To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ANSON, Associate Professor James Gregory (Greg)
For services to exercise sciences and neuroscience
Associate Professor Greg Anson has been an instrumental figure in exercise sciences over 47 years and has contributed significantly to establishing the field of human movement neuroscience in New Zealand, a field in which he has been influential internationally.
Associate Professor Anson’s mentorship has directly influenced numerous physical educators, academics and students. His numerous and frequently cited research publications have contributed to the fundamental understanding of mechanisms and processes by which the brain and body work together to control movement, and then adapt under conditions of abnormal functioning following injury and/or neurological disorder. He has been a Board member of the International Society of Motor Control for many years and became an International Fellow of the American National Academy of Kinesiology in 1997. He has been on organising committees for several international conferences, including chairing the organising committee of the 2021 Progress in Motor Control conference. He was Head of Department of Exercise Sciences at the University of Auckland from 2010 to 2020, Head of the Tāmaki Campus for six years, and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science in 2014. He was Director of the Applied Science Programme at the University of Otago from 2005 to 2009. Associate Professor Anson was Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Tertiary Council for Physical Activity, Sports and Exercise from 2010 until retirement.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BATTYE, Ms Susan
For services to performing arts education
Ms Susan Battye is a playwright and educationalist who has contributed to the development of performing arts education in New Zealand and internationally.
Ms Battye was a founding member and is former President of Drama New Zealand, serving on the Executive Council for more than 25 years. From 1983 to 2004 she was Head of Drama at Epsom Girls Grammar School, encouraging and nurturing a love of creativity and performance in her students. She has written more than 20 play scripts for use in schools and developed several written resources and delivered workshops to support teachers and aid students’ understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in a performing arts context. She was Programme Manager for the Bachelor of Māori Performing Arts at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. For more than 20 years she served on the General Council of the International Drama Theatre and Education Association, holding several roles including Secretary. From 2018 to 2022 she served on the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ) Board as Vice President. She was a founding member of Women in Film and Television and a member of the New Zealand Writers Guild and Playwrights Association. Ms Battye remains an active member of Drama New Zealand and has been a Life Member since 2012.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BLOOMFIELD, Professor Francis Harry (Frank)
For services to neonatology
Professor Frank Bloomfield is a neonatologist and perinatal researcher who has made a significant contribution to improved health outcomes for mothers and newborn babies.
Professor Bloomfield worked as a clinical and academic neonatologist in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Auckland City Hospital from 2003 to 2020. He was Director of the Liggins Institute at the University of Auckland for eight years, overseeing significant expansion of its academic staff and tripling of its philanthropic funding. Since 2013, he has been Professor of Neonatology at the University of Auckland, mentoring medical staff and supervising doctoral students, enabling them to undertake careers in clinical leadership and independent research roles. He has undertaken research across perinatology and paediatrics with a particular interest in fetal development and infant nutrition. He has led ground-breaking research into the optimisation of protein intake and nutrition for premature babies. He was President of the Perinatal Society of New Zealand from 2010 to 2014, then President of the Perinatal Society of New Zealand and Australia from 2014 to 2016. He has been a member of numerous national and international committees and advisory boards promoting the health and wellbeing of pregnant women and babies, including the National Maternity Monitoring Group. Professor Bloomfield was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) at the University of Auckland in 2023.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BROWN, Mrs Ereti Taetuha (Letty), QSM
For services to Māori and early childhood education
Mrs Letty Brown (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou) has worked in her community since the 1960s in such areas as pre-school education, marae governance, supporting at risk youth, the Kohanga Reo movement, and was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in 2009 for her contributions.
Through the groundwork of her earlier contributions, Mrs Brown is recognised for her relentless continuity and achieving uplift in the lives of hundreds of Māori whānau, their tamariki and mokopuna, with much of her work being carried on by subsequent generations. In 2000, she set up a licensed Te Reo Māori Early Childhood Education centre, Te Puna Reo o Manawanui, under the Ministry of Education as one of the first total immersion Te Reo Māori ECE centres in New Zealand. Through Te Puna Reo o Manawanui she has been involved in the growth and development of Puna Reo and in 2022 Nga Puna Reo o Aotearoa, a national collective of the 59 Puna Reo centres was established. She has been recognised with an Honorary Doctorate by Te Whare Wananga o Wairaka (UNITEC) in 2016 and Life Membership of the Māori Women’s Welfare League (MWWL) in 2017. In the 1960s, she was a founding member of the MWWL Te Atatu Branch. Mrs Brown helped established the West Auckland kapahaka group Manutaki and the Hoani Waititi Marae.
HONOURS
Queen’s Service Medal, New Year 2009
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BUNTON, Mr Richard Waldron
For services as a cardiac surgeon
Mr Richard Bunton has been contributing to the field of Cardiothoracic surgery for more than 40 years.
Mr Bunton has been Head of Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Dunedin Hospital since 1995, and served as Chief Medical Officer from 2004 to 2012 and as Medical Director of Patient Services for five years. At the direction of the then Minister of Health, he led the clinical establishment of the public Cardiothoracic Unit in Christchurch. He led a surgical team into Xian, China, to teach Cardiothoracic Surgery for four years, supported by the medical charity Project Hope and led by Harvard University. He was awarded a medal for outstanding service to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons for his roles as an Examiner for nine years, as Board Member, Deputy Chairman and the Chairman of the Board of Cardiothoracic surgery for four years. He has been an independent medical advisor to both the ACC and HDC for more than 20 years. Mr Bunton, as Chairman of the Dunedin Basic Medical Sciences Trust, convenes two residential courses, one to prepare trainee surgeons for their first major exam, the course having historically the highest pass rate in Australasia, and the other for advanced trainees in Cardiothoracic surgery to prepare them for a mid-training exam.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CAMPBELL, Mr Steven George (Steve)
For services to Search and Rescue
Mr Steve Campbell is the founder and CEO of Youth Search and Rescue (YSAR Trust).
