The King’s Service Medal:
ARGYLE, Mr Alister David
For services to the community
Mr Alister Argyle has supported numerous community organisations in Ashburton and the Canterbury region as a lawyer and in governance roles.
Mr Argyle began his career as a practicing solicitor in Ashburton in 1977, since which time he has undertaken extensive pro-bono work for charitable trusts, sports organisations and community groups. He has offered his legal expertise and business acumen on many organisations’ boards and committees, including the Ashburton Community Water Trust, Ashburton Marriage Guidance Service, Ashburton College Alumni Charitable Trust, Mid-Canterbury Choir Trust, and Mid-Canterbury Cricket Association. As a Trustee of the Advance Ashburton Community Foundation, he led a review of its trust deed. In 2016 he helped to establish the Trott’s Garden Charitable Trust, ensuring the Garden of International Significance was held by the community. He has served as Honorary Solicitor for many other incorporated societies, including Birthright Canterbury. He served on the Cancer Society’s Canterbury-West Coast Executive Committee from 2005 to 2024, helping it to establish a new $22 million facility and expand its workforce, as well as the Ashburton Cancer Support Group. Mr Argyle served on the Cancer Society’s National Board from 2016 to 2023, including a three-year term as its National President.
The King’s Service Medal:
BARNARD, Mrs Victoria Elizabeth (Vicki)
For services to the RNZSPCA
Mrs Vicki Barnard volunteered with the Whakatāne SPCA from 1996 until retiring in 2019, holding roles from general volunteer to serving on the National Board from 2013 to 2015.
Mrs Barnard was Whakatāne SPCA President from 1999 to 2006. She has been involved in volunteer management, liaison with the Council and local veterinarians, media engagement and fundraising. She was Centre Manager from 2009 to 2019, as well as Auxiliary Officer supporting the Inspectorate and has committed more than 30 volunteer hours per week over two decades. She has organised de-sexing drives for remote Bay of Plenty towns to help reduce the dumping of animals, including in Taneatua, Te Teko and Ruatoki. In 2001 she worked with the Whakatāne SPCA Committee to spearhead the process of procuring land for a new SPCA centre. She then oversaw the design, consenting, procurement and construction of the new building, personally donating more than $20,000 to the build. She and her husband converted a building on their property to become a dedicated overflow for the SPCA when the Centre was full. Mrs Barnard has personally fostered more than 150 dogs and 300 cats, which went on to successful rehoming.
The King’s Service Medal:
BROOKS, Mrs Cynthia Jane
For services to local government and historical research
Mrs Cynthia Brooks served as a Marlborough District Councillor between 2013 and 2022 and has contributed to the wider Marlborough community in several other capacities.
Mrs Brooks represented the Wairau-Awatere ward and chaired the Council’s Small Townships Programme and Housing for Seniors sub-committees. She took a leadership role in a Council project to build new senior housing units, was a member of Te Kahu o Waipuna Project Control Group and assisted in building relationships between the Council and the eight Te Tau Ihu iwi. Following the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, she supported residents and championed the rebuild of community spaces, including two memorial halls and a local museum. During her tenure as a Councillor, Blenheim’s new library and gallery, Te Kahu o Waipuna, was completed to positive feedback. She has assisted in the preservation of local history by writing, editing or contributing to more than fifty books and numerous publications over 30 years. Most notably she edited and helped write and compile “Marlborough: celebrating 150 Years,” (2011), regarded as a definitive history of the province. Mrs Brooks has served as a committee member of a range of local organisations, including the Flaxbourne Heritage Centre, Renwick Museum, Renwick Smart and Connected, which championed improvements to the Renwick township, and the Grovetown Lagoon Restoration Project, which restored and protected local wetland.
The King’s Service Medal:
BUICK, Mr Michael Russell
For services to the performing arts, particularly musical theatre
Mr Michael Buick is a leading figure in Southland’s performing arts community.
Since the early 1990s, Mr Buick has contributed to the southern creative scene as a thespian, singer, teacher, mentor, musician and graphic designer, particularly through the Invercargill Musical Theatre (IMT) and Invercargill Repertory Society. He has largely volunteered his time as a musical director, performer or musician in many IMT productions, and twice received an Otago Southland Theatre Award for best musical direction in 2015 and 2020. His contributions have helped to ensure the success of IMT’s productions and its reputation in the region. In his teaching career in Invercargill, he has been directly influential in the development of many emerging musicians and actors in Invercargill since 2000. At New River Primary School, he developed a music programme that could be taught school-wide, empowering all teachers in a music-enrichment programme. In the late 2000s, he was convenor of the ILT Sing Out festival, a massed choir event for Southland primary schools, helping to bring in a major sponsor to ensure the festival’s continued survival. In 2022, Mr Buick was made a Life Member of Invercargill Musical Theatre.
The King’s Service Medal:
CAMPBELL, Mr Colin Terence (Terry)
For services to horse racing and governance
Mr Terry Campbell has led the development of the Taupō Racing Club since 2013.
Mr Campbell was a Committee Member of the Manawatū Racing Club before living abroad. Shortly after his move to Taupō in 2012 he became involved with the Taupō Racing Club. He served as Vice President for a year and has been club President since 2013. Over ten years, he has helped to make the club financially sustainable through fundraising, sponsorship and strong management. Since the club separated from local racing clubs in 2018, its membership has increased 40 percent, and local sponsorship increased exponentially. The club was one of the very few in the country to develop its facilities over this period, resulting in an increased number of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing fixtures and economic activity. Through a joint venture with the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association, he has opened the Taupō Racing Club facilities to accommodate visitors to the town, and separately leased some of its grounds for cropping. Mr Campbell remains actively involved with the Taupō Racing Club at all levels, helping to empty its rubbish bins, liaise with visiting trainers and jockeys, and take penetrometer readings at dawn.
The King’s Service Medal:
CARTER, Mr Ian Peter (Harry)
For services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community
Mr Harry Carter has served more than 43 years with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and has been a member of the Portland Volunteer Fire Brigade since 1980.
