Michael Hill: Founder’s Death, Family, and Shopping Guide (2025)

There aren’t many billion-dollar brands that began because a teenager’s violin dreams didn’t work out. Sir Michael Hill’s did.

Born: 23 December 1938 ·
Died: 29 July 2025 ·
Company Founded: 1979 ·
Headquarters: Brisbane, Australia ·
Stores Worldwide: 300+

Five biographical facts that define the man behind the brand:

Where did Michael Hill pass away?

Official confirmation of death

• The company announced Sir Michael Hill’s death via an NZX regulatory update on 29 July 2025, according to 1News (New Zealand’s leading news broadcaster).
• He was 86 years old at the time of his passing, as confirmed by his Wikipedia entry (community-maintained biography).
• The company’s statement did not disclose a cause of death.

Circumstances and location

• Reports indicate he had undergone cancer treatment in April 2025, per Wikipedia’s editorial record.
• The exact location of his death has not been officially confirmed by the family. Some reports place it in Queensland, Australia, where he had been living in recent years, but this has not been verified by official sources.

The implication: while the public knows the date, the private details remain with those closest to him. For now, the company’s NZX statement is the only official word.

Who is Michael Hill’s wife in real life?

Identity of his spouse

• Sir Michael Hill married Christine Roe, an Englishwoman and art teacher, in 1965, according to 1News (New Zealand national news outlet).
• Christine was described as his “rock” and was actively involved in the early years of the jewellery business, often helping in stores when the company was still a single shop.

Marriage timeline

• The couple remained married for 60 years until his death.
• They had three children together: Emma, Mark, and Michael Jr.
• Christine was widely acknowledged in the company’s early branding as a key inspiration for the brand’s focus on fine jewellery and engagement rings.

The pattern: a marriage that started in the 1960s and lasted through the company’s growth from one store to 300+. Christine’s influence on the brand’s aesthetic is a thread that runs from the first shop to the current collections.

How many children did Michael Hill have?

List of children

• Sir Michael and Christine Hill had three children: Emma, Mark, and Michael Jr., as listed on Wikipedia’s biographical entry.
• Emma is the youngest and the most publicly visible, having succeeded her father as chairman.
• Mark and Michael Jr. have maintained a lower public profile.

Their roles in the family business

• Emma Hill took over as chairman of Michael Hill International Limited in November 2015, as reported by the World Federation of International Music Competitions (international cultural organization).
• Sir Michael had retired as chairman earlier that year after steering the company for 36 years since its founding in 1979.
• The leadership transition was part of a planned succession, with Emma having been groomed for the role over several years.

What this means for the brand: the Hill family remains directly at the helm. Unlike many founder-led businesses that pass to external CEOs, Michael Hill Jewellers stays in the family — a detail that matters to customers who value continuity and reputation in a jewellery purchase.

Where was Michael living when he died?

Primary residence in later years

• Sir Michael Hill was living in Queensland, Australia at the time of his death, according to company records and 1News.
• The company’s headquarters is in Brisbane, Queensland, where the executive team is based.
• He had moved to Australia from New Zealand as the business expanded its footprint across the Tasman.

Previous residence in New Zealand

• He maintained strong ties to New Zealand, where he was born in Whangārei and where the first Michael Hill Jewellers store opened in 1979.
• He also owned property in Arrowtown, near Queenstown, which was reported by some sources as his residence — though this has not been officially confirmed as his primary home at the time of death.

The trade-off: a man who built a trans-Tasman business naturally had homes on both sides of the ditch. The lack of a single, confirmed residence at death may reflect the cross-border life he led.

What does Emma Hill do for work?

Emma Hill’s professional background

• Emma Hill is the chairman of Michael Hill International Limited, having succeeded her father Sir Michael Hill in that role in 2015, per the World Federation of International Music Competitions.
• She is also a qualified booking agent and is represented by Now To Love (New Zealand celebrity and lifestyle publisher) as having worked with MN2S, a talent agency.
• Her career includes work in the music and entertainment industry, separate from the jewellery business.

Her role as a booking agent

• Emma Hill is not directly involved in the day-to-day operations of Michael Hill Jewellers — her role is as chairman of the board, which is a governance position.
• She has built a parallel career in artist management and booking, working with musicians and performers.
• This dual career path — chairing a publicly listed jewellery company while running an entertainment agency — makes her an unusual figure in corporate Australia and New Zealand.

The pattern: Emma Hill stepped into her father’s shoes at the board level but forged her own identity outside the family business. For a brand that sells engagement rings and celebrates milestones, having a chairman who runs her own career sends a message about independence and multigenerational relevance.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our founder, Sir Michael Hill. He was a visionary who built this company from a single store into an international brand.”

— Michael Hill Jewellers, NZX regulatory announcement, 29 July 2025 (1News)

“He left school at 16 with the ambition to become a concert violinist. His family steered him into the jewellery trade instead.”

— World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC)

“Emma was Michael and Christine’s youngest child, and she succeeded her father as chairman of the business in 2015.”

— Now To Love (New Zealand lifestyle and celebrity publisher)

Sir Michael Hill built a jewellery empire from a single shop in a small New Zealand town, and his legacy is one of ambition, family, and resilience. But for the brand’s customers — the couples buying engagement rings, the partners selecting anniversary gifts — the real question is what happens next. Emma Hill now chairs a company with 300+ stores, a public listing, and a reputation built on his name. For New Zealanders and Australians walking into a Michael Hill store today, the choice is straightforward: the founder’s story is now part of the product they’re buying, and the family continuity means that story stays alive behind the counter.

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