Mr Campbell founded YSAR in Tauranga in 2007 in response to the challenges presented by the aging demographic of Land Search and Rescue and Coastguard volunteers. The three-year programme for 14 to 18-year-olds focuses on growing the skills and confidence of rangatahi, creating future opportunities for young people in Search and Rescue and Emergency Management. Under his leadership, more than 700 students have taken part in the nationally delivered programme. In 2017 he led a youth delegation to Australia to speak at an international search and rescue conference and has since facilitated two delegations to the United States to collaborate with SAR teams. While employed with the New Zealand Police, he was a member of the Police Search and Rescue squad and the Search Incident Controller for the Western Bay of Plenty for Land and Sea incidents. He was a member of the Police Disaster Victim Identification Squad, contributing to recovery efforts following the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. For two years he volunteered as a crew member and winch operator on the Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter. Mr Campbell is a volunteer for Land Search and Rescue New Zealand and has held several governance roles, including as current Chair of Kaupapa Hauora Youth Adventure Trust.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CATHCART, Dr Rosemary Beatrice, QSM
For services to gifted children
Dr Rosemary Cathcart was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for services to gifted children in the New Year 2004 Honours List.
Since establishing the George Parkyn National Centre for Gifted Children in 1995, Dr Cathcart served as Director until 2005. She advocated for the Ministry of Education to change official policy in gifted education in New Zealand, which led to the Ministerial Working Party on Gifted Education, incorporated into New Zealand schools today. She established REACH Education in 2006, developing the Certificate of Effective Practice in Gifted Education, the first online course on giftedness in New Zealand. This course is recognised in Australia and New Zealand and was awarded the US National Gifted Association Professional Development Network Award in 2017. REACH Education also offer two other courses, one a shorter version of the Certificate and the other a course for teacher aides working with gifted children. She has authored three books including ‘They’re not bringing my brain out’ (2020) and ‘Gifted Programming Made Practical’ (2010). Dr Cathcart was made honorary life member of the New Zealand Association for Gifted Children and was awarded the Te Mana Kotuku Award in 2020 for her contributions to gifted children.
HONOURS
Queen’s Service Medal for Public Services, New Year 2004
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CHU-FULUIFAGA, Dr Cherie Maria
For services to education
Dr Cherie Chu-Fuluifaga is a distinguished Pacific academic who has been contributing to tertiary education for 25 years.
Dr Chu-Fuluifaga has held various roles with Victoria University of Wellington since 2003, where she developed the Pacific education leadership cluster in 2005 with five students, growing it to more than 200 students in 2020. She was the Bachelor of Arts (BA) Programme Director of Education between 2009 and 2011, serving on the BA review panel. She has helped introduce a range of outreach activities, extend pastoral care in the wider Wellington region to encourage more Pacific and Māori students to enrol at the university. She has designed cultural training and education programmes for a wide range of professionals including lawyers, judges, midwives, doctors and teachers. In 2000 she founded the mentoring programme for the Humanities and Commerce departments and has been providing leadership training for Pacific students at Victoria University of Wellington. Dr Chu-Fuluifaga has been involved as a volunteer in the Graeme Dingle Foundation since 2016 and has lead research projects for Ako Aotearoa and the Ministry of Education.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DEAKIN, Ms Valerie Ann (Val)
For services to dance
Ms Val Deakin has dedicated her life to performing, teaching and choreographing dance in New Zealand and internationally.
Ms Deakin started dancing aged four in New Plymouth before completing her formative training at the Arts Education School in London. She attended the London Royal Ballet School on a scholarship and first worked as a dancer, teacher and choreographer in Ankara, Türkiye and with the London Royal Ballet. She was invited to perform in the United States, establishing a dance company in Washington DC. She taught at several ballet schools on the East Coast and performed and choreographed for the National Ballet School in Washington DC. In 1972 she returned to New Zealand, founding a dance school which continues to teach ballet, jazz, tap and modern (contemporary) dance. In 1973 she established the Val Deakin Dance Theatre Trust, a non-profit educational and charitable trust, presenting a variety of dance performances, classical ballets and theatrical productions in venues across the Taranaki region and nationally. For 15 years she directed several programmes of dance education, including presenting dance and drama workshops for children, teens and adults. She has taught thousands of students a number of whom have since had careers in dance and theatre. Ms Deakin continued to work as a dance teacher and choreographer until 2022, aged 87.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
DREAVER, Ms Barbara Helen
For services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities
Ms Barbara Dreaver is an award-winning investigative journalist who has dedicated her career to highlighting issues affecting Pacific communities for more than 30 years.
