Last updated:
Monday, 6 June 2022
The Queen’s Service Medal:
ANDERSON, Mr William Michael (Bill)
For services to Māori education and the community
Mr Bill Anderson (Te Ihingarangi-Maniapoto, Ngāti Porou) has contributed 50 years to Māori education, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Narrative Mediation through Kaupapa Māori-based principles of Manaakitanga.
Mr Anderson was a Lecturer of Māori and Bilingual Studies with Waikato University from 1987 to 2005, before becoming Senior Lecturer and Head of the Māori Bilingual Department, holding this position for four years. As a member of Te Kura Toi Tangata / School of Education, he was a steward to Te Kohinga Marama Marae and officiated at ceremonies, community gatherings, school visits and wananga hui. He has been the Principal of several primary schools including Pakiri, Rotongaro and Matangi Schools and has been a teacher at several others, regarded as a Māori Bicultural Ambassador. He has contributed to his community through schools and as Kaumatua and carver, having carved several Tokotoko for Kaumatua, Kuia, whanau and others. He has provided advocacy, narrative mediation and support for Māori and other members of the New Zealand Education Institute and Post Primary Teachers Association since 2007. Mr Anderson has been a keynote speaker at several national and international events including at World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference of Education, the Western Association for Counsellor Education and Supervision in the United States, and the Australia and New Zealand Education Law Association.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
ANDREWS, Mrs Jennifer Louise (Jenny), JP
For services to seniors and local government
Mrs Jenny Andrews has supported older people in the community through a variety of avenues for 23 years, volunteering her time beyond her paid employment to advocate for seniors.
Mrs Andrews has been on the Marlborough District Council since 1998, with four terms as Deputy Mayor. She has been involved with a range of committees such as the Older Person’s Forum since 1999, and chaired various sub-committees for housing, accessibility and mobility for seniors. She has supported the annual Senior’s Expo. She has been a Trustee of Marlborough Housing for the Elderly Trust since 2004 and a member of Alzheimer’s Marlborough. She is Patron of Age Concern Marlborough and Senior Citizens Marlborough. Mrs Andrews provided bereavement support from 2002 to 2017 with Geoffrey T Sowman Funeral Directors, also setting up a parents’ group for those who have lost a child.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
BAY, Bishop Ross Graham, OStJ
For services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community
Bishop Ross Bay joined the Auckland Operational Support Unit, the largest volunteer fire brigade in New Zealand, in 1988 and has risen to the rank of Deputy Chief Fire Officer.
Seeing the need to recruit and retain new, young volunteers to refresh membership and provide continuity, Bishop Ross introduced a successful observer programme which allows candidates to ‘try out the role’ and attend callouts in a supervised capacity before formally joining. He also shortened pathways for volunteers to learn or become qualified for certain roles, maximising skills and potential. As Brigade training officer, he became the first Operational Support member in New Zealand to pass the Institution of Fire Engineers’ international examination. He qualified as a Fire and Emergency New Zealand trainer, tutoring and coaching at the National Training Centre and throughout the country. He was appointed Anglican Bishop of Auckland in 2010. He oversaw the transformation of the old church hall at St Marks, Remuera into a new community centre. Bishop Ross often acts as Brigade Chaplain officiating at memorial services, dedications and funerals.
HONOURS
Officer of the Order of St John
The Queen’s Service Medal:
CARTER, Mr Ian Wright
For services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community
Mr Ian Carter has been a member of Hahei Volunteer Fire Brigade since its inception in 1974 and has been Chief Fire Officer since 1996.
Mr Carter was part of a group that lobbied the council for better local fire protection, leading to the acquisition of second hand fire equipment and the establishment of the Hahei Brigade. He was Officer in Charge of the Brigade from 1976 to 1982 and in 1996 Hahei became a standalone Volunteer Fire Brigade and he became the inaugural Chief Fire Officer. He is one of the foundation members of the Fire and Emergency Peer Support group and has been a member from the early 1990s until 2021. He helped establish and maintain an ongoing working partnership between Fire and Emergency, local Surf Lifesaving and St John Ambulance. He qualified as a lifeguard in his teenage years, becoming a member of the Hot Water Beach Lifeguard Service in the early 1990s, where he has remained active as a mentor and member of the committee. He has been involved in the local body Emergency Management Committee. Mr Carter established a walking track through his farm to Cathedral Cove, providing a link from Whitianga to Hahei for walking tourists and emergency responders.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
CHAND, Mr Ami
For services to ethnic communities
Mr Ami Chand was a founding member of the Waitakere Indian Association in 2000 and initially played a significant role in organising the annual Waitakere Deepawali Festival, which has grown into a significant cultural event for West Auckland.
Mr Chand has been Deputy Chair of the New Lynn Festival of Cultures Trust since 2000, which organises an annual festival for multiple ethnic groups. He is a member of Shakti Ramayan Mandali and has taught Indian culture and performed religious activities in the West Auckland area. He was elected to the Whau Local Board from 2013 to 2016 and held the portfolios for Ethnic Affairs, the Manukau Harbour Forum, and Watercare. He is a Trustee of the Kelston Community Trust and a past-Chairperson of the Kelston Community Hub, which administrates the ‘Proud to be Kelston’ community awards initiative. He has been an elected member of the Portage Licensing Trust for more than 17 years and is currently Deputy Chair. Mr Chand has been the Chair of the Community Organisation Grants Scheme Committee since 2020 and a Justice of the Peace for more than 20 years.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
CLARKE, Mr David James
For services to heritage preservation
Mr David Clarke has contributed to the heritage/museum sector within the Queenstown Lakes District as Director of Lakes District Museum in Arrowtown for 32 years.
Mr Clarke has been actively involved in the community and local government, acting as the Independent Hearings Commissioner and is a former Arrowtown Ward Councillor. He frequently provides advice on a range of local issues and has been committed to protecting and restoring local heritage buildings, such as the Arrowtown Miners Cottages and the Arrowtown Gaol. He has initiated several major developments associated with the Lakes District Museum, such as the purchase of Arrowtown Post Office and the development of many new display areas. He was a community leader in promoting the ongoing protection of the Arrowtown Chinese Village. He has curated more than 150 art and history exhibitions, as well as supporting local artists in their nascent careers. He has coordinated more than 600 hours of oral history recording of Queenstown Lakes District citizens to preserve important historical knowledge. He has been involved in numerous fundraising initiatives and has overseen the construction of a new museum archive facility. Mr Clarke raised $3.5 million between 2019 and 2021 for the restoration and strengthening of the Lakes District Museum (1875).
The Queen’s Service Medal:
COLE, Mr Michael Compton
For services to the Coastguard and the RSA
Mr Michael Cole has been a member of Howick RSA since 1967, holding all Executive roles over the years including President from 2006 to 2008, 2013 to 2015 and 2017 to 2018.
