Michael Hill

Hill was born in Whangārei on 23 December 1938, and was educated at Whangārei Boys' High School from 1949 to 1954. Hill recalled being bullied, stating that he "hated" his time at school. He left school at 16 to pursue a career as a concert violinist but a year later was told he would have had to start much younger in life to be a noteworthy musician. Hill abandoned his hopes of a career in music and started working for his uncle, Arthur Fisher, at the family jewellery store. He performed well as a salesman and window dresser, winning international awards for his efforts in the latter. He later took over the store's newspaper and radio advertising, drawing attention to the business with bizarre themes for the advertisements.

In the spring of 1964, while working in the store, Hill met Christine Roe, an Englishwoman who taught art at a local high school. They married in March 1965 and had two children, Mark (born 1969) and Emma (born 1971).

Although he did not become a concert violinist, Hill maintained a strong love for the violin his entire life and continued to play. In 2001 he founded the biennial Michael Hill International Violin Competition "for emerging young violinists". The winner of the competition receives a substantial cash prize, a recording deal for international distribution and a "Winner's Tour" in which the competition winner performs in concert halls around New Zealand and Australia in the calendar year following the competition.