Ms Dreaver was co-owner of the Cook Islands Press from 1994 to 1998, before working for the New Zealand Listener and Radio New Zealand as a feature writer and reporter. She has been the Pacific Reporter for TVNZ 1 News since 2002, breaking stories uncovering social and economic issues affecting Pacific people living in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Her investigative journalism has exposed major fraud, drug smuggling, corruption and human trafficking, leading to multiple arrests and decisive government action. Her reporting of the 2019 Samoa measles outbreak won two major awards at New Zealand’s Voyager Media Awards. Domestically, her stories focus on advocating for vulnerable and marginalised Pacific communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she self-produced daily regional Pacific bulletins for distribution in the islands and exposed the inequalities experienced by Pacific people during the response, resulting in changes in governmental policy and partnerships with Pasifika providers. In 2020, she created a two-year training programme through the Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Ltd to support new Pacific journalists across the Pacific region. Ms Dreaver was appointed as a member of the Establishment Board for the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media body in 2022.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
ELLIOTT, Dr Graeme Peter
For services to wildlife conservation
Dr Graeme Elliott has been employed with the Department of Conservation (DOC) and predecessor organisations since the 1980s and has volunteered his own time to furthering ecological research and conservation initiatives.
Dr Elliott’s research has significantly expanded New Zealand’s knowledge of its endangered birds and the threats to them. He has been a member of the National Kakapo Management Group and Recovery Group since 1995. Since 2003 he has been on the Whio (blue duck), Orange-fronted kākāriki and Mohua (Yellowhead) Recovery Groups, principally as a Science Advisor. His PhD research identified seeding patterns that increased predator numbers and threatened hole-nesting Mohua and parakeet species, which led to improved predator control to protect threatened birds. He is regarded as a cornerstone of DOC’s large-scale predator control programmes, with his research informing the approach applied in South Island forests and adapted for North Island forests, leading to an increase in the numbers of forest birds and bats. He and his partner have monitored the health of albatross populations in the subantarctic annually since 1991, much of it in their own time. Through this, Dr Elliott and his partner discovered both Gibson’s and Antipodean albatross populations were in a critical condition and have worked to alert others and to find solutions.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GIFFORD, Mr Philip Douglas
For services to broadcasting and sports journalism
Mr Philip Gifford is an award-winning sports journalist, writer and radio and television broadcaster.
Mr Gifford began his journalism career as a reporter for the New Zealand Herald in 1965 and subsequently worked as a news reporter for the Auckland Star. In 1973 he began writing a column under the pseudonym ‘Loosehead Len’, a rugby character which ran for 36 years. He has since written columns for the Sunday Star-Times, North and South magazine and currently writes a weekly sports column in the New Zealand Herald. He has won New Zealand Sports Columnist of the Year three times. He attended and reported on one Olympic Games, four Commonwealth Games and covered all Rugby World Cups and test matches played by the All Blacks since 1987. He was the first person to be twice judged Sports Journalist of the Year. From 1980 to 2021 he co-hosted radio shows on Radio Hauraki, 91 ZM, More FM, Newstalk ZB and hosted a Saturday morning rugby show on Radio Sport for several years. He has received 14 New Zealand radio awards. For more than 20 years he hosted and contributed to television shows including ‘Game of Two Halves’ and ‘That’s Fairly Interesting’. Mr Gifford has authored 27 books, including Dame Valerie Adams’ 2012 biography ‘Valerie’.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GÖTZ, Mrs Theodora Mary
For services to gymnastics
Mrs Theodora Götz is a former Olympic gymnast who has been involved in gymnastics in New Zealand and overseas for more than 70 years.
Mrs Götz first competed as an international gymnast at the Gymnastics World Championships in 1962 and was selected to represent New Zealand at the 1964 Olympic Games. She later attended World Championship events in 1965 and 1966 and was awarded New Zealand Gymnast of the Year in 1969 after winning her fifth national title. In 1972, she coached the New Zealand gymnastics team competing at the Olympic Games. She was a programme coach and manager at St Mary’s Gymnastics Club in Onehunga from 1972 to 1986. Since the 1970s, she has led the Auckland Primary and Intermediate Schools Gymnastics Competition series to provide school children the opportunity to become involved in gymnastics. She was a member of the Auckland Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Committee and has participated in the New Zealand Gymnastics Championships. She has been a coach and judge with Tri Star Gymnastics in Auckland for more than 30 years, leading the club to compete in regional and national competitions. In 2006 she achieved Brevet Judge status, the highest judging qualification in the Federation of International Gymnastics. Mrs Götz was awarded life membership of Gymnastics New Zealand in 2017.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
GRAY, Mr Anthony Trevor
For services to accounting and Māori business
Mr Anthony Gray has had a career in accountancy, working with public sector agencies and supporting the Māori economy.
Mr Gray initiated major changes in financial management in the Department of Lands and Survey and DIA and was involved in the establishment of several State-Owned Enterprises. He helped establish and was CFO of Mighty River Power from 1999 to 2006, working through major reform. He was CFO and Director of Investment for TVNZ between 1986 and 1998, helping lead investment into new technologies. He became General Manager Secretariat and Group Monitoring at Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu in 2008. As CFO of Hastings District Council from 2009 to 2015, he contributed to major infrastructure activities and economic development. He remained a consultant to the Council in retirement, taking on directorships including chairing Ngāti Pukenga Investments, Nga Hua o Ngāti Pukenga, Te Turapa Wai Ariki and Tatau Tatau o Te Wairoa Commercial, among other companies. He has overseen a doubling of Ngāti Pukenga Investments’ asset base and a steady income stream. He was on the Board of Eastland Group from 2013 to 2020, serving as Chair in 2017, contributing to development and funding of regional investments in electricity, infrastructure and communications. Mr Gray has chaired or served on various Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand committees over 40 years.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HAMILTON, Detective Inspector Craig James
For services to the New Zealand Police and the community
Detective Inspector Craig Hamilton joined the New Zealand Police in 1988 and is recognised as a national subject matter expert in asset recovery work, where he has specialised for the past 22 years.