Mr Carter's service across 43 years with FENZ has seen him hold various positions including Chief Fire Officer of the Portland Fire Brigade, where he mentored and provided advice and training to incoming Chief Fire Officers. He has attended and led training sessions at Portland Fire Brigade and has facilitated training sessions across Te Tai Tokerau Northland on leadership and formed the Portland Cadet Group for children aged 11 to 16. The group aims to educate children on life skills such as personal care, respect, and fire brigade etiquette. He was a Portland School Board of Trustees member from 1989 to 1998 and continues to have a close supportive relationship with the school. As a long-standing member of the Portland Residents and Ratepayers Association, he has served as Chair and is currently Secretary. Mr Carter facilitates community discussion and feedback to and from groups such as Waka Kotahi and the Whangārei District and Northland Regional Councils.
The King’s Service Medal:
CLARKE, Sergeant Leslie Edward (Les)
For services to the New Zealand Police and the community
Sergeant Les Clarke has served with the New Zealand Police across a range of frontline roles in Auckland and Taihape since 1972.
Sergeant Clarke is a three-term member of the Taihape Community Board, including a term as Chair, and was elected to the Rangitikei District Council for a term. He was the driving force behind CCTV camera installation in Taihape, Hunterville, Marton and Bulls. Identifying issues in Taihape with youth crime and troublemaking stemming from boredom in the early 2000s, he initiated a scheme with the local school for students to fundraise for trips to other locations and activities outside of Taihape, through performing jobs within the community. The initial scheme funded a trip to Australia. He spent many hours of his own time to assist with fundraising opportunities, keeping the students on track and applying for grants, which sent youth groups to the Mount Everest basecamp. He established the Taihape Community Development Trust 20 years ago and remains a member. Sergeant Clarke coached various youth sports teams across netball, rugby, softball and touch rugby to provide wider sporting opportunities. These initiatives imparted life skills and discipline and helped reduce youth crime significantly, with three years of no youth offending and 15 years without one youth appearing in Taihape Youth Court.
The King’s Service Medal:
COSTER, Ms Kathleen Patricia (Kath)
For services to survivors of abuse in care
Ms Kath Coster (Rangitāne, Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Apa) has been advocating for survivors of abuse for several decades and has been a member and board representative of the New Zealand Collective of Abused in State Care Charitable Trust (NZCAST) since its establishment in 2020.
NZCAST is a survivor-led organisation which offers free programmes, educational workshops and support services for survivors of abuse in care and their families. Ms Coster was the third generation of her family to have been placed in state care and has been advocating for survivors of abuse to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions. Drawing on her personal experience of foster care and its impacts on her mental health and relationships, she has advocated to ensure the response to the inquiry accounts for the concerns and interests of all survivors. Ms Coster has provided support to survivors of abuse in care through workshops that focus on healing and growth.
The King’s Service Medal:
COURTNEY, Mr Shannel Peter
For services to conservation and choral music
Mr Shannel Courtney has made a significant contribution to the conservation of New Zealand’s indigenous plants since the 1980s.
Mr Courtney worked at the Department of Conservation and its predecessors for almost 40 years, based in the Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman regions. Over that time, he helped to establish an herbarium for the top of the South Island, and worked with Wakatū Incorporation to establish a library of plants indigenous to the rohe of its iwi. He has collaborated on published papers to formally name 11 species and five subspecies, discovered several new species of native flora, and provided oversight to many key books written on indigenous biodiversity. In 1989 he co-founded the Nelson Botanical Society and has been an active committee member until the present. He leads several day trips and camps for the Society each year and was recently made a Life Member. In 2008, he was awarded the Loder Cup, New Zealand’s most prestigious conservation award, in recognition of his professional and personal commitment to protecting threatened indigenous plant life. Since the early 2000s, she has also led the Mosaic World Choir, organising community choir events, workshops and performances around the region. Mr Courtney received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network in 2024.
The King’s Service Medal:
CURD, Mrs Sandra Lois May, JP
For services to the community
Mrs Sandra Curd is a community advocate in the mid-Canterbury region.
Mrs Curd’s community engagement supports rural communities, women’s health and safety and the empowerment of young people. She has been a dedicated member of Rural Women New Zealand (then known as Women’s Division Federated Farmers) since 1981, serving on its Winchmore Branch as a Secretary, Treasurer and President, and as Chair of the National Conference Committee in 2023. She has received life membership of the Winchmore Branch and the Mid-Canterbury Provincial Branch. During severe flooding in mid-Canterbury in 2021, she coordinated the distribution of food parcels to affected families. As an active member of the Zonta Club of Ashburton, she has also been involved in delivering food through the Meals on Wheels programme, and is a volunteer cook for the 206 Club day programme for the elderly. She knits hats and gloves for the Rural Women New Zealand’s annual Project Warmth initiative to provide essential warm clothing to vulnerable members of the community, and initiated a fundraising calendar project to raise $26,000 for Breast Cancer Research. Through the Cook and Eat Programme, she teaches children essential cooking skills. Mrs Curd is the President of the Winchmore Community Hall Society and a member of the Kate Sheppard Memorial Trust Advisory Committee.
The King’s Service Medal:
DAVIES, Mrs Sally Elizabeth
For services to hockey and nursing
Mrs Sally Davies has volunteered at Te Awamutu Sports Hockey Club (TAHC) since 1990 as a coach and served as the inaugural President until 2007.
Mrs Davies was instrumental in establishing hockey under the Te Awamutu Sports banner upon the club’s establishment, having previously been involved as a player for the Rebels club with the Waipa Hockey Association. She has coached teams up to Premier grade for TAHC and remains active coaching a present reserve grade side. She has volunteered as a coach at Te Awamutu Intermediate School since 1982 and is a key driver of intermediate school hockey. She was a player in the New Zealand Masters 50s team in the late 1990s and selects and coaches teams for the AIMS games in Tauranga, also having been involved in fundraising for these events. She was made a Life Member of Te Awamutu Sports Hockey and Waikato Hockey and has received the New Zealand Hockey Service Award. In addition to her hockey volunteering, Mrs Davies has been a practice nurse in Te Awamutu since 1978 and was one of the first nurses in New Zealand to specialise in Diabetes management.
The King’s Service Medal:
ELIA, Miss Vaine Puapii
For services to the Cook Islands community
Miss Vaine Puapii Elia has been President of the Cook Islands cultural group, Te Pua Inano, since 2013.