Mr Cole has been the Youth Council Delegate, 40 Squadron Air Training Corps Liaison Officer, and has been on the Howick RSA Community Trust since 2011. He has been ANZAC Day Parade Commander for Howick since 1988, which has involved liaising with the Auckland Council, NZDF, schools, local groups and VIPs. He has organised the Howick Dawn Parade since 2006. He was appointed a Trustee of ATC 40 Squadron in 2017 and was organiser for the Armistice Day centenary commemoration. He joined the Howick Volunteer Coastguard in 1988 and was a Senior Master from 2002 to 2018. He has spent an estimated 11,000 hours on the water volunteering with the Coastguard over the years. He has taught hundreds of volunteers at Howick and other Auckland units over the past 32 years as a skipper. He became a Coastguard Education Tutor in 2000 and has taught VHF Radio, GPS and Day Skipper courses to around 600 boat owners from the community. Mr Cole is a Life Member of Howick Volunteer Coastguard and the RSA.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
COOKE, Mr Ronald Leslie (Ron)
For services to historical research
Mr Ron Cooke has spent over fifty years researching, preserving and publishing the history of Taumarunui and surrounding districts.
In 1980 Mr Cooke established and began publishing “Roll Back the Years” a pictorial magazine recording the history of Taumarunui and surrounding districts. He later developed a national version of the magazine “New Zealand Memories”, first published in 1995, which captured the stories, reminiscences, factual accounts and images of all the regions and districts of New Zealand. Mr Cooke has written and published over 20 books recording the history within the King Country community on subjects ranging from school reunions, sawmilling, transportation, small community’s history, as well as many volumes on the general history of the served region. He was a member of the Taumarunui and Districts Historical Society. Mr Cooke elected as a Councillor on the Ruapehu District Council from 2007 to 2016.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
DAY, Mrs Glenise Audrey, OStJ
For services to the community
Mrs Glenise Day has been contributing to the Chatham Islands community for 45 years.
Mrs Day has been a St John volunteer since 1995 and was a committee member and Chair of the Chatham Islands COGS for two terms between 2000 and 2008. She represented the Chatham Islands on the National COGS committee as one of 13 community representatives. She has been a member of the Chatham Islands Ladies Hospital Visiting Committee since 1992, supporting patients’ needs including supplying parcels for the newly born and items for patients themselves. She supports the Chatham Island Health Centre by purchasing equipment for the Chatham Island Hospital, such as chairs, curtains, electric beds and mattresses and televisions for the comfort of the patients. This is now known as the Friends of the Hospital, which she co-manages from koha given at the hospital. She is a member and facilitator of the Chatham Island Golden Oldies committee between 1992 and 1998, organising monthly activities for the elderly. Mrs Day has been a member and chair of the Norman Kirk Memorial Reserve committee, which continues as the sporting and community hub for Chatham Islands.
HONOURS
Officer of the Order of St John, 2012
The Queen’s Service Medal:
DIAS, Dr Talduwa Gamage Chandrasoma Asoka (Asoka)
For services to health and the Sri Lankan community
Dr Asoka Dias has contributed to community health, particularly focusing on mental, social and spiritual wellbeing for the Sri Lankan community, since he migrated to New Zealand in 1997.
Dr Dias led the fundraising initiative for the Sri Lanka Buddhist temple from 2004 until the successful establishment of the temple in 2014. He provided leadership towards establishing new premises for the Temple in 2008 and for its ongoing maintenance. For ten years, he has coordinated a monthly meditation programme at the temple, which has helped reduce mental stress, fatigue and anxiety and provide health benefits within the community. He helped re-establish the New Zealand Overseas Doctors Association in 1999, which has seen more than 250 qualified doctors from 32 countries engage in work in New Zealand. He has been a member of the United Sri Lanka Association in Auckland for more than 20 years, helping members with their physical and mental wellbeing through discussions, presentations and hands-on workshops. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led the planning for the urgent delivery of High Flow Oxygen machines to Sri Lanka. Dr Dias spearheaded a campaign to vaccinate as many people as possible in the Sri Lankan community, using the Sinhalese language to improve communication and reach for the message.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
DOIG, Ms Eleanor Joyce
For services to the community
Ms Eleanor Doig has been the Chair of South Dunedin Community Network since its inception in 2018.
Ms Doig and others launched the South Dunedin Community Network to create a network for the community to come together, growing from 30 participants to 160, with the aim of strengthening the South Dunedin community’s sense of belonging and building resilience in the face of climate change threats. She has applied years of knowledge working with the challenging social and environmental issues South Dunedin faces, such as flooding, to support the community to be better prepared. She has helped the network grow and to become a registered charity. More broadly, for many years she has been coordinator of the annual South Dunedin Street Festival and a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors and the New Zealand Religious Society of Friends. Ms Doig was joint winner of the SBS Bank Dunedin Volunteer Awards, Volunteer of the Year in 2021.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
DUVAL, Mr Llewelyn Phillip (Phillip), JP
For services to the community
Mr Phillip Duval has been contributing to the Christchurch community for more than 30 years.
Mr Duval was the volunteer coordinator of the Christchurch Police Kiosk in Cathedral Square between 1989 and 2009, managing upwards of 120 volunteers at various times. He was recipient of the District Commander’s Certificate of Commendation for his services. He has been a Board Member and President of the Home and Family Society Christchurch since 2005, instrumental in project-managing the restoration of the Community of the Sacred Name Convent. He is a founding trustee and current Chair of Te Tapuwae o Rakau Trust since 2016, which is focused on planting ten-million eco-sources native plants and trees on the Christchurch Port Hills, working closely with the representatives of Te Hapu O Ngati Wheke - Rapaki and other entities to achieve this goal. He is the former Vice President of the New Zealand College of Business, visiting nations including Japan, Indonesia and China, promoting New Zealand and the college. Mr Duval has been a Justice of the Peace since 2000 and was made a Patron of the Home and Family Society in 2021.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
GREENGRASS, Mrs Christine Joy
Deceased. Her Majesty’s approval of this award took effect on 14 May 2022, prior to the date of decease.
For services to the community
Mrs Christine Greengrass has been contributing to the community of Kaiapoi for 50 years.
Mrs Greengrass contributed to Kaiapoi Plunket between 1974 and 1984, when her children were attending and moved through the various schools they attended. She held positions that required a lot of time including Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. She has contributed to several vulnerable members of the community such as Darnley Club for elderly, Access North Canterbury for the disabled, Red Cross and Waimakariri Earthquake Response Team Leader. She negotiated with government agencies for the welfare and needs of the Kaiapoi community after a devastating Christchurch earthquake in 2012 destroyed the community. She was a major driver in ensuring the Pines-Kairaki community was provided with a community building following the earthquake. She was the Team Leader and Treasurer of the Kaiapoi Community Garden between 2011 and 2015. Mrs Greengrass has been the Chair of Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi Chair since 2018.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
HANNA, Mrs Barbara Anne
For services to the community
Mrs Barbara Hanna has given significant voluntary services to the Tapanui and Clutha District communities.
As Chair of the West Otago Community Board since 2010, Mrs Hanna has been a major force behind projects such as the erection of a cell phone tower, the purchase of a back-up generator for the community centre, welcome signs at Heriot and Tapanui, and liaising with the District Council on the building of flood barriers, and construction of a local aged care and medical centre. She has held numerous administration roles with the Blue Mountain College, West Otago and Otago Country Netball Union over 50 years. She has been active at the regional level as a member on the Netball Otago Incorporated Board. She has had a 40-year involvement with West Otago Theatrical Society as a founding member and has been production secretary, wardrobe manager, choreographer, secretary, and President. For many years, Mrs Hanna has organised the Tapanui Christmas Parade and has been a member of many committees organising major one-off local events such as the 2013 Goldfields Heritage Trust Cavalcade.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
HUME, Mrs Susan Elizabeth
For services to education
Mrs Susan Hume was the Principal of Avonside Girls’ High School between 2010 and 2021.