Detective Inspector Hamilton played a key role in Police’s input into the passing of The Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 (CPRA) and served on the Criminal Proceeds Working Party of Police and the Ministry of Justice to develop regulations to support the CPRA. He took over leadership of the Waikato Proceeds of Crime Unit in 2002 and from 2009 headed the newly formed Waikato-based Asset Recovery Unit (ARU). During his tenure, Police secured $140 million as part of an international money laundering investigation, the largest restraint of funds in New Zealand Police history. He oversaw an operation leading to the forfeiture of $70 million, New Zealand’s largest forfeiture under the CPRA. From 2020 to 2022 he was President of the Asset Recovery Interagency Network – Asia Pacific. From 2023 he has contributed to an expert working group developing the INTERPOL Silver Notice to facilitate information exchange to support the tracing and recovery of criminal assets globally and in New Zealand’s interests. Detective Inspector Hamilton has participated in five international Financial Action Task Force Mutual Evaluations as a law enforcement expert assessing country effectiveness with confiscation.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HENDERSON, Ms Rosemary Alice (Rose)
For services to social work and health
Ms Rose Henderson has been a Director of Allied Health at Te Whatu Ora Canterbury since 2009 and has made significant contributions to social work as a profession in New Zealand and internationally through voluntary governance roles.
Ms Henderson has been a member of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) since 1993 and served as President from 2003 to 2010 and again in 2016. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the establishment of the Social Workers Registration Board in 2003. From 2014 to 2022, she represented New Zealand within the International Federation of Social Workers (ISFW) where she held several roles, including Vice President and President of the Asia-Pacific Region. She was International Vice-President from 2020 to 2022, supporting the formation of the ISFW Indigenous Commission in 2020 which strengthens and supports indigenous social work practice and issues internationally. She was Director of Allied Health Specialist Mental Health Service for Canterbury DHB from 2009 to 2016. As current Director of Allied Health for Te Whatu Ora Canterbury, she played a key role to incorporate social work as a core component of the COVID-19 response to support the community while isolating. Ms Henderson was awarded Life Membership of ANZASW in 2010.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
HOLDING, Mr Robert George
For services to Pacific literature and business
Mr Robert Holding has contributed to the promotion and publication of Pacific literature through his Pasifika Bookshop store and publishing company Pasifika Press, established in 1976.
Mr Holding established the bookshop to continue to preserve and celebrate Pacific languages and cultures and to provide a safe inviting space for Pacific people to own their languages and culture. He established Pasifika Press to provide books by and for Pacific people, coordinating the expertise of many Pacific writers, academics and artists to publish more than twenty original works. He published his first book ‘Tala O Le Vavau: The Myths, Legends and Customs of Old Samoa’ which has sold more than 20,000 copies. The most significant project has been the English and Samoan translation of Kramer: ‘The Samoa Islands – Volumes 1 and 2’, of great cultural significance to the Samoan people. He has promoted Pasifika Press titles and Pacific books through library conferences, Frankfurt and London Book Fairs, Pasifika Festivals and through targeted media such as Tagata Pasifika. He has assisted in the establishment of bookshops in Samoa, American Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and Niue, and assisted with the University of South Pacific regional training workshops for writers, publishers and booksellers. Mr Holding has developed joint publishing and distribution agreements to continue the publication of Pacific books.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
INGHAM, Associate Professor Tristram Richard
For services to the disability community
Associate Professor Tristram Ingham (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Ngāti Porou) has contributed to the disability community through several organisations.
Associate Professor Ingham chaired the Central Region of the Muscular Dystrophy Association of New Zealand (MDANZ) for six years, a member of the National Council, and a former National Executive Chairperson of MDANZ. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was seconded to the Disability Directorate of the Ministry of Health to advise and support disabled people. He invented the concept of the ‘Covid bubble’ to help at-risk populations have practical tools to isolate, and take charge of their own safety, with the approach used nationally and internationally during the pandemic to save lives. He has been a member of the Disabled Persons Organisations Coalition since 2018 and a representative on the Independent Monitoring Mechanism to the United Nations, monitoring New Zealand’s implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He chairs Te Ao Mārama Aotearoa Trust, the peak body representing tāngata whaikaha Māori (Māori with lived experience of disability) and their whānau. This group has been the advisory committee to the Ministry of Health, where it developed and monitored Whāia Te Ao Mārama – the Māori Disability Action Plan. Associate Professor Ingham contributed to the establishment of Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People as Co-Chair of the Partnership Board and Community Reference Group.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
JONES, Emeritus Professor Edith Marion (Marion)
For services to education
Emeritus Professor Marion Jones has contributed to education in New Zealand and internationally for 40 years.