Miss Elia has coordinated hosting of events for Cook Islands Language Week, celebrations of International Women’s Day, the International Day of Older Persons, and annual end-of-year arts and crafts exhibitions. As President of Te Pua Inano, she has volunteered at the Cook Islands Consulate in Auckland since the mid-2000s, providing cultural support for numerous events hosted by the Consulate. She led the contribution of 150 sarongs to the Cook Islands Students Association in 2018 and translated five papers into the Cook Islands language on 'A Strategy for Academic Advancement of Pacific People at Massey University’ in 2005. She has volunteered with Otara Citizens Advice Bureau since 2011, particularly as a housing/tenancy specialist advocate, continuing to do so at age 89. She has been involved with Otara Seniors Support Group for 11 years. She has been involved in the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Otara since 2008, volunteering with the Sabbath School and Women’s Ministry. Miss Elia has been recognised in the Cook Islands community as Mama Rangatira (Elder Woman of High Rank) and Vaine Rangatira (Woman of High Rank) for Arts and Craft in 2018 and 2019 respectively, presented by the Cook Islands Consul General.
The King’s Service Medal:
EMILE-BROWN, Ms Rouruina
For services to the Cook Islands community
Ms Rouruina Emile-Brown is a leader in Auckland’s Cook Islands community.
Ms Emile-Brown was appointed Chief Executive of the Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand (CIDANZ) in 2015 and led the organisation through the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with the Ministry for Social Development and community partners, she organised to provide care packages, food and critical supplies to South Auckland families during the lockdown. She mobilised teams to engage with communities and provide support during the 2023 adverse weather events. She led CIDANZ’s involvement in the establishment of the Ta’i Tamaiti Turanga Rangatira ECE, a total immersion Cook Islands early learning centre in Mangere. She is a key member of the Auckland Social Sector Pacific Collective, providing professional support and guidance to community organisation CEOs and government organisations seeking Pacific community interaction. She has assisted with a variety of Vaine Tini (women’s) initiatives in Auckland and sponsored Te Maeva Nui New Zealand, an annual celebration bringing together 10,000 Cook Islanders living in New Zealand to celebrate their culture through dance, cuisine and live music. Ms Emile-Brown also assists families to build their confidence to go into business, generate their own incomes and achieve their aspirations.
The King’s Service Medal:
EYLES, Mrs Patricia Mary Anne (Mary Anne), JP
For services to the community
Mrs Mary Anne Eyles was a teacher at Wainuiomata and Plimmerton Primary Schools and became a member of the Plunket Society in 1976.
Mrs Eyles held various positions with the Plunket Society across 17 years including as Secretary, Vice President and President of the Palmerston North branch and as a member of the New Zealand Plunket Executive. She established the Plunket Tots and Toddlers course in a local boys’ high school and was a member of the Management Committee of the Plunket Karitane Family Centre. She has served on the Hawke’s Bay Ethics Committee for six years, three as Chair, and has been a Justice of the Peace since 1985, serving six years on the Hawke’s Bay Justice of the Peace Association Council. As a member of Napier Red Cross since 2012, she served as Branch President from 2014 until 2020, coordinating more than 230 members. She was a member of the Area Council between 2013 and 2019, serving as Chair from 2015 to 2017, coordinating branch activities within the East Coast region including a three-day course ‘Rise Up Tairawhiti’ for at-risk youth. Through her Red Cross involvement, Mrs Eyles supported the community following Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.
The King’s Service Medal:
FRELLER, Mr Hans-Josef Erwin (Hanz)
For services to survivors of abuse in care
Mr Hanz Freller (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu) published the memoir ‘Walking on Glass: Finding Strength in a Broken World’ (2019) on his childhood and adolescent experiences in faith-based care institutions.
Mr Freller has used his personal experience to advocate for childhood survivors of abuse in the Catholic Church and by the Order of Brothers of St John of God. He has coordinated the support for survivors of abuse at Marylands School and has been a spokesperson for the survivors of abuse by the Order of the Brothers of St John of God. He has helped provide evidence to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions. Mr Freller’s advocacy has helped draw attention to other abuse in faith-based care under the Order of the Brothers of St John of God and the events which unfolded at these locations.
The King’s Service Medal:
GILBERT, Ms Neta Bernadette (Neta Kerepeti)
For services to survivors of abuse in care
Ms Neta Kerepeti (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngātiwai, Ngāti Mutunga) has worked with survivors of abuse in care to focus on their healing journeys, utilising the arts, toi Māori, and other creative pathways to generate awareness of survivor voices and stories.
Ms Kerepeti was previously co-chair of Te Roopū Toiora Trust, a national collective of survivors of abuse in faith and state-based care, working to raise awareness of the impact of their experiences on their whānau, their communities, and themselves. Through her time with Te Roopū Toiora Trust where she remains a Trustee, she has provided support to survivors of abuse through creative means. She has participated with the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care Institutions, helping make recommendations to the inquiry by drawing on her experience of abuse in care, and as a social worker with the former Child, Youth, and Family Services agency. More recently, Ms Kerepeti has also worked alongside the Crown Response Unit as Chair of the Taonga Selection Panel, leading a group of survivor creatives to select and guide the design of a taonga, created by survivors, to honour survivors of abuse in care.
The King’s Service Medal:
GILPIN, Reverend Marie Eleanor
For services to the community
Reverend Marie Gilpin has been the industrial chaplain for Westpac Bank, Gallaghers Group, and Placemakers in Hamilton.
With the Ministry to Seafarers in Mount Maunganui, Reverend Gilpin provided support to staff, planning and facilitating learning and skills forums, training for staff on stress management, and spiritual care of seafarers in hospital. She is currently in her eleventh year as Chaplain to the Mount Maunganui Returned and Services Association, including officiating at ANZAC commemoration services. She was a member of the Anglican Diocese Discernment Panel in Hamilton, recruiting for clergy and training them for ordination. She was a voluntary social worker for the former Department of Social Welfare in Hamilton for five years, and Chaplain for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. She organised seminars for those coping with grief for the Cancer Society. She was appointed to Saint Stephen’s Church in Tamahere and then as Vicar at Mount Maunganui. With her husband, she has organised and led a choir for the community, playing the piano and organ for concerts. Reverend Gilpin helped established the Neighbourhood Support Group for Mount Maunganui in 2008, helping divide the area into six zones and designating a coordinator for each zone.