Mrs Hume has led Avonside Girls’ High School (AGHS) through several difficult periods including the Canterbury earthquakes in 2011, the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic, and the work to ensure a successful transition to the new-build co-located Avonside Girls’ High School in April 2019. Due to extensive damage, the school had to site-share at Burnside High School in 2011, returning to prefabs on the original site in 2012, managing the move with 1,200 students and more than 100 staff. Work then began on managing the rebuild of the school on its new co-located site. She has modernised the curriculum, led significant changes to the school’s structure to provide more support for student wellbeing, and has pushed for further engagement with the school community particularly for those who identify as Māori and Pacific. She has served as a NCEA advisor with the Ministry of Education during the period when NCEA was rolled out to schools. Mrs Hume was a member of the Canterbury West Coast Secondary Principals Association and served for two years on the Executive.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
HUXFORD, Mr Mervyn Paul (Merv)
For services to hockey and the community
Mr Merv Huxford has been instrumental in developing hockey in the Hibiscus Coast community and volunteering with other charities and community organisations.
Mr Huxford created the first Hibiscus Coast under-13 hockey team more than 30 years ago, providing transport to games and a training facility at the local indoor cricket centre. He has successfully played in and coached numerous club and regional hockey teams of all ages and abilities since the late 1980s, coaching players who have later played internationally. He currently chairs the Hockey Hibiscus Trust and has held administrative roles with North Harbour Hockey Association. He was the driving force behind the Hibiscus Coast’s first artificial hockey turf opening at Millwater in 2017. He initiated a primary school competition at this facility that has run for the past three years, beginning with 19 local teams and since expanding to 43 teams. He runs weekly development sessions at Millwater for Year 5 to 8 students, while helping schools with their development programmes or coaching. He has been a founding Trustee, Treasurer and fundraiser for Youth in Transition since 2014, a suicide prevention service for young people. Mr Huxford has been active with Rotary since the 1990s, holding leadership roles with Orewa and Maungautoto Clubs and is a past District Governor.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
INDER, Mr Samuel Bruce (Sam)
For services to the community
Mr Sam Inder has dedicated several decades to the community of Otago through farming, sports and governance.
Mr Inder was involved with Young Farmers’ Club whilst running his sheep and beef farm in 1972, becoming National President in 1974. He led the New Zealand Young Farmers Study Tour to Australia in 1976 and was responsible for the financial organisation of the Third International Farm Youth Exchange World Conference in Christchurch. He has held several committee roles in his community including as President of the Strath Taieri Rugby Club, President of the Lions Club, Church warden of St Chad’s Anglican Church and Chairman of the Strath Taieri Community Board of Dunedin City Council. Upon retirement from farming, he was the Manager of Royal Albatross Centre, between 2001 and 2010. He coached the East Otago High School’s curling team in 2014, running the curling programme for the 2019 Men’s and Women’s World Championships and several other Winter Games events between 2009 and 2019. He has held several positions with New Zealand Curling Association including as President, Chairman, Executive Member and was made Life Member of the association in 2020. Mr Inder helps contribute to the Bonspiel, New Zealand’s major tournament for curling.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
JOHNSON, Mrs Nedra Julia
For services to the community and education
Mrs Nedra Johnson has been involved with various community organisations in Canterbury since the 1960s.
Between 1971 and 1989, Mrs Johnson was a member of the Canterbury Education Board and represented the Board on the Christchurch Teachers College Council. She held a range of committee and board positions with various schools from the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. She was appointed as the first female member of the Planning Tribunal in 1982, and subsequently as an Environment Commissioner from 1985 to 2002. She was Chair of the Health Promotion Committee for the New Zealand Heart Foundation from 1997 to 2000. She was Regional Chair for the International Year of Disabled Persons from 1980 to 1982. She was President of the New Zealand Alpine Garden Society from 2004 to 2007. She has volunteered as a guide for Christchurch Botanic Gardens from 2005 and with the Botanic Gardens Horticultural Hub to provide public advice. She was a founding member of the Family Life Education Council and was President in 1982. She was a member of the Community Mental Health Working Party and the Christchurch Civic Pride Committee in the late 1970s. Mrs Johnson was an associate member of the National Council of Women from 1969 to 2001 and one of five coordinators of the Christchurch United Women’s Convention in 1977.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
KEARNEY, Sister Cynthia May
For services to missionary work and the community
Sister Cynthia Kearney is a trained teacher and Missionary nun who first became a sister of Our Lady of the Missions in 1964 and has devoted the majority of her life to helping those in need.
Sister Kearney was elected to the leadership role of Provincial for the Pacific region from 1995 until 2002, travelling extensively for teaching and nursing missions, and to international meetings. In 1970 she was a founding teacher helping to establish the first secondary school on the island of Savaii in Western Samoa. In 1980 she was invited by the Bishop of Samoa to train young women interested in joining the congregation in Apia and later became a counsellor for the Suicide Alert Team in Apia. She is a qualified psychotherapist, was a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors, a supervisor of counsellors in training, and a member of the Spiritual Directors Association. She carries out inter-denominational church work such as leading religious services and workshops. Sister Kearney has volunteered at the St Vincent de Paul Society since 2009 as well as facilitating prayer services at Te Wiremu rest home, running two prayer groups, and visiting the sick and housebound in her own time.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
KLEMICK, Mr Paul
For services to historical research
Mr Paul Klemick has for more than 20 years been documenting, researching and connecting Polish ancestry, history and migration to New Zealand.
Mr Klemick has documented a comprehensive catalogue of all available information of churches, graves and points of interested of Polish family activities, their detail and related events in New Zealand. He is a founding member of the Polish Heritage Trust of Otago and Southland, founded in 1998 and is currently a trustee and board member. Through the trust, he provides access to his research and findings on Polish heritage, providing a way for Polish settlers in New Zealand and around the world a way to connect. He has researched for exhibitions and presentations and populated the website with the findings with the trust. He was awarded the Polish medal Chwalba Grzymislawa in 2003 for his efforts in documenting Polish migration history to New Zealand, a prestigious award from the Kociewie region in Poland. Mr Klemich was awarded the Polish Gold Cross of Merit in 2008 by the Polish Heritage Trust of Otago and Southland.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
LEEBODY, Ms Jeanette Margaret (Kate), JP
For services to netball and the community
Ms Kate Leebody has dedicated more than 50 years to education and netball in New Zealand.