Professor Jones was the Associate Dean, Postgraduate of the Faculty of Health and Environmental Studies, Auckland University of Technology (AUT) between 2001 and 2011, where she implemented the Master of Health Science across multiple majors and the Doctor of Health Science to all registered health professionals. She previously helped implement the new AUT Bachelor of Health Science and the integration of disciplines to better equip those undertaking the degree. She was Dean of the Graduate Research School at AUT between 2011 and 2020, serving as the establishment lead overseeing masters and doctoral programmes. She was instrumental in the development and implementation of AUT’s Higher Doctorate programme and has audited and reviewed for several educational institutions. She was instrumental in the establishment of the National Centre for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) in 2009 and has served as Director since. Through IPECP she has collaborated with international professionals, educators, researchers and practitioners and has been a founding member and New Zealand representative of Interprofessional Global since 2018. Professor Jones has been a global contributor to the development of interprofessional education, as an author, keynote speaker and member of the steering committee that established the International Federation of Perioperative Nursing.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LINDAYA, Ms Marie Carmel Celebrado
For services to multicultural communities
Ms Marie Lindaya has supported and advocated for multicultural communities in the Nelson-Tasman region for more than 30 years.
Ms Lindaya co-founded Multicultural Nelson Tasman (MNT, formerly Nelson Multi-Ethnic Council) in 1994, supporting migrant and former refugee communities. She was Chairperson, returning in 2019 as Treasurer, Acting Chairperson, and is currently Deputy Chairperson. She organised Nelson’s first multicultural get-togethers, paving the way to the annual large-scale Multicultural Festival 29 years on, bridging and celebrating the region’s diversity. MNT received the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce Business Award 2022 for Community Impact. She was New Zealand Red Cross Area (Regional) Council Chairperson from 2010 to 2016 and remains an Area Councillor and Nelson Branch Treasurer, supporting resettlement of refugees and their families. Her community governance Board involvement includes Nelson Budget Advice, Nelson Bays Community Law, InterFaith Council Nelson-Tasman, Volunteer Nelson as Deputy Chair then Secretary, Te Whatu Ora Health Consumer Council since 2019, National Council of Women and Nelson Women’s Club member, and the New Zealand-Chinese Friendship Association. She was National Secretary for Multicultural New Zealand, where she received a 2023 Community Service Award. Ms Lindaya’s continued relationship building and advocacy for marginalised communities includes involvement with Speak Out Nelson Tasman, an anti-racism and allyship reporting system triaged by the New Zealand Police.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
LINDSAY, Mr Frank
For services to the apiculture industry
Mr Frank Lindsay is one of New Zealand’s leading beekeepers, having been involved in the industry for more than 50 years.
Mr Lindsay has owned more than 450 hives throughout the Wellington region. He has held elected offices on the Wellington Beekeeper Association committee for more than 25 years, including four terms as President. His skills and expertise have benefitted hundreds of new beekeepers that have joined the Association. He is a Life Member of the National Beekeepers’ Association, having joined in 1971. He coordinates the Southern North Island Branch of the National Beekeepers Association (NBA), which includes running field days and hosting international speakers. He chaired the NBA Publications Committee from 2002 to 2017 and wrote the monthly ‘About the Apiary’ article for 22 years. He is known nationally as a subject matter expert on diseases affecting the honeybee and beekeeping. He has presented at conferences in Australian States on subjects such as disease control and has been a driving force for New Zealand’s reputation as a leading apiculture country. His expertise was requested through beekeeping associations to advise following outbreaks of varroa mites in Australia and Fiji in 2022. Mr Lindsay supported a Slovenian PhD student to gain experience of New Zealand’s beekeeping industry, who has since been appointed as a national bee inspector in Slovakia.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MATTHEWS, Mrs Norah Elizabeth (Elizabeth)
For services to curling
Mrs Elizabeth Matthews has worked to promote and developing the sport of curling in New Zealand over 20 years and to enhance New Zealand’s presence in curling internationally.
Mrs Matthews is the first woman President of the New Zealand Curling Association (NZCA) as of 2021, having been an Executive Member since 2002. She has been a foundation member and Secretary of the Auckland Curling Club since 2005. She founded the Auckland Secondary Schools Curling Competition and was Youth Development Officer for North Island Curling from 2002 to 2021. She initiated and has convened the North Island Secondary Schools Curling Competition since 2002. She is currently coaching wheelchair curlers for the expansion of the Auckland Secondary School Curling Competition. She has represented New Zealand internationally at 17 World Senior Curling Championships and two Asia Pacific Curling Championships. She has been on gold medal-winning teams in the New Zealand Mixed and New Zealand Women’s competitions. She has coached New Zealand teams to international competitions including three World Mixed Championships, seven Asia Pacific Curling Championships, and three World Junior B Championships. She has umpired at Asia Pacific Curling Championships. Mrs Matthews has been recognised with several awards for her contributions to curling, including an International Olympic Committee Women and Sport Achievement Diploma in 2012.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MCCROSTIE, Mr Hamish John
For services to outdoor recreation and Search and Rescue
Mr Hamish McCrostie was a member of the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council (NZMSC) Snow and Avalanche Advisory Committee from 1985 to 2010.