The King’s Service Medal:
GRAY, Mr Thomas Michael (Mike)
For services to local government and the community
Mr Mike Gray was a South Wairarapa District Councillor for 12 years between 1992 and 2013, including time chairing the Planning Hearings and as Deputy Mayor, and served on the Greytown and Featherston Community Boards between 2016 and 2022.
While with the Local Government Training Board from 1978 to 1982, Mr Gray had a pivotal role in establishing the New Zealand Certificate in Local Government Administration. He was involved in amalgamation discussions for Greytown Borough Council, Martinborough Council and Featherston County Council, helping establish three community boards still in operation within the South Wairarapa District Council today. He chaired the Greytown Community Hall refurbishment committee from 2003, delivering a successful, award-winning project by 2008. He was a committee member for the establishment of Wairarapa Voice Inc in 2017, which aimed to foster an informed citizen response to the Local Government Commission for the amalgamation of the three Wairarapa District Councils. He then helped form Citizens Promoting Quality Community Governance, which meets regularly with South Wairarapa District Council. He served on the Greytown Lands Trust from 2007 to 2019. He helped create the Cliffhanger motorcycle hill climb event in Gladstone in 2002, which has since been held annually. Mr Gray was involved in athletics administration and coaching from 1953 to 1977.
The King’s Service Medal:
GUY, Mr Bryan Robert
For services to the community
Mr Bryan Guy is a retired dairy farmer who has volunteered in his community through church, farming and other organisations.
Mr Guy is a leader in the Anglican Parish of Oroua, holding several roles in governance and administration, organising working bees, and undertaking maintenance. He stepped in as Parish Bishop’s Warden in 2022, the primary lay parish leader for the seven churches of the Oroua Parish. He is also Chair of the Oroua Parish Trust. He is a Trustee of the St Johns Close Board Trust, administering church housing for the St Johns Close Trust Village. He has been a Board member of Arohanui Hospice since 2021 and is involved with fundraising. He was elected as the Wellington Hawke’s Bay Board member of the Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) in 1986 and had 28 years involved at regional and national levels, with 20 years on the LIC National Board. He became an Area Representative of the Manawatu-Rangitikei Rural Support Trust in 2015 and was involved with Farmstrong at its inception the same year. He is Chairman of the Coach House Museum Board and was a Trustee of the Eastern and Central Community Trust (ECCT) from 2016 to 2020. Mr Guy previously served six years as Chair of the Taonui School Board of Trustees.
The King’s Service Medal:
HENSMAN, Mr Peter Colin
For services to cricket and the community
Mr Peter Hensman has dedicated more than 25 years to the Hawke’s Bay, through cricket and community organisations.
For 12 years Mr Hensman served on the Boards of Trustees for both Havelock North Intermediate School and Havelock North High School, serving as Chair for nine years. He coached both schools’ First XI Girls' Cricket Teams over a period of 12 years, leading the teams to win a combined four national titles and 10 consecutive Hawke’s Bay Secondary Schools Championships. He coached the High School Boys First X1 for two years. He was involved with the Havelock North Cricket Club for 10 years as a coach, committee member and Chairperson. He established a women's team for the Club and received an award from New Zealand Cricket in 2008 for his contribution to the development of women's cricket. He was a Trustee of Hawke’s Bay Youth Health Trust and Treadmills Trust, and as a current Trustee of the Hawkes’ Bay Youth Trust since inception in 2015, he has been involved in administration, coaching and mentoring youth at the Giants Boxing Academy. He has led a youth group at Havelock North Baptist Church for more than 22 years. Mr Hensman is a founding Director of Kaweka Hospital in Hastings, helping build and open a new hospital in the region.
The King’s Service Medal:
JARVIS, Mr Toni Lee James
For services to survivors of abuse in care
Mr Toni Jarvis (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngā Puhi) has engaged with Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Social Development and other agencies to bring awareness to issues relating to abuse in care and has used his survivor experience to make submissions to relevant agencies.
Drawing on his personal experience at Cherry Farm, Hokio Beach School and Holdsworth Boys Home, Mr Jarvis has provided evidence to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions. He has been contributing to the Crown Response Unit and been involved in other aspects of the inquiry’s work. Mr Jarvis has advocated to ensure the response to the inquiry accounts for the concerns and interests of all survivors, including survivors of abuse experienced in psychiatric hospitals.
The King’s Service Medal:
JOHNSON, Mr Jeremy Wiremu Alexander
For services to the Anglican Church and the LGBTQI+ community
Mr Jeremy Johnson is a lawyer who has contributed his time to the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia and Christ’s College.
Mr Johnson is Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Waiapu and was Vice-Chancellor and Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch from 2008 to 2020. He advised on matters such as the Christchurch earthquakes and rebuild and same-sex marriage legislation. He was a key figure in the Church’s effort to pass church law to allow blessings of same-sex marriage. He has served as Deputy Legal Advisor to the New Zealand Church. He has been President of the Christ’s College Old Boy’s Association, where he established the College Tuis, a group for LGBTQI+ former students. He has been involved with the Association since finishing at the school in 2002, serving in a variety of positions. He was appointed as a Fellow of the school’s Board of Governors in 2017. He is a Fellow of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Mr Johnson recently retired after five years as Chair of the New Zealand String Quartet Trust and is a Trustee of the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation.
The King’s Service Medal:
KEY, Mr Hans Allen
For services to health and safety and Pacific communities
Mr Hans Key helped established Puataunofo Come Home Safely, a Pacific initiative beginning in 2006 to raise awareness of health and safety for Pacific workers in the manufacturing sector, which has now been extended to high-risk industries and Asian and migrant workers.
Mr Key was a Department of Labour OSH Inspector from 2002, becoming a WorkSafe Health and Safety Inspector in 2013. He has been key in driving growth of the Puatuanofo programme, building relationships across government, employers, NGO and community partners. The Puataunofo programme was formerly adopted by WorkSafe in 2018 and has since expanded. He was appointed National Advisor Pacific Responsiveness for WorkSafe and has since individually or jointly delivered more than 300 Puatuanofo workshops for more than 5,000 workers and community members. He has delivered more than 100 health and safety workshops to Pacific communities, including at churches, schools and other community groups. He has delivered literacy and numeracy programmes outside of work hours. Mr Key incorporates Pacific values and principles to communicate content in a culturally appropriate way, encouraging understanding and a more positive attitude towards health and safety, and has utilised Samoan and Tongan language where possible. Puatuanofo was recognised at the 2009 New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards and won the ACC Best Leadership of an Industry Sector Award in 2012.