Ms Leebody was a teacher in Niue before becoming a teacher at Gore Highschool from 1969 to 1978, then moving to St Peters College in Gore, where she taught until retirement in 2014. She led a team to set up the Hokonui Tertiary High School in conjunction with Southern Institute of Technology’s Gore Campus and Telford Farm Training Centre, for senior students wanting structured vocational training with qualifications. She has coached and managed netball teams throughout her teaching years and held executive roles on the Eastern Southland Netball Committee, including President. She was an inaugural member and subsequent Chair of the Southern Team Co Franchise Board who secured a professional Southern team in the Netball New Zealand competition in 1998. While on the inaugural committee for the multi-sport event centre in Gore, sponsorship of $1 million was secured from Mataura Licensing Trust for the project. She worked with the Ministry of Education to ensure funds were allocated so that schools in the Eastern Southland area could use the stadium at no cost. Ms Leebody has received several awards acknowledging her commitment to the Southland and wider community, including life membership of Netball Eastern Southland in 2004.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
MAKISI, Ms Gabrielle-Sisifo Blanche Dunlop
For services to Pacific communities and education
Ms Gabrielle-Sisifo Makisi taught at Onslow College and Rongotai College for 18 years and as Pacific Dean focused on raising Pacific achievement.
As Pacific Dean, Ms Makisi ran afterschool homework centres, book clubs, the poly group, careers day, role model and mentoring programmes, and Pacific gospel choirs. While at Rongotai she was involved with the growth of the Rongotai Pacific Parents Association and introduction of Samoan language as a teaching subject in 2005. For 21 years, she has been the events director and faufautua for Tu Tagata, Wellington’s secondary schools Polyfest. She has been key in co-writing the constitution and processes, setting up leader scholarships and growing the festival. She is key in sourcing funding for the festival and oversees the production team. She founded Vinepa Trust, a community family organisation, supporting Pacific education and health opportunities, and establishing a range of workshops with language and wellbeing focuses. She has been a member of PACIFICA national organisation of Pacific women for 20 years and is former President of the Newtown branch, which runs numerous activities for the Pacific community from youth mentoring to cooking classes. Ms Makisi is on the leadership team of the Kilbirnie Salvation Army and established the Pua Alofa programme to provide care packages to families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
MCDERMOTT, Mr Neil Rex
For services to music promotion and the community
Mr Neil McDermott has contributed to the Southland community, particularly through promotion of musicians and events for 50 years.
Mr McDermott began managing a band at age 18, which was the supporting act for the Southland Cycling Association John Farnham Show. He was entertainment convenor of the Makarewa Country Club from 1985 to 1989. In the 1990s he began a campaign to have Southland artists who achieved national or international success to be publicly recognised in Invercargill, resulting in the City Council establishing a Walk of Fame outside the Civic Theatre in 2004. His 2003 initiative to celebrate Southland musician Dave Kennedy resulted in the formation of the Southland Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, with this event occurring annually until 2017. He was the convenor and driving force behind the event, spending countless voluntary hours on organisation, promotion and negotiation. He helped research the 2006 book ‘45 South: In Concert’ on Southland musicians, sourced funding and arranged a printing deal. He has also volunteered with Rugby Southland over 15 years, as match day staff, team/game liaison worker. He co-wrote articles in the 1970s on Southland Rugby. Mr McDermott has supported the Invercargill Public Library with book donations and more recently helping transition the library to a community hub, where he has organised events.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
MCFARLANE, Mr Craig Sutherland
For services to education and music
Mr Craig McFarlane has had a career in education, beginning at Hamilton Boys High School before becoming Head of Mathematics and Science at Kaitaia College in 1971.
Mr McFarlane was Deputy Principal at Kawerau College from the mid-1980s, working to support students from challenging socio-economic circumstances. He taught at further schools from 1990 until his retirement from full-time teaching in 2011. He was a facilitator at Northern Health School from 2014 to 2018, helping students integrate back into regular school environments. He joined Bay of Plenty Mathematics Association (BOPMA) in 2000, serving time as President and as current Secretary. Through BOPMA he has played a key role in keeping up to date with changes to mathematics teaching and disseminating this information to Bay of Plenty teachers, organising professional development events. For many years he has organised the Maths Mind competition for Year 9 and 10 students held annually in the Bay of Plenty, also setting the questions for each competition. As a musician, he has been involved with school bands and orchestras, as well as community brass bands and orchestras. He has tutored students and new community band members on a voluntary basis. Mr McFarlane has been President and Secretary of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Brass Band.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
MCKIBBIN, Ms Margaret
For services to Scouting
Ms Margaret McKibbin has been a Cub and Kea Scout leader since 1966.
In the mid-1980s Ms McKibbin recognised a lack of Kea clubs in the Napier area and took on the role of District Kea Leader, overseeing the establishment of 15 Kea Scout clubs throughout Napier/Hastings. She was then Area/Zone Kea Leader for Waiapu Area for eight years. During her time as Area/Zone Kea Leader, she played a major role in developing the skills and capabilities of other Kea Leaders. She was a National Trainer at Tatum Park from 1991 to 2002, during which time she trained around 200 Scout Leaders on this prestigious training course. She was involved in a national capacity at the 1993 National Scout Jamboree and was part of the Napier contingent in 1996. She ceased her Area/Zone leadership duties in 2013 and became leader of the Kea club at Westshore Sea Scouts in Napier. She became Guild Master of Napier’s Baden Powell Guild in 2017, providing fellowship and activities for Scouting’s most senior retired leaders. She was on the committee that hosted the national Guild body’s 2017 conference. Ms McKibbin received the Napier City Council Civic Award in 2014 for her services to youth, having also fundraised for St John Ambulance youth and volunteered with the National Aquarium of New Zealand.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
MIKA, Reverend Vaelua Salafai (Salafai)
For services to church ministry and the Samoan community
Reverend Salafai Mika has supported his local communities through church ministry from the late 1980s until retiring in 2015.
Reverend Mika was ordained into the New Zealand Methodist Conference in Levin in 1988 and was posted in Otara at St Pauls Methodist Church from 1991 to 1996. From 1997 he worked on establishing the Samoan Papatoetoe Metotisi Church, which officially opened in 2003. His drive to establish a Samoan church stemmed from his commitment to preserving the Samoan language and culture for New Zealand-born Samoans. He then served the Otara Faletoi Metotisi Church from 2004 to 2010 and the Phillipstown Samoan Metotisi Church in Christchurch from 2011 to 2015, before retiring from church ministry. While in Otara and Papatoetoe, he was involved with the Otara Network, a group facilitating discussions on local issues, advocating to local institutions and organising community initiatives such as annual planting and clean up events. He has been a member of the Manukau Institute of Technology’s Pasifika Community Komiti since 2015. Reverend Mika has supported restorative justice sessions and visited prison inmates as a counsellor and chaplain.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
MONEY, Mrs Mary Elizabeth
For services to Girl Guides, women and the community
Mrs Mary Money has held volunteer positions with organisations focused on improving the lives of women, young girls and the disabled since the 1970s.
Mrs Money was involved with the New Zealand Girl Guides Association until 2014, having held several senior positions including National Extension Advisor for Girls from 1977 to 1984, District Commissioner and Division Commissioner between 1971 and 1977, and a member of the National Council. As National Extension Advisor, she was instrumental in normalisation and acceptance programmes for disabled Girl Guides, initiating mainstreaming into regular units and the closing of all extension units. She was a foundation member in 1976 and President from 1980 to 1982 of the Upper Hutt Branch of Soroptimist International. She held national and international roles in the 1980s and 1990s including International Programme Liaison Officer, Coordinator for International Goodwill and Understanding, Central New Zealand Region President and New Zealand Council Representative for International Development. Her other volunteer service in the 1980s included membership of the Upper Hutt Red Cross, the Upper Hutt Regional Arts Council, and the Summer Carnival Committee. Mrs Money was made a Life Member of the Upper Hutt Inner Wheel Club in 2017.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
MORGAN, Mr Larry Alexander
For services to canoe sports and viticulture
Mr Larry Morgan was Secretary of Hawke’s Bay Canoe Polo from 2007 to 2011, Secretary/Treasurer of Hawke’s Bay Kayak Racing from 2010 to 2015 and National Secretary of New Zealand Canoe Slalom from 2006 to 2009.