Mr McCrostie contributed significantly to the national avalanche training programmes, convened the Committee from 2004 to 2010, established a safety training partnership with the Canadian Avalanche Association, and oversaw development of the NZMSC national avalanche risk reporting system. He helped develop the NZMSC National Incident Database, tracking trends on outdoor injuries. He established the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care training and qualification certification in 1987, now a national standard and prerequisite for guiding in all adventure tourism operations in New Zealand. He established the New Zealand Professional Ski Patrol Association in 1986. He was involved with Search and Rescue in Queenstown/Wakatipu from 1985 and was a SAR advisor to New Zealand Police and LandSAR from 1995 until 2005. He was a Board member of Snowsports New Zealand from 2011 to 2014. He has been Ski Area Manager at The Remarkables and Coronet Peak and has contributed to the national activities of the Ski Areas Association of New Zealand. Mr McCrostie was General Manager of Mountain Operations of Genting Ski Resort in China from 2017 to 2022, where he was involved in developments for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
MORRIS, Mr James Robert
For services to table tennis
Mr James Morris has contributed to table tennis in all aspects from playing, coaching, managing teams, administration and fundraising, from local to international levels over 56 years.
Mr Morris is the immediate past Chair of Northland Table Tennis. In the 1980s he travelled New Zealand to raise funds for Northland Table Tennis to build its own stadium in Whangarei, later contributing to the construction of the hall. He was Coaching Director and High Performance Director of Table Tennis New Zealand from 1996 to 2004 and wrote the organisation’s coaching manual. He coached the New Zealand Table Tennis Team for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. He was a Board member of Sport Northland from 2006 to 2015 and was instrumental in establishing the Kauri Club. He was President of Oceania Table Tennis from 2013 to 2017 and a table tennis jury member at the 2016 Olympic Games. He was Vice President on the Executive Council of the International Table Tennis Federation from 2017 to 2021 and in 2016 produced the first strategic plan for the organisation. Mr Morris was co-tournament manager of the World Veteran Table Tennis Championships in Auckland in 2014, the largest table tennis event held in New Zealand with 1,600 players from more than 50 countries.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
O'REGAN, Dr Hana Merenea
For services to education
Dr Hana O’Regan (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha) has been contributing to the revitalisation of Te Reo Māori and education for 30 years.
Dr O’Regan has held positions at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu as Manager of the Māori language unit, General Manager of Oraka – Wellbeing, and was one of the founders of her tribe’s language revitalisation strategy, Kotahu Mano Kāika. She worked at Ara – Te Pūkenga for 14 years, first as a lecturer and Head of Māori Department, and later in the role of Director of Māori and Pacific and Student Services. During this time, she helped lead the establishment of Māori and Pacific Trade Training following the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. She was a lecturer at the University of Otago and was a member of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority’s Māori Advisory Board, where she shared her knowledge on identifying and addressing inequities in education. She has been the CEO of Tātai Aho Rau – Core Education since 2020, and has helped to drive the campaign alongside iwi and key education agencies to remove the practice of streaming in education in New Zealand. Dr O’Regan was a New Zealand Fellow of the International Centre of Language Revitalisation and member of the Mātauranga Iwi Leaders Group for the National Iwi Leaders Chairs Forum.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PARKIN, Dr Anneliese Ruth
For services to the Public Service
Dr Anneliese Parkin has been a leader in policy practice across the Public Service, most recently with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC).
As Deputy Chief Executive, Policy at DPMC since 2015, Dr Parkin led the Policy Advisory Group (PAG), serving four Prime Ministers, and advising on and coordinating the Government’s policy agenda. She has been closely involved in a number of Government priorities, including poverty reduction, COVID-19 and the Christchurch Call. She has overseen the whole-of-government Policy Project and supported the Head of Policy Profession in lifting system performance. She has been a member of both the Policy Profession and Policy Development Boards. She began her public sector career at Te Puni Kōkiri, moving on to the Department of Labour and then the Office of Treaty Settlements. She worked in the PAG for several years before becoming Chief Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). Dr Parkin led a team with diverse technical expertise in such areas as household incomes, child development and housing, adding value to MSD’s work programme.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PATTERSON, Ms Jane Frances, MNZM
For services to sports administration
Ms Jane Patterson was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2016 for her services to sports administration.
After a period working abroad, Ms Patterson returned to New Zealand in early 2020 and assumed the role of Project Director for New Zealand Football with a remit to deliver the Initial Operating Phase (IOP) for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023. In early 2021, she was appointed Chief Operating Officer (New Zealand) for the tournament. She led the New Zealand office of more than 200 staff to deliver the highly successful and world class tournament which, among other things, demonstrated New Zealand's major event capabilities and showcased the country, its people and culture. The event delivery honoured New Zealand’s cultural heritage throughout the tournament with initiatives that included Māori and Aboriginal designs in brand marketing, Māori performances at all official ceremonies, flying the national and first nations flags in all stadiums, and the distribution of tens of thousands of poi in all stadiums as part of the event's infotainment programme.
HONOURS
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, New Year 2016
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PIVAC, Mr Kevin Frank
For services to the deaf rugby community
Mr Kevin Pivac has been contributing to the deaf rugby community for more than 55 years.
Mr Pivac was founder of the Northern Marlins Deaf Rugby Union in 1993, involved in the organisation until 2020. He was instrumental in the establishment of the New Zealand Deaf Rugby Union, holding the positions of inaugural Secretary and Treasurer from 1991, and organised rugby tournaments locally, nationally and internationally. He established the inaugural National Deaf Rugby World Championships held annually from 1995 and was the Director until 2002. He had worked with New Zealand Rugby Union to have the New Zealand Deaf Rugby Union recognised as an affiliated associate. He founded and served as the inaugural Chairman of the International Deaf Rugby Organization, holding this position for 16 years. Under his leadership the inaugural Deaf Rugby World Championships which saw Australia, Wales and South Africa compete with New Zealand. Mr Pivac is a life member of the New Zealand Deaf Rugby Union and of the Northern Marlins Deaf Rugby.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
RIVERS, Ms Mary Jane (Mary-Jane)
For services to community-led development, governance and education
Ms Mary-Jane Rivers has been a leader and innovator across several fields in her career and voluntary work, through her local communities, senior public sector roles, and then adult and community education, community-led development, and international development.