The King’s Service Medal:
LAMPE, Senior Constable Paul Hendrick
For services to youth
Senior Constable Paul Lampe has been involved in New Zealand Police Youth services for more than 20 years.
Senior Constable Lampe established the South Taranaki Youth Services in 2001 and in 2007 launched the Big Brothers, Big Sisters in Taranaki, a one-on-one mentoring programme, equipping mentors with the right tools to build resilience in young people. He has helped make a difference for more than 600 young people between the ages of six and 18, and has fostered positive relationships with businesses that fund the programme. He created Te Puna Trust, which provides assistance to first time parents, upskilling them and providing specific parenting education, empowerment and helping create optimum home environments for children. Through these programmes, he has built positive partnerships with the local Police and the community, bringing credibility to the programmes and the Police. He has led the Taranaki Branch of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters programme to consistently be in the top three branches in providing support to children, and holds an above average length of 1,100 days for mentoring matches. Senior Constable Lampe has continued as a senior member of the New Plymouth Negotiating Team for more than ten years.
The King’s Service Medal:
LEDINGHAM, Mr Michael Joseph (Mike)
For services to survivors of abuse in care
Mr Mike Ledingham wrote ‘The Catholic Boys’ (2019), which outlined the effects of the abuse experienced by him and his two brothers, and how it impacted the opportunities and life choices for the three of them as survivors.
Mr Ledingham has been active in campaigning for the redress and improvement of child safety in faith-based care settings, in particular Roman Catholic Church care institutions, for more than 20 years. He experienced abuse in faith-based care during the 1950s and 1960s and provided his experience as evidence to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions. The lack of response from the Catholic Church on notification of the abuse experienced by the three brothers has driven Mr Ledingham to advocate for the investigation of silencing and covering up of reported child abuse in churches.
The King’s Service Medal:
LEILUA, Mr Peter Fala Aperila
For services to the community, particularly youth and Pacific peoples
Mr Peter Leilua has contributed in the Auckland region on both a professional and voluntary basis as a youth and social worker, receiving several local community volunteer awards.
Mr Leilua has had extensive youth group involvement, mentoring, and organising camps, after school programmes, and sports teams. He was co-founder of Global Hope Missions Trust in 2010, which provides a range of services including courthouse advocacy, academic mentoring, youth support groups and programmes. This includes a Pacific Young Leaders programme, through which Pacific students organise events in Mt Roskill schools, and the Activate Programme, using Pacific values as the basis for intervention for at-risk students. He has been Pasifika Liaison for several Mt Roskill schools since 2016. He helped organise Pou Pasifika, a partnership between Village Collective and Ara Taiohi in an initiative to champion Pasifika youth workers in the Auckland region. In response to the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023, he co-founded the ARK (Act of Roskill Kindness) Trust and emergency hub, through which he led teams to organise food parcels, emergency accommodation, bedding and whiteware donations, social, financial and medical support. He has been a committee member with Puketāpapa Rugby Club. Mr Leilua set up the Global Lions rugby team for youth and organised a match and cultural exchange in Malaysia.
The King’s Service Medal:
LEILUA, Mrs Tiliilagi (Tili)
For services to the community, particularly youth and Pacific peoples
Mrs Tili Leilua is a youth development and whānau support worker for Global Hope Missions, a community development organisation she co-founded in 2010.
Global Hope Missions Trust provides a range of services including courthouse advocacy, academic mentoring, youth support groups and programmes. This includes a Pacific Young Leaders programme, through which Pacific students organise events in Mt Roskill schools, and the Activate Programme, using Pacific values as the basis for intervention for at-risk students. Mrs Leilua established the Women’s Café Corner in the Wesley Community Centre, a weekly drop-in for women in the community to connect and seek support. She has been active with other community projects such as the Collective Food Hub and Bike Kitchen, a Puketāpapa community bike programme. She works with Roskill Development advocating for housing security, with social enterprise Akina Foundation, and co-leads Puketāpapa Youth Collective. In response to the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023, she so-founded ARK (Act of Roskill Kindness) Trust and emergency hub, which organised food parcels, emergency accommodation, bedding and whiteware donations, social, financial and medical support. She helped organise Pou Pasifika, a partnership between Village Collective and Ara Taiohi in an initiative to champion Pasifika youth workers in the Auckland region. Mrs Leilua is currently on the Wesley Primary School Board of Trustees.
The King’s Service Medal:
LISSETTE, Miss Valerie Joan
For services to dance
Miss Valerie Lissette established the Valerie Lissette School of Dance (VLSD) in Hamilton in 1976 and has taught dance in the Waikato community for 47 years, handing over directorship of the school in 2024.
Miss Lissette expanded the studio from teaching ballet to include jazz, tap, contemporary, and musical theatre for all ages, later including age group classes for pre-schoolers and adults over 55. She has prepared thousands of dancers for Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) ballet examinations and has mentored many who have gone on to successful dance careers nationally and internationally. She was recognised as a Life Member of RAD in 2008. She provided a platform for every student to perform annually in theatrical productions which she directed and produced, organising all aspects from costuming to lighting, choreography and theme. On many occasions the Imperial Russian Ballet requested students from VLSD to join their performances when in Hamilton. In 2016, 36 children performed in ‘The Nutcracker’. Miss Lissette has offered dance classes in the Waikato towns of Cambridge, Tamahere and Te Uku and has personally performed with the Hamilton Operatic Society for more than 20 years.
The King’s Service Medal:
LOCKINGTON, Mrs Moira Catherine
For services to the community
Mrs Moira Lockington has been involved with various organisations and community groups in the Buller District for more than 50 years.