Mr Morgan managed two New Zealand U23 teams to the Australian Canoe Slalom Championships. He was a grade 2 referee for canoe polo and coordinated Hawke’s Bay’s canoe polo referees for eight years. He coached canoe polo for Colenso and Tamatea High Schools, organised the 1992 New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Winter Triathlon and co-organised the 1993 Secondary Schools’ Canoe Slalom Championships. Within the wider community, he has been a member of Civil Defence since 2011 and is the Volunteer Manager. He was a member of Parent Teacher Associations in Taradale for 12 years, with 10 years as Chairman. He was Secretary of the New Zealand Grapevine Improvement Group from 1988 to 1994. He was appointed in 1994 as Te Mata Estate’s first viticulturist, developing the Woodthorpe Terraces and the Isosceles vineyards. During his time at Te Mata Estate, Mr Morgan worked to improve grape clones, shared knowledge with industry groups, hosted industry trials and organised the importation of improved grapevines.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
MORTON, Mrs Vivien Joy
For services to the community
Mrs Vivien Morton has been involved with Plunket since 1979.
Mrs Morton was a member of the Plunket Committee in Paremata and President for four years. She led a team of 45 volunteers to raise a contribution of $20,000 towards the building of the new Plunket facility in Whitby. She began the Plunket Car Seat Rental Service in Porirua in 1982, growing the service until 2017 to have 1,604 car seats available for rent in the Northern Wellington region. She continues to offer services at local Plunket venues for people to check their car seats are installed correctly. She is a qualified Child Restraint Technician and Trainer, training the Police, rental car employees, car seat retailers, iwi and Pacific leaders, and others on the correct installation of car seats. She has been involved with Porirua City Aquatics for 38 years, coaching club swimmers, and running Learn to Swim sessions, serving as Club President since 2004. She was instrumental in re-establishing the Parumoana and Porirua interschool swimming sports and has been Chair of the Gold Coast Committee since 2006, leading her team to organise seven swim meets for clubs from Tawa to Otaki each year. Mrs Morton was one of Porirua City Council’s 25 Influential Wāhine for 2018.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
NORMAN, Ms Ellen Huia (Reremoana)
For services to Māori and mental health
Ms Reremoana Norman has spent more than 25 years in mental health services in Auckland and Northland.
Ms Norman began her career in mental health in South Auckland in 1993 during a period of change with the closure of Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital, an increase in community based mental health services, and a drive to improve Māori mental health. With Counties Manukau DHB from 1999 to 2006, she advocated for Māori equity, developed Māori clinicians and kaumatua services, and represented Māori on regional and national mental health forums. She was then District Manager Far North Mental Health and Addictions at Northland DHB from 2007 to 2017, during which time she faced challenges such as paedophilia disclosures, increased criminal activity, high suicide rates and other factors impacting the community. She was Director of Māori Development and Manager of Community Engagement roles with the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. She was member and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Te Rau Matatini (now Te Rau Ora), the national centre for Māori workforce development, education and cultural capability. She is Chair of Ngāti Kahu Social and Health, Trustee of Ngāti Kahu ki Tamaki, and Treasurer of Te Paatu Marae. Ms Norman is Māori Suicide Postvention Coordinator for Manurewa Marae and established several initiatives for mental health education.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
NUKU, Reverend Hiueni
For services to Tongan and Pacific communities
Reverend Hiueni Nuku has been Chair of the Wellington Tonga Leaders’ Council since 2015 and previously was Treasurer from 2012.
The Council has led Tongan language revitalization in Wellington, undertaking Tongan Language Week activities, and developing bilingual books in Tongan and English for early childhood education. Through the Council Reverend Nuku has been involved with Whānau Ora projects and helped secure a contract with Pacific Futures Limited for five years to deliver health, housing and employment projects with the Tongan community in the Wellington region. He played a key role in establishing the Tongan Educational Expo in 2016. He was previously involved in supporting Laulotaha Study Hub between 2008 and 2015 and was involved in Pacific Awhina Community Cluster Study Hub for Tongan high school students from 2013 to 2015. He had oversight over the first Tonga Youth Awards in 2017, which recognised top Tongan students in academia, sports, and leadership. He initiated the celebration of Tonga Day in Wellington in 2017. He has strong connections to the Pacific community nationwide through his involvement across several organisations and Boards, including Ministerial appointments, the Methodist New Zealand Council of Conference and Tu Ora Compass Health. Reverend Nuku has been Parish Superintendent for Lower Hutt Tongan Parish (Ututa’u) and Tawa Union Church since 2009.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
OPIE, Mr Roy John
For services to the community
Mr Roy Opie, as Commodore of the Otaihanga Boating Club from 2007 to 2014, oversaw a $500,000 rebuild and upgrade project to the flood-damaged Club hall.
Mr Opie was member of the Kapiti Primary School Committee for six years, serving the last two as Chairman. During this time the committee oversaw the construction of a swimming pool complex. He has a background in construction and in the 1970s he was involved in building the foundations for the Paraparaumu Rugby Club. He joined the Kapiti Rotary Club in 1978 and was President in the early 1980s. He was later District Chairman of the Friendship Exchange Committee for two years. Through Rotary he chaired the committee that oversaw the construction of a hall for the Kapiti Senior Citizens Association in 1987. The hall is used by many community groups and in recent years he has led a team in renovating the hall and building an addition to provide a small annex for meetings, due to be completed in 2022. He has organised the Rotary Run for Fun event to raise funds for local schools. Mr Opie has helped raise funds for the upgrade of the Wellington Free Ambulance Station in Paraparaumu and has contributed to projects for the RSA and Club Vista.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
PAWSEY, Mr Harry Earl
For services to advocacy and conservation
Mr Harry Pawsey and his wife Virginia are the coordinators and advocates for the Cave Creek Families Group, working since 1995 to keep the families in touch and maintaining an enduring relationship with the Department of Conservation.
Mr and Mrs Pawsey were strong advocates for the families following the tragic platform collapse at Cave Creek in April 1995, seeking a full review of the Department’s building and safety signage processes. This resulted in legislative changes. Mr Pawsey was the lead for this advocacy work with support from Mrs Pawsey. The legislative changes have resulted in the ability for the public to hold government departments legally accountable for accidents and loss of life, which has enhanced New Zealand’s reputation regarding health and safety internationally. DOC also undertook a significant overhaul of how its structures, including huts, bridges and platforms, are constructed and monitored. Mr and Mrs Pawsey initiated a 7.5 hectare flax wetland QEII covenant on private rural land they previously owned, protecting the land in perpetuity. The area is named Kit Pawsey Wetland, after their son who lost his life at Cave Creek.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
PAWSEY, Mrs Virginia Ann
For services to advocacy and conservation
Mrs Virginia Pawsey and her husband Harry are the coordinators and advocates for the Cave Creek Families Group, working since 1995 to keep the families in touch and maintaining an enduring relationship with the Department of Conservation.