In the 1970s, Ms Rivers helped found the first Women’s Refuge in the North Island. She was the first policy director in the Ministry for Women, and first CEO of Citizens Advice Bureaux, before consulting on social and organisational development. She founded Inspiring Communities in 2006, leading its creation until 2011 before serving on the Board. The organisation has been significant in demonstrating the value and impact of locally-led development, including responses to complex issues such as equity, climate change and economic development. In 2022 she was a founding Trustee of He Puāwai with Kokiri Marae, building locally-led food resilience in the Hutt Valley. She has been involved with multiple aspects of adult and community education since the 1990s and has chaired REAP Aotearoa since 2015. She is a respected consultant internationally, working on strengthening communities across the Pacific, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. This included working with Women in Business Development in Samoa, strengthening village economies. Ms Rivers was influential in the establishment of international development agency UnionAID, serving on the Board from 2010 to 2022.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SEELIG, Dr Caroline
For services to education
Dr Caroline Seelig has made a significant contribution to vocational education and distance learning in New Zealand for more than 30 years.
Throughout her career, Dr Seelig has demonstrated a commitment to improving educational access and outcomes for students, and has received international recognition for her achievements in the open and distance learning field. She served as Chief Executive of Open Polytechnic of New Zealand for 14 years until December 2022, during which time it grew to become the country’s largest polytechnic, maintaining high learner satisfaction and steadily improving education performance to world class levels for distance learning. She led the development of ground-breaking education technology tools, including the introduction of the iQualify online learning platform. For her services to open, distance and flexible learning, she was made an Honorary Fellow of the Commonwealth of Learning in 2013, and in 2020 she was appointed as New Zealand’s representative on its Board of Governors. She is a well-respected thought leader in her field of expertise, having published work in academic journals and spoken at international events. Dr Seelig is an Ako Aotearoa Board member, a member of Te Rautiaki Mātauranga with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, and has twice served on the Board for the Hutt Chamber of Commerce.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SIMPSON, Ms Tania Joy Te Rangingangana
For services to governance and Māori
Ms Tania Simpson (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngā Puhi, Ngāi Tahu) is a professional director with more than 27 years’ experience in governance encompassing a range of iwi, not-for-profit, commercial and public sector positions.
Throughout her career Ms Simpson has focused on projects and roles aimed at improving outcomes for Māori, iwi development and recognising Māori values within business. She has specialised in roles focused on the environment, sustainability and climate change and has been recognised with a range of awards for her contributions to Māori business. She is currently a Director of Auckland International Airport, Meridian Energy and Tainui Group Holdings. She has chaired the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge since 2016, which has funded several innovation projects and development of a business model to allow for the creation of small whānau-owned aquaculture farms. She has been a member of the governance group for the Deep South National Science Challenge since 2014. She has been Deputy Chair of Waitangi National Trust since 2017 and a member of the Waitangi Tribunal since 2008. She is a past director of Global Women, AgResearch, Radio Maniapoto, Mighty River Power/Mercury Energy from 2001 to 2015, Landcare Research, Ngāi Tahu Tourism and the New Zealand Conservation Authority. Ms Simpson was the first Māori Director and a Deputy Chair of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand between 2014 and 2022.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SNOOK, Dr Simon
For services to reproductive health
Dr Simon Snook has dedicated more than 15 years to improving access to abortion in New Zealand, particularly for those in disadvantaged circumstances.
In 2005 Dr Snook developed services in Wairarapa and Tairawhiti allowing early medical abortion at home, which has since been adopted throughout New Zealand. In 2008, he worked with Hauora Tairawhiti to develop a medical and surgical abortion service based in a community clinic to improve access for people from rural regions. He published the landmark paper ‘Abortion services in a high-needs district: A community-based model of care’. Several of his initiatives have been incorporated into or mirrored by the national Ministry of Health-funded Decide service, including his national directory of abortion services website, the after-hours advice service 0800 MED TOP, and establishment of the New Zealand Abortion Assessment Clinic in 2015, providing a free, confidential assessment and referral to an abortion provider. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, he pioneered and delivered abortion by telemedicine, and he now leads Magma Healthcare as the sole provider of telemedicine abortion nationwide through Decide. He developed a training programme for clinicians to deliver point-of-care ultrasounds for early pregnancy assessment within the abortion clinic. Dr Snook co-authored the 2018 and 2021 New Zealand Abortion Guidelines and has been Chair of the Abortion Providers Group of Aotearoa New Zealand.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WICHMAN, Mr Larnce Joseph
For services to the seafood industry and marine conservation
Mr Larnce Wichman is a former Director of the New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council and current Chair of Te Korowhai/Kaikōura Marine Guardians.