Mrs Lockington has been involved with the Reefton Sacred Heart Parish for more than 50 years, both as a member and having played the organ for Sunday Mass for 15 years. She has also been a member of the church cleaning group and the rosters for organising flowers and communion to the sick. She has been involved with fundraising efforts for the Church. With St Vincent de Paul she has helped distribute food parcels, wood and coal amongst the community. She has been involved with Buller Council-funded programmes such as tree planting, and has engaged with the Council for better and accessible footpaths around the town centre. She was instrumental in initiating the upgrade of the Reefton heated community swimming pool and has been vocal in the upgrade of the local hospital. She bakes homemade treats for those living on their own and distributes produce from her garden to those in need. Mrs Lockington has been involved with the Plunket Society, Reefton Tennis Club and the Reefton Toy Library.
The King’s Service Medal:
LOGAN, Ms Pamela Anne (Pam)
For services to theatre
Ms Pam Logan has contributed to her community through theatre for more than 60 years.
Ms Logan has been a member of the Marlborough Repertory Society since 1975, serving as President for two terms, making her directorial debut in 1977 with ‘The Heiress’, and has directed more than 30 plays since. She held various positions with the Shakespeare Theatre Education Company and Kempe’s Jig between 1991 and 1994, including as actor, voice coach and administrator. She tutored drama studies at Nelson Polytechnic and has tutored privately. She has been a Speech and Drama teacher for more than 45 years and a contributor to Speech New Zealand, as a member of the board between 1992 and 2022. As a board member, she contributed to the syllabi, was an accredited examiner for Speech New Zealand and served as Chair of Examinations and Chair of the Board. Between 1992 and 1995 she served as President of Theatre New Zealand and adjudicated one-act play festivals at both regional and national levels, and for the Sheila Winn National Shakespeare Festival. She is a life member of Marlborough Repertory Society and Theatre New Zealand. Ms Logan is a Distinguished Associate of Speech New Zealand.
The King’s Service Medal:
MACAULAY, Mrs Patricia Annette
For services to the community
Mrs Patricia Macaulay has committed more than 50 years to rural communities, particularly through Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ).
Mrs Macaulay has been a member of RWNZ for 50 years and helped raise $25,000 for charitable purposes through the Triple F Challenges with RWNZ. Between 2003 and 2010 she served as RWNZ’s Regional Development Officer and contributed to increasing membership in the Otago region. She has helped rural communities by providing support for mental health, overcoming distance and isolation by fostering connection amongst rural residents. She has been a member of the Otago Rural Support Trust since 1997, serving as coordinator since 2015. Mrs Macaulay has also been involved with several other organisations, including Plunket Playcentre, the Parent-Teacher Association and Scouts groups.
The King’s Service Medal:
MAYES, Ms Carolyn (Lyn)
For services to conservation
Ms Lyn Mayes has been a member of the Auckland Conservation Board since 2014 and Chair since 2016, having been appointed for her environmental and sustainability professional experience in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
Under Ms Mayes’ leadership the Auckland Conservation Board has worked to build its public presence and grow its advocacy in public arenas. She was keynote speaker at the 2019 Auckland Mayoral Conservation Awards and MC for the livestreamed 2020 Conservation Week event. Early on with the Board she was involved in the development and approval of a new conservation plan for Hauturu/Little Barrier Island, one of the first conservation management plans jointly prepared and approved with a Treaty partner. She has spent many hours drafting correspondence and submissions for the Board. The Board made a submission against the expansion of a marine dumping consent at a location close to Aotea/Great Barrier Island, contributing to the withdrawal of the application. In her professional capacity she is a leader in environmental sustainability. Through her consultancy she works with New Zealand corporates to introduce greater sustainability into their business models. A notable example includes Ms Mayes’ work with large supermarket chains to introduce the soft plastics recycling scheme.
The King’s Service Medal:
MOLES, Mr Ronald James (Ron)
For services to education and the community
Mr Ron Moles has contributed to the Matamata community and was Principal of Firth Primary from 1976 to 1992.
Mr Moles’ leadership in Special Education Programmes saw the establishment of a special needs unit at Firth Primary, a New Zealand first. He has been a long-serving delegate to the Waikato branch of the New Zealand Education Institute and the NZEI Principals Council. He held Executive roles including President, Secretary and Counsellor of Matamata-Putaruru NZEI and has been a long-time coordinator of Matamata District Principals Association. He is involved with Keep Matamata Beautiful Society, Matamata Centennial Drive Committee, and the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust. He instigated and managed the Outdoor Education Camping Unit for schools in the Matamata District, helped establish the Matamata Health Shuttle in 2007, and is a Life Member of Matamata Grey Power. He is a Life Member of Matamata Kiwanis Club, joining in 1977 and holding positions as President and Secretary for many years. He led a group of Morrinsville principals in the development of a set of Student Reports to Parents, subsequently used as a template by many schools nationwide in the 1970s. In 2005 Mr Moles coordinated the planting of several Gallipoli Pines from Chunuk Bair at Matamata schools and planted and maintained the Matamata RSA Cemetery garden for 20 years.
The King’s Service Medal:
MURDOCH, Ms Fiona Mary
For services to dance
Ms Fiona Murdoch has introduced communities to folk dance across 30 years and is an accomplished tutor of international folk-dance.
Ms Murdoch has studied and collected many folk dances, including dances of the Celtic Nations, Balkan and European countries, and historical period dances including Regency and Colonial dances, amongst others. She was a member of the New Zealand ‘Maenads’ Dance Group which performed in Greece in 2007 and has facilitated many folk-dance workshops and events. She founded Dance Folkus in Hamilton in 1994 and has been teaching these various styles of dance throughout New Zealand. She has choreographed folk-dance demonstrations at the Hamilton Gardens, Waikato Museum, Auckland Folk Festival, National Folk Dance Camps, as well as invited and ticketed private events. An inaugural member of Folk Dance New Zealand in 1995, she has previously served as President and is a Life Member. Ms Murdoch was awarded the Hamilton City Civic Award in 2013 for her contributions to community dance.
The King’s Service Medal:
NEBEN, Mrs Delza Reay (Reay)
For services to print media and the community
Mrs Reay Neben was founder of and managed The Howick and Pakuranga Times from 1972.