Mr and Mrs Pawsey were strong advocates for the families following the tragic platform collapse at Cave Creek in April 1995, seeking a full review of the Department’s building and safety signage processes. This resulted in legislative changes. Mr Pawsey was the lead for this advocacy work with support from Mrs Pawsey. The legislative changes have resulted in the ability for the public to hold government departments legally accountable for accidents and loss of life, which has enhanced New Zealand’s reputation regarding health and safety internationally. DOC also undertook a significant overhaul of how its structures, including huts, bridges and platforms, are constructed and monitored. Mr and Mrs Pawsey initiated a 7.5 hectare flax wetland QEII covenant on private rural land they previously owned, protecting the land in perpetuity. The area is named Kit Pawsey Wetland, after their son who lost his life at Cave Creek. Mrs Pawsey has maintained the families’ communication network since the tragedy in 1995.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
PRASAD, Mrs Pushpa Devi
For services to the community
Mrs Pushpa Prasad formed the Multicultural Indian Society in 1999 after noticing young children were starting to lose their mother tongue, culture and traditions.
Mrs Prasad’s aim for the society was to organise cultural events to engage youth to participate and promote the use of their mother tongues. The society has branched out to several regions including Wellington, Palmerston North, Hamilton and Auckland. She has helped the migrant community through the society, providing services such as English classes, career guidance, education, driving lessons and providing support to first-time mothers. She has held several roles with the Whanganui branch including as Secretary, Vice President and has been the current President since 2018. She has coordinated several events including community BBQs, art competitions, technology support and organising Race Unit week events. She was a Tutor with YMCA between 1995 and 2014, mentoring youth and providing assistance with personal development. She is a member of the Festival of Cultures, which brings events to celebrate the diversity of Whanganui. She was founding member of Satsang Ramayan Mandali Central and is the current Treasurer and Secretary. Mrs Prasad has been the Secretary of Multicultural New Zealand Women’s Wing since 2010.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
RICE, Mr Graeme Ernest
For services to traffic and road safety
Mr Graeme Rice contributed to road safety nationally, particularly in the lower South Island for 46 years.
Mr Rice held various positions with Ministry of Transport in Dunedin between 1974 to 1994, including as Traffic Instructor, District Manager and Transport Licensing Officer. He has worked in seven different areas of road and traffic safety with six different transport organisations, including the Land Transport Safety Authority, Land Transport New Zealand and Waka Kotahi. He has contributed to several transport and road safety initiatives including the imposition of carless days in 1979 and launch of evidential breath testing devices in 1992, the spread of the Defensive Driving Course, introduction of Child Restraints and Cycle Helmets, and changes to the right hand rule in 1976 and 2012. He authored a motoring studies module in 1990 for sixth form (Year 12) certificate and has lectured on road safety and education at polytechnics, teachers’ colleges and the University of Otago. In 1990, his team completed the $3 million ‘Drive Plan’ driver education resource comprised of 20 videos, teaching notes, and booklets on all aspects of driving and vehicle ownership. Mr Rice has supported individual road safety co-ordinators throughout Otago and Southland in implementing road safety initiatives from 1997 until retiring in 2020.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
ROBBIE, Mrs Elizabeth Ann (Ann)
For service to historical research
Mrs Ann Robbie has contributed to the uncovering and preserving war memorials across Southland for more than 30 years.
Mrs Robbie has for the last 30 years played a leading role in locating, recording, and in the preservation and restoration of war memorials from the First and Second World Wars across the Southland region. She has identified and catalogued over 400 memorials, ranging from large public cenotaphs and gates to small memorial boards around the district. The location of these war memorials has been compiled into Southland’s Kia Mate Toa database, an initiative to enable Southlanders to understand the service and sacrifice of Southland’s soldiers. Mrs Robbie has provided her services as a bagpiper at ANZAC Day services and funerals in Southland for more than 45 years. She has also tutored young pipers in the City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band and played with the Winton and Districts and Waimatuku Pipe Bands.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
SALUNI, Mrs Vaipou
For services to education and the Pacific community
Mrs Vaipou Saluni has contributed to Samoan and Pacific communities in various roles.
Mrs Saluni has supported Pacific families settling in the Wellington region since the 1960s. She taught ESOL and Samoan language at all school levels in Wellington from the 1970s until retiring in 2007, and has since remained involved on a voluntary basis. She has advised the Ministry of Education in developing Pacific and Samoan resource materials for the national school curriculum and has been a Samoan evening tutor and consultant on culture. She provided translation services for a Pacific health campaign. She established and ran an Aoga Amata in 1987 and was an active member of FAGASA, a group of Pacific educators committed to professional development. She chaired Lavea’i Trust Inc. from 2002 to 2014, a community organisation helping more than 1,000 Pacific people graduate from a life skills programme in partnership with the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. She has been a cultural advisor and Samoan tutor for Failoa Famili Trust since 2019. She was a founding member of the Wellington Samoan Seventh-day Adventist Church in Porirua and the Hutt Valley Samoan Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lower Hutt, holding various leadership roles. Mrs Saluni has led community programmes such as the women’s ministry, after-school children’s programmes, health and temperance and vegetarian cooking classes.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
SCRIVENER, Mr Michael
For services to ethnic communities and refugees
Mr Michael Scrivener has been a member of the Hutt Multicultural Council (HMC) since 1999, holding roles on the Executive Committee, as Secretary and Vice President and current Life Member.
Mr Scrivener has been on the organising committee of the HMC’s annual Race Unity Celebration event for 20 years, responsible for promotion and logistics support. He has helped organise the Multicultural Football Tournament since 2017 and HMC’s Waitangi Day commemoration event. He helped establish and was a member of the Upper Hutt Multicultural Council from 2006 to 2014 and a member of the Wellington Multicultural Council from 2000 to 2020. He was Secretary of the Seniors’ Council of the New Zealand Federation of Multicultural Councils from 2013 to 2017. He helped prepare a directory of service providers, religious and cultural organisations in the Wellington region for international students. He has been involved with his local Anglican Churches in Trentham from 1979 to 2000 and Karori since 2001, holding vestry and works committee positions. He is a community van driver, taking disabled people to church services and events. He distributes donated household items to refugees settling in the Wellington region. He is a member of the Karori Resilience Group. Mr Scrivener is Wellington representative for Shoes for Planet Earth, a charity which collects and distributes second-hand shoes.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
SOLOMON, Mrs Winifred (Wini)
For services to Māori culture and heritage
Mrs Wini Solomon (Te Arawa) has taught the art of raranga or flax weaving for more than 40 years, passing her knowledge through generations.