Mr Wichman joined New Zealand’s rock lobster industry in 1978, playing a pivotal role in the establishment of the Burkhart Fisheries in Ward, which has since become one of the largest international rock lobster exporters in the Southern Hemisphere. He was an elected representative for the Canterbury/Marlborough region of the New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council from 1994 until retiring in 2023. He was appointed Executive Officer of the Canterbury-Marlborough (CRA 5) Rock Lobster Industry Association (CRAMAC 5) in 1997. During his 26-year tenure, he pioneered the use of modern technology to maintain healthy rock lobster stock levels through the creation of innovative digital data programmes and products to improve reporting in the industry. He was a founding member in 2005 and Chair for seven years of Te Korowai o Te Tai o Marokura (Kaikōura Marine Guardians). As an advisory body, the group advocates for marine management strategies, which incorporate Kaikōura’s customary coastal values in partnership with government agencies and iwi. The Guardians’ strategy was implemented as the Kaikōura (Te Tai ō Marokura) Marine Management Act in 2014. Under Mr Wichman’s leadership, the group were awarded the Green Ribbon Award in 2015.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WILKINSON, Ms Rosemary Dawn (Rose)
For services to the blind and vision impaired community
Ms Rose Wilkinson has been an advocate for the rights of blind and vision-impaired people for more than 30 years.
Ms Wilkinson’s initial involvement was coordinating school exams and curriculum content for production in Braille for blind students at Manurewa High School. She has worked for the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand (now Blind Citizens New Zealand) since 1991 and is currently Chief Executive. As Chief Executive, she has led national accessibility initiatives benefitting blind people, including Telephone Dictation Voting, Audio Description, and the New Zealand Census. She has been a leading member of the Disabled People’s Organisations Coalition (DPO) since mid-2000, serving as a DPO appointed representative on the Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM), monitoring the government’s implementation of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). In 2022 she helped coordinate the first online Domestic Forum for disabled people from the IMM to ask questions of Ministers and officials. She played a leading role coordinating the DPO delegation to Switzerland to take part in New Zealand’s country review by the UNCRPD. Ms Wilkinson has been instrumental in the development and introduction of the Accessibility Charter and a strong advocate for producing materials into alternate formats for the blind community, including the dissemination of government information during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WILLIAMS, Major General Evan George
For services to the New Zealand Defence Force
Major General Evan Williams has served the New Zealand Defence Force for 38 years, holding several command and leadership positions, and from December 2019 to March 2023 he was appointed as Force Commander for the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.
During this time Major General Williams suffered a personal loss and led through the impediments of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing ISIS-led insurgency, which required the MFO to adapt to continue operations. His leadership was key to increasing mission resiliency, improving infrastructure and re-establishing key operating arrangements, including the regeneration of North Camp on the Sinai Peninsula. He developed trust with the senior leadership of the Egyptian Armed Forces and the Israel Defence Forces, facilitating dialogue and setting the conditions for agreement and compromise between the two parties. This included the signing of the third amendment to the Treaty of Peace in its 40-year history. Major General Williams worked with the MFO’s Troop-Contributing and Donor States at the political and senior military levels, to adjust troop contributions and meet budgetary constraints affected by the changes in the security situation, and the strategic impact of COVID-19.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WILSON, Emeritus Professor Peter Donald (Don)
For services to obstetrics and gynaecology
Emeritus Professor Don Wilson has had a career spanning 40 years in obstetrics and gynaecology, particularly urogynaecology.
Emeritus Professor Wilson’s speciality in urogynaecology addresses the prevention and treatment of pelvic floor disorders in women, which include urinary and faecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and sexual dysfunction. He began as a joint Consultant at Dunedin Hospital with the University of Otago in 1980 before becoming Emeritus Professor in 2012. He served as Head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department in Dunedin between 1992 and 2001 and as Head of Women’s and Children’s Health between 1999 and 2003. He studied physiotherapy treatment of postnatal urinary incontinence in Dunedin women with the awarding of an MRC project grant in the late 1980s, which led to collaborating in an ongoing longitudinal study of pelvic floor disorders and childbirth. This has attracted funding of total more than $2 million to New Zealand, across 30 years. He has published 130 peer reviewed journal articles, eight book chapters and has authored and co-authored 13 major systematic reviews. He was a founding editor of the Cochrane Urinary and Faecal Incontinence Review Group between 1995 and 2013, providing reviews and up-to-date evidence-based management of urinary and faecal incontinence. Emeritus Professor Wilson retired from clinical practice in 2021 and remains active in women’s health research.
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
WRIGHT, Ms Jodi Ann
For services to the arts
Ms Jodi Wright has made a significant contribution to Christchurch’s literary and performing arts scene for more than 30 years.
Ms Wright has directed several large scale cultural and literary events, bringing cultural creativity to the city. Her events have actively engaged professional international artists, performers and musicians and provided emerging young talent the opportunity to showcase Christchurch’s arts scene on the global stage. From 1993 to 1999 she was the Artistic Director for the Festival of Romance, later directing the Southland Buskers Festival and the Sidewalk Art Project. For two decades she was the director of the World Buskers Festival, bringing unique and diverse performers to Christchurch’s streets. In 1997 she co-founded WORD Christchurch (formerly Books and Beyond), a writers’ festival hosting literary events and workshops providing the opportunity for audiences to engage with international authors. She organised and directed the event for eight years. Following the Christchurch earthquakes, she was involved in several projects to revitalise the city’s art scene including the Christchurch – Seattle Sister City Committee and Life in Vacant Spaces. She has worked as an events advisor for many organisations, including the Arts Centre of Christchurch and Christchurch City Council. Ms Wright has been the Director of the International Jazz and Blues Festival since 1998.