In this role Mrs Neben attended numerous community events annually since the newspapers' inception and continually engages with the leaders of community groups, schools, sports clubs and interest groups. For 30 years she and her team sponsored and ran the Howick Santa Parade, one of the largest Santa Parades in the country, and she was instrumental in its continued success. She was the first woman appointed to the committee of the New Zealand Community Newspapers Association. Her newspaper is respected by the community and the news industry and she has received awards for excellence in the print industry across 52 years of publishing. These awards include the Westpac Business Award for Services to the Community, Westpac Employer of the Year, and awards from Rotary and the Zonta Rose for her contribution to journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mrs Neben established the Howick Charitable Trust and with the Howick Ratepayers and Resident's Association raised $31,000 for a community monument.
The King’s Service Medal:
OLIVER, Mr John William
For services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community
Mr John Oliver has served more than 50 years with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and has been a member of the Otane Volunteer Fire Brigade since 1972.
Mr Oliver has been the Chief Fire Officer of the Otane Volunteer Fire Brigade for 50 years and has been a driving force behind the brigade-owned water tankers which provide water deliveries. He has helped design and develop three water tankers, donating the first to another brigade. They act as resources for FENZ to respond to larger incidents in the community and neighbouring districts, if town supply was compromised. In 2019 he introduced a lapel pin to represent firefighters who have passed away, the design consisting of the kawakawa leaf which holds significance as a symbol of death in Māori culture, leaves are shaped in a heart, a symbol for courage and fortitude, and blue koro patterns and red koru symbolising the deep connection between firefighters and their communities. He has driven the development and build of the new Otane tennis courts for the community as a member of the Otane Sports club, and has been a member of the Otane Arts and Crafts Centre. Mr Oliver has created an event hub for FENZ on annual Waitangi Day celebrations, educating the community on fire safety.
The King’s Service Medal:
PARASHAR, Mrs Jyoti, JP
For services to the community
Mrs Jyoti Parashar has been a community advocate since migrating to New Zealand in 2004.
Mrs Parashar has actively contributed to numerous community projects through various organisations. For the past 20 years, she has been involved with Bal Vikas (Children Development) classes at Bharatiya Mandir, where she started as a Hindi teacher and now manages all Bal Vikas classes. She was elected as the Chair of the Education Committee and has held this position since 2009. She has spearheaded multiple initiatives, including a mums and babies group, job search workshops, yoga, math, and database classes, as well as English classes for new migrants. In 2017, she founded ‘Sakhi’, a support group for women that provides a platform for empowerment and through which she has been supporting women experiencing domestic violence. She has supported older adults for the past 16 years, particularly in South Asian communities, and as a Social Worker, she has focused on senior abuse response in recent years. She serves on the boards of various charitable trusts and has been Chairperson of Disha New Zealand Charitable Trust for more than two years. Mrs Parashar has been a Justice of the Peace since 2018 and was awarded the Albert-Eden Local Hero Award in 2019.
The King’s Service Medal:
PEARCE, Mr Graeme Victor
For services to heritage preservation and the community
Mr Graeme Pearce has maintained historic cemeteries in Thames as volunteer caretaker and at his own expense since 2000.
Mr Pearce regularly visits the Shortland Cemetery, Tararu Cemetery and the urupā at Pārāwai, where he undertakes lawn mowing, line trimming, weed clearing and cleaning tombstones for these ‘closed’ cemeteries that receive only limited council maintenance. His efforts have helped uncover lost graves and plots, with his research helping correct and enhance cemetery records. He has helped family researchers find graves and has volunteered his time to Find A Grave since 2014, photographing and documenting 1,100 grave sites for online searching. He has volunteered with The Treasury Research and Archive Centre since 2010. Within the wider community, he was a player and coach with Hui Mai Rugby Club in the 1960s and volunteered with Thames Search and Rescue from 1978 to 2000. He was involved with running Thames Athletic Club and Thames Harriers Club events in the 1970s and 1980s, including as a committee member and coordinator of the Paeroa to Thames road event for many years. Mr Pearce has undertaken maintenance and general tasks for the Thames Pensioner Housing Trust since 2010, such as installation of underfloor insulation.
The King’s Service Medal:
PEARCE, Mrs Marie Teresa
For services to the community and local government
Mrs Marie Pearce has volunteered in the Inglewood community through numerous charitable organisations.
Mrs Pearce has been a member of the Inglewood Community Board since 2003 is on the Board of the Inglewood District Health Trust. She has chaired the Inglewood First Trust since 2000, through which she has overseen organisation of beautification projects, annual events for Christmas, ANZAC Day and festivals. Notably this has included helping organise the annual Americarna vintage car festival since 2007, which sees more than 800 cars displayed in Inglewood’s CBD, attracting thousands of visitors. She has been an elected Councillor of New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) from 2007 to 2024, holding appointments to various cultural trusts, and was key to securing a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing on the high traffic Rata Street/State Highway 3 intersection. She helped organise the restoration of the Inglewood Railway Station and instigated the upgrade of the Windsor Walkway in Inglewood. She helped establish the Inglewood Community Mini Putt Charitable Trust, assisting with fundraising of $500,000 to establish this complex. The complex now benefits local sports clubs as a club-operated fundraising vehicle. Mrs Pearce is a past Chair of Inglewood’s Cue Theatre and was on the committee behind the building of the Inglewood Squash Club complex in the late 1980s.
The King’s Service Medal:
PHILLIPS, Mr Neville Gordon
For services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and ice sports
Mr Neville Phillips has volunteered for more than 50 years with the Gore and Mataura Volunteer Fire Brigades.
Mr Phillips is a Life Member of the Mataura Brigade and held several offices between 1993 and 2020, including Deputy Chief Fire Officer. He has been involved with waterway competitions for 50 years as a competitor, judge and coach. He has chaired the Mataura Brigade’s Centennial Committee. He was President of the Otago Southland Fire Brigade Association from 2000 to 2001 and was previously President of the Northern Southland Sub Association from 1995 to 1996. He was a foundation member of the Gore and Districts Ice Skating Club (now Ice Sports Southland) in 1978 and remains involved as a current member. He spent 18 years on the Committee, with two years as President, and spent six years with the New Zealand Ice Skating Association, including as President from 1995 to 1996. He was delegate to the Otago Southland Ice Skating Sub Association for 10 years and has played and organised ice hockey in Gore. He was involved in the construction of three ice skating rinks in Gore, one of which remains today. Mr Phillips was a councillor on the Mataura Community Board from 2003 to 2013 and has served four terms on the Gore District Council since 2013.