Raranga is a plaiting technique using your fingers, brought to New Zealand by the first Pacific settlers and was used to make practical items for survival such as rope, fishing nets and baskets. Mrs Solomon has been using this technique to create korowai (cloaks), piupiu (skirts), kete (baskets) and patterned wall panels called tukutuku, for the local marae. To help with her raranga, she grows her own flax and is aware of the different varieties and which are better suited to each piece of work. She was a Tutor of Raranga with Te Wananga o Aotearoa, based at the Southland Institute of Technology for ten years. She has taught students at local marae, community centres, schools, and with children’s holiday programmes. Alongside teaching raranga, she teaches the protocols of tikanga Māori practices associated with gathering, using and disposing of leftover flax and appropriate karakia and waiata. With her husband, they set up retail shops to sell the Māori art to visiting tourists and New Zealanders and she taught anyone who took particular interest. Mrs Solomon received the Kaitiaki Tohu Pai Guardian Award at the Southland Community Environment awards in 2018 for raranga.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
SOMERVILLE, Ms Irene Ann (Ann)
For services to the community and historical research
Ms Ann Somerville’s community service has included St Faith’s Anglican Church, Ōhinemutu, and Rotorua Little Theatre in the 1970s and 1980s.
Ms Somerville is a current member of St Faith’s Parish Management Committee and produces a weekly newsletter. She overhauled the informal tourism programme at St Faith’s, recruiting and training the Kai Awhina team of guides and working with tour operators. She worked at Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Rotorua for more than 20 years until retiring in 2013. She curated several significant exhibitions such as ‘Daughters of the Land’ and award-winning long-term exhibit ‘Taking the Cure’. As Public Programmes Officer she established and oversaw Rotorua Museum’s docent programme, personally training all the volunteer guides. She researched and wrote histories that appear on information panels in Rotorua’s CBD. Since her retirement, she has assisted with television and film documentaries featuring the region and consulted to the Friends of Rotorua Museum on acquiring taonga and art works for existing collections. She helped revive the Rotorua branch of the Māori Women’s Health League in 2017 and has since taught classes on making preserves, which are sold as fundraisers. Ms Somerville helped research a book on Te Arawa Women’s Health League and in 2018 contributed to Te Arawa Stories Digital Storehouse He Pātaka Pūrākau project.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
TANG, Mr Yu-Shiun
For services to Chinese communities and culture
Mr Yu-Shiun Tang migrated to New Zealand from Taiwan in 1995 and is an internationally recognised master calligrapher and a leader in the Canterbury Chinese community.
Mr Tang has dedicated his life to teaching Chinese parents and young Chinese New Zealanders traditional Chinese cultural practices, which include calligraphy, tai-chi, Confucianism, history, and the ancient Chinese knowledge of Jiaguwen/oracle bone involving inscriptions on shell or bones. His regular tai-chi lessons have supported Chinese women, seniors and new Chinese arrivals feeling culturally and socially isolated. He has helped Chinese youth find ways to relate to their cultural roots and build confidence in their identities. He has held calligraphy exhibitions at Canterbury Museum, Christchurch Art Gallery, and Tūranga Christchurch Central Library. Mr Tang is well regarded in his ability to connect the wider Chinese communities and has worked with a range of Chinese community organisations including Taiwan Hwa Hsin Society, New Zealand Chinese Association Canterbury, New Zealand Chinese Cultural Association, and Christchurch Guangdong Association among others.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
TE HUIA, Mrs Roberta Mihikore (Mihikore)
For services to Māori
Mrs Mihikore Te Huia advocated between 1964 and 2001 for a Marae to be established in the Te Atatu region of Auckland.
Mrs Te Huia took the then Waitakere City Council to court several times after consultations to establish a Marae had failed countless times. In 2001, the then Mayor and the councillors agreed to set aside 2.5 hectares of land for Marae purposes on the Harbour View Land in Te Atatu Peninsula. Court proceedings have halted the build of the Marae for several years since, but she has used funding to host Matariki Events since 2016 to promote the profile of the Marae. In its first year, the event hosted an art exhibition which saw one school enter, but in 2021 16 schools had entered. The events include performing arts, kapa haka, and include Pacific and Indian cultural celebrations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she has ensured elderly persons are taken care of and has helped provide garden food boxes for those in the community. Mrs Te Huia has been a member of the Te Atatu branch of the Māori Women’s Welfare League and was appointed as the first Māori woman on the Waitakere City Council.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
TOLOA, Mr Luther Alafia, QPM, JP
For services to the Pacific community
Mr Luther Toloa has been a key Pacific leader for the Wairarapa community for several years.
Mr Toloa advocated for the build of a clubhouse, administration block, 12 outdoor netball courts, six with artificial covering and three with large roof structure and lights in 2014, after it was pointed out to him by his granddaughters the disparity between local rugby and netball facilities. He gained significant community support, approaching the Masterton District Council and other donors to co-opt into the joint venture with his newly established Bring it to Colombo Trust. A multi-million dollar regional netball facility is now shared with other indoor sports. For a number of years, he organised the Castlepoint Family Day, an annual New Year’s Event with a carnival, horse rides, boat rides and other attractions. He led the Joyita Project between 2007 and 2013, commemorating the disappearance of the MV Joyita in 1955 which had 25 people from Tokelau, New Zealand, Samoa, Great Britain and America, whose bodies were never found or recovered. He established the Pasifika O Wairarapa Trust during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020 lockdowns to continuously provide a one stop multi-disciplinary service and resources to the Pacific community and marginalised families. Mr Toloa is chairperson of Tokelau Rugby League Incorporated.
HONOURS
Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, New Year 1994
The Queen’s Service Medal:
VAN DELDEN, Mrs Wendy Louise
For services to music
Mrs Wendy van Delden was a foundation member of the Waikanae Music Society (WMS) in 1978 and has been Concert Manager since 1981.
Through WMS Mrs van Delden has organised around eight concerts annually for audiences of 200 to 300, involving both national and international artists. She has liaised with Chamber Music New Zealand (CMNZ) and other musical organisations, playing a key role in WMS becoming one of the most successful organisations of this kind in New Zealand. In 2008 she helped establish the Waikanae Music Society Charitable Trust for Young Musicians and continues to run it presently. She helped to introduce the Society’s two student concerts a year, providing an opportunity for school students to gain experience performing in public. She was involved in fundraising for the replacement of the grand piano in 2011 and has hosted a monthly radio programme Concert Notes on Coast Access Radio for many years. She has had a lifetime career as a teacher of piano and theory, with many students going on to musical careers. She has had an involvement with various rose societies over 30 years and is a current member of the Manawatu Rose Society. Mrs van Delden has been a regular exhibitor and judge at lower North Island rose shows.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
WALDRON, Mrs Heather Belle, JP
For services to the community
Mrs Heather Waldron has been involved with Tauranga Returned and Services Association since 1987.
Mrs Waldron was a member of the Welfare Committee/Welfare Trust for 18 years and Chairperson from 2011 to 2018. She led the sub-committee that revitalised the Welfare Trust with a new constitution and status as an incorporated society. She has represented the RSA at funerals of members, organised Anzac Day events and Poppy Day collections, and was involved with a hospital support group to ensure proper treatment of veterans. She joined the Tauranga RSA Executive in 2010, was Vice President from 2013 to 2015, and was first female President of the Club from 2016 to 2018. She became a member of the Bay of Plenty Justices of the Peace Association in 1999. She was a Training Officer from 2001 to 2005 and again from 2008 to 2009. She was a member of the Council from 2000 to 2010, serving as Vice President from 2004 to 2006 and President from 2006 to 2008. As President she worked with others to set up new JP service desks in the community. She has been an active member of a JP Association Service Centre since 2009. Mrs Waldron has been a volunteer with Age Concern Tauranga and was on the Executive from 2001 to 2006.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
WALLACE, Ms Lynda Ruth
For services to heritage preservation and the community
Ms Lynda Wallace has been Director of Akaroa Museum since 2001, guiding the museum through challenging periods including repairs post-Canterbury earthquakes.
