Famous Australians: Are You Related?

Ever heard of Howard Florey, Edith Cowan, or Steve Irwin? These 3 are part of a long list of famous Australians that have made great contributions in the world or the country of Australia. It’s always fun to find out if you’re related and also to see what makes some of these notable people from Australia famous.

Who’s Who of the Famous People of Australia?

Below are some famous faces from Australia that you might recognize. To learn more about each person, click on the View Person button. To see if you're related to the person, you'll need a FamilySearch account—if you don't have one, it's easy to start one—and the following steps:

1. Click View Person for the person you want to learn more about.
2. Find the Sign In button in the upper right corner, and log in to your FamilySearch account.
3. Click the Go to Detail Person Page link in the upper right corner.
4. Click on the View Relationship button to see if you're related!
   

   

Note: You might get a message that says "It appears your tree does not have enough generations added to find a shared relative, or the shared relative is beyond 15 generations." If this happens, don't fret! Continue to find and add people to your family tree in FamilySearch; you may soon find that common ancestor between you and a famous relative!

Edith Cowan

Edith Cowan (1861–1932) was a great advocate for women’s and children’s rights. She helped create a children’s court and was the first woman to serve on a local board of education in Australia. In 1921, Cowan was the first woman to enter Parliament in Australia.

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Sir John Monash

Sir John Monash (1865–1931) was a military commander during World War I. He led the successful Allied attack at the Battle of Amiens in August 1918. This led to many gains for the Allies.

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Sir Charles Kingsford Smith

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (1897–1935) was a great aviator. He made the first trans-Pacific flight from America to Australia in 1928. He also made the first flight from Australia to New Zealand. Smith tragically disappeared during a flight to England in 1935.

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Howard Florey

Howard Florey (1898–1968) was an Australian doctor who had a major part in turning penicillin into a usable form of medication. He oversaw the first clinical trials at the Radcliffe Hospital Oxford. Florey's clinical trials saved millions of lives.

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Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John (1948–2022) was famous for her roles in Grease and Xanadu and was a well-loved singer, actress, and performer. She recently passed away from breast cancer in 2022.

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Steve Irwin

Zookeeper Steve Irwin (1962–2006) is well-known for his famous “Crocodile Hunter” documentaries and TV appearances. He loved to film wildlife at close range. Irwin passed away from a stingray barb while filming in the Great Barrier Reef.

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Famous Australians Who Are Still Living

Australian native Rupert Murdoch is sometimes called “the master of the media” or "a media mogul." Murdoch is the owner of multiple major media companies such as Fox Corporation.

Cathy Freeman also appears on many famous Australian lists. She is the first Aboriginal woman to compete in the Olympics, running the 400m to win gold for her country at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Since retiring from racing, Freeman has been a part of various community activities and foundations that help improve lives in Australian indigenous communities.

Another famous Australian is actress Cate Blanchett, who has made many notable big-screen appearances in films such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Aviator, and Elizabeth. She has won 2 Academy Awards and 3 Golden Globes. Blanchett hales from Melbourne.

Other Australian celebrity standouts include actress Nicole Kidman, country singer Kieth Urban (who is also Kidman's husband), actors Chris and Liam Hemsworth, and actor Hugh Jackman

Famous Relatives around the World

History is full of well-known celebrities, scientists, athletes, activists, and artists from around the world. Wondering if you have some famous relatives from countries other than Australia? Take some time to have fun with FamilySearch's Famous Relatives activity, and do a little celebrity investigating! Remember that you'll need a FamilySearch account to participate in the activity.

Don't see a famous person listed that you wanted to check if you're related to? If they've already passed away, try searching for them on the FamilySearch Shared Family Tree.