranked by a panel. There were six episodes counting down the list from 100 to 11. The seventh and final episode was shown live on 17 November 2005, it showed the top ten people ranked by panelists and the top ten ranked by the public. The public voted by texting a number or by a poll on the Internet. The episodes were narrated by Alison Mau

Joseph Romanos, one of the panellists, wrote a book in 2005 called New Zealand's Top History Makers, It contained the same 100 people.

Panel 

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 
Top 100 people ranked by panelists:

Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) – physicist
Kate Sheppard – (1847-1934) suffragette
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
Hone 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) aviatrix
Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes (1924-2006) – heart surgeon
Sir Peter Snell (1938–) runner
William Pickering (1910-2004) – space scientist
Sir Peter Jackson (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 (1760s–1849) 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) – Longest-serving 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 (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 (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-) – athlete and philanthropist
Neil Finn (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 Herangi (1883-1952) – Māori leader
Sir John Walker (1952-) – runner
Tim Finn (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 Nepia (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 (1937-) – politician
Dr Matthew During () – scientist
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 Kenana 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 (1951-) – cricketer
Billy T James (1948-1991) – comedian
Sir Keith Sinclair (1922-1993) – historian
Charles Goldie (1870-1947) – painter
John Minto (1953-) – activist
Rudall Hayward (1900-1974) – film maker
Witi Ihimaera (1944-) – writer
John Te Rangianiwaniwa Rangihau (1919-1987) – Māori language promoter
Dave Dobbyn (1957-)– songwriter
Russell Coutts (1962-) – sailor
Jonah Lomu (1975-2015) – All Black
Peter Mahon (1923-1986) – lawyer
Georgina Beyer (1957-) – transgender politician
A J Hackett (1958-) – Bungy jumping pioneer
Denny Hulme (1936-1992) – Formula One driver
Russell Crowe (1964-) – actor

Public rankings 
Top 10 people ranked by the public:

Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) – scientist
Kate Sheppard (1847-1934) – suffragette
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
Āpirana Ngata (1874-1950) – politician
Colin Murdoch (1929-2008) – inventor of the disposable syringe
Rua Kenana Hepetipa (1869-1937) – prophet
Roger Douglas (1937-) – politician and economist

References

Other websites 
New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers at Wayback Machine internet archive

Lists of entertainers
New Zealand people
2005 television series debuts