Under Ms Wallace’s leadership, the museum has developed from a modest local collection into a nationally significant curated collection and a key educational resource for schools and historians. She oversaw an important collection of oral histories of the area as a resource and archive for future generations. The museum received an Exhibition Excellence award at the 2018 Museums Aotearoa Awards, for its rejuvenation following the Canterbury earthquakes, for which she was integral in securing funding. She has worked with Canterbury Museum and Heritage New Zealand as a regional advisor and now manages three historic buildings within the Akaroa Museum complex. She has been a Board member of the Akaroa Civic Trust since 2001, with 10 years as Secretary, and played a key role in the Trust receiving a Christchurch Heritage Award in 2010 for its work at Takapūneke and Green’s Point. She has been a community member of the Akaroa Design Review Panel for 20 years, member of the Garden of Tāne Reserve Management Committee, and a Trustee of the Gaiety Trust since 2008. Ms Wallace has been co-designer and co-organiser of the Lumiere event since its inception in 2019.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
WILSON, Mr Ian David
For services to conservation
Mr Ian Wilson has been a founding member and Operational Manager of Puketi Forest Trust on a voluntary basis since 2003.
Puketi Forest encompasses 5,500 hectares in Northland and had been overrun with pest species. Mr Wilson organises both contracted and volunteer trappers to service more than 6,000 traps each month with a non-toxic lure. He organises the drop off of bait by helicopter to reach more challenging higher points in Puketi Forest and helps with working bees to ensure the trap lines are kept in good working condition. He has kept meticulous records of predators caught, with more than 100,000 pests removed to date, and ensured funds are efficiently used to support the Trust’s activities. The Trust’s activities have seen kokako and toutouwai (North Island robin) reintroduced successfully, and plant species such as the Northern Rata have recovered. The Trust received the Northland Regional Council Enviro Award in 2020. He has placed his farm under QEII covenant and has opened public access to Puketi Forest through his property. Mr Wilson was a committee member of the Far North branch of Forest and Bird for more than 30 years until recently retiring.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
WITTEN-HANNAH, Mr Karel James, MStJ
For services to the community and education
Mr Karel Witten-Hannah taught at Massey High School in West Auckland for 31 years and has actively volunteered in his community.
Mr Witten-Hannah was a member of the Whānau Committee created to advocate for Māori students, which established Te Mahanahana marae at Massey High School in 1987 and coordinated the School Marae Carving Project with Paremoremo Prison. He was Outdoor Education Coordinator for the school from 1977 to 2006, coached several sports, organised student trips, and supported Māori and Pacific groups. In the 1970s he was instrumental in establishing the Lone Kauri School in Karekare for locals. He helped run Auckland Council’s Youth Leadership courses. He has been a patroller with Karekare Surf Lifesaving Club since 1985 and spent time as Club Captain and President, helping grow membership. He has helped with maintenance and rebuilding of the club and run the After-Hours Call-Out Squad. He became Karekare’s Volunteer Civil Defence Coordinator in 1984 and since 2020 has co-led the Resilient Karekare Network, which created the Community Resilience Plan. He has been a founding member of the Piha and Karekare St John First Response Unit since 1993. He was a founding member in 1984 and is Deputy Chief of the Karekare Rural Fire Brigade. Mr Witten-Hannah was an Honorary Fisheries Officer from 1993 to 2010.
HONOURS
Member of the Order of St John, 2015
The Queen’s Service Medal:
WOODS, Mr William Edward (Bill), JP
For services to conservation and the community
Mr Bill Woods has volunteered with community organisations in Canterbury, including the committees of Sheffield Waddington Township, Malvern St John, and the Glentunnel Museum extension.
Mr Woods has been a member of Hororata Historical Society, Port Hills Park Trust Board from 2009, Summit Road Society (SRS) Board from 1998 and President since 2009. As President of SRS, he has guided the organisation through the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes and the Port Hill fires to mitigate hazards in the Ohinetahi Reserve and raise funds for restoration. Recently he negotiated funding for the encirclement of Omahu and Gibraltar Reserves with a fence to keep out wild deer and pigs, donating equipment for the project and helping construct live capture pig traps. Between 2016 and 2018 he negotiated the SRS’s acquisition of the 234-hectare Tussock Hill Farm, donating $600,000 towards the purchase to restore the farm into a conservation space. He has volunteered in the Springfield community as Chairman of the Township Committee in 2009, assisting Springfield Library, the school and local Kowai Pass Domain, and constructed the replacement of the landmark Springfield Donut after it was vandalised. He was a Selwyn District Councillor for several terms between 1989 and 2004 and Mayor from 1992 to 1995. Mr Woods is currently on the Malvern Community Board.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
WYATT, Mr John Kenneth
For services to the community
Mr John Wyatt and his wife Sandra Wyatt have been contributing to the Kaikoura community for ten years.
Mr Wyatt was elected as President and Mrs Wyatt as Trustee of the Board of Kaikoura Community Theatre in 2015, overseeing the governance of The Mayfair Theatre. Following the Kaikoura 2016 earthquake, when the theatre was facing demolition, they led volunteers through a four-year programme of fundraising and planning to commence the rebuild. He assumed the role of Project Manager, working with architects, local government, and planners across New Zealand. They worked with the local Iwi to initiate the relocation and reburial of the uncovered Māori burial site under the theatre to ensure traditions were respected. Despite the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the newly restored Mayfair Arts and Culture Centre was officially opened by Christchurch Mayor in November 2020. The Mayfair project was awarded two Public Architecture awards in 2021 by the New Zealand Institute of Architects. They have been involved with the Kaikoura Lions Clubs, Kaikoura High School and working with Civil Defence post-earthquake recovery. Mr Wyatt and Mrs Wyatt continue to support projects and endeavours to revive earthquake-damaged Kaikoura in the community.
The Queen’s Service Medal:
WYATT, Mrs Sandra Jean
For services to the community
Mrs Sandra Wyatt and her husband John Wyatt have been contributing to the Kaikoura community for ten years.
Mrs Wyatt was elected Trustee and Mr Wyatt as President of the Board of Kaikoura Community Theatre in 2015, overseeing the governance of The Mayfair Theatre. Following the Kaikoura 2016 earthquake, when the theatre was facing demolition, they led volunteers through a four-year programme of fundraising and planning to commence the rebuild. She worked with local venues and film distributors to create ‘Mobile Mayfair’ to ensure the community could still watch movie releases. They worked with the local Iwi to initiate the relocation and reburial of the uncovered Māori burial site under the theatre to ensure traditions were respected. Despite the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the newly restored Mayfair Arts and Culture Centre was officially opened by Christchurch Mayor in November 2020. The Mayfair project was awarded two Public Architecture awards in 2021 by the New Zealand Institute of Architects. They have been involved with the Kaikoura Lions Clubs, Kaikoura High School and working with Civil Defence post-earthquake recovery. Mrs Wyatt and Mr Wyatt continue to support projects and endeavours to revive earthquake-damaged Kaikoura in the community.