The King’s Service Medal:
PRIEST, Mr Peter Herehere
For services to Māori and conservation
Mr Peter Priest (Te Ātiawa o Taranaki, Ngāti Rāhiri), together with his wife Sue Priest, have served their communities of Whangamatā and Waitara for 25 years, often in the roles of Chair and Treasurer respectively for various organisations.
Mr Priest has chaired the Ngāti Rāhiri Hapu o Ātiawa (Taranaki) management committee since 2018, helping the hapū to grow from a position of financial and administrative difficulty to secure assets, financial stability and a strategic plan for its future. Mr and Mrs Priest have made significant contributions to estuary care in Whangamatā since 2003, both in hands-on and governance roles and coordinating volunteers. He is a Co-Chair of the Whangamatā Community Marae and Well-being Hub (Governance Group). He has been a Trustee of the Whangamatā Community Marae Trust from 2019. He helped prepare the business case to secure land for the establishment of a community marae in Whangamatā, with land allocated in February 2024. Mr and Mrs Priest have helped with the development of Māori language, culture and tikanga in Whangamatā, including community te reo lessons and helping organise the community’s first Matariki celebrations.
The King’s Service Medal:
PRIEST, Mrs Susan Lyall (Sue)
For services to Māori and conservation
Mrs Sue Priest, together with her husband Peter Priest, have served their communities of Whangamatā and Waitara for 25 years, often in the roles of Treasurer and Chair respectively for various organisations.
Mrs Priest is Treasurer on the Ngāti Rāhiri Hapu o Ātiawa management committee, helping the hapū to grow from a position of financial and administrative difficulty to secure assets, financial stability and a strategic plan for its future. Mr and Mrs Priest have made significant contributions to estuary care in Whangamatā since 2003, both in hands-on and governance roles and coordinating volunteers. They helped prepare a business case to secure land for the establishment of a community marae in Whangamatā, with land allocated in February 2024. She has been a Trustee and Treasurer of the Whangamatā Community Marae Trust since 2019. Mr and Mrs Priest have led development of Māori language, culture and tikanga in Whangamatā, including community te reo lessons and helping organise the community’s first Matariki celebrations.
The King’s Service Medal:
RAMSAY, Mr David John
For services to the community
Mr David Ramsay has volunteered in the Alexandra and wider Central Otago community for almost 40 years.
Mr Ramsay was a member of the Alexandra Jaycees service club from 1985 to 1995, during which time he personally convened at least 20 community and chapter projects, which included associated events for the Alexandra Blossom Festival and organising the Nissan Young Driver contest for the region. He was President in 1988 and Regional Governor for Otago Southland in 1992. He has been a member of the Alexandra Lions Club since 1995, serving as President from 2001 to 2002. Through his involvement with Jaycees and Lions, he has contributed to fundraising hundreds of thousands of dollars for community causes, including Friends of Dunstan Hospital, Alexandra Volunteer Fire Brigade, St John and the Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust. Notably, he has organised the Alexandra Easter Bunny Hunt event, which has raised more than $250,000 for the community over his 20 years as convenor. He has organised catering for the Otago Cavalcade Horse trek and numerous other community events. He was on the Terrace School Board of Trustees from 1995 to 2001, with two years as Chair. Mr Ramsay has volunteered as a funeral celebrant since 2011.
The King’s Service Medal:
REDDY, Mrs Rangimahora Mokomoko
For services to Māori health
Mrs Rangimahora Reddy (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Rangitāne) has dedicated more than 20 years to Māori health and wellbeing.
Mrs Reddy has been the Chief Executive of Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust (Rauawaawa) since 2010, a culturally focused charity providing health and wellbeing, housing, welfare, education and recreational services for Kaumātua. During her leadership, Rauawaawa has pioneered Kaumātua-centred programmes, including national and regional wellbeing events, commenced the revitalisation of Rauawaawa’s “Te Puna o Te Ora” facility into New Zealand’s first dementia and age-friendly, Kaumātua-led and digitally enabled, community hub. She helped establish the Rauawaawa Enterprise for Kaumātua Aspirations (REKA), a social enterprise initiative that produced Māori designed cookie cutters to support Kaumātua with dementia. She co-led research projects supporting Kaumātua health through cultural practices, promoting intergenerational knowledge transfer and social connection, and sharing housing and social enterprise models. She has served on numerous advisory committees for older persons’ wellbeing and recently completed an Ageing Fellow secondment with the Ministry of Health. Mrs Reddy’s work reflects a strong commitment to enhancing Māori health and the wellbeing of Kaumātua and her achievements have been recognised with the Hamilton City Civic Award in 2018 and the Age Concern New Zealand Huia Award in 2022.
The King’s Service Medal:
RICHMOND, Mr David Malcolm James
For services to sport, particularly athletics and cricket
Mr David Richmond (Ngāi Tahu) has been involved with sport, particularly athletics and cricket at local, regional, and national levels for more than 50 years.
Mr Richmond first volunteered on the Presbyterian Harrier and Athletics Club Committee from 1967 to 1971, including a year as Secretary. In 1981, he was on the steering committee which merged the club with two others, forming the Hill City Athletics Club (now Hill City-University). He served as Club Captain, President from 1991 to 1993, and as Patron since 2008. He has been involved with Athletics Otago since 1981, serving as a Handicapper, Selector and as President from 1991 to 1994 and 2012 to 2016. He represented Otago as an Athletics New Zealand Councillor from 1991 to 1994 and served on the organisation’s Board of Directors from 1994 to 1999. In 1992 he lobbied for Dunedin to host the National Road Relay Championship, creating the course and chairing the organising committee. He organised the 2004 Secondary Schools National Cross Country in Dunedin. He coached Tokomairiro High School’s athletic, cross country, rugby and cricket teams from 1976 and Bayfield High School teams from 1986. He has been Honorary Statistician for the Otago Cricket Association for more than 30 years. Mr Richmond is a Life Member of Athletics Otago and Hill City-University Athletics Club.
The King’s Service Medal:
RYDER, Mr Eugene Shane Te Awamate
For services to survivors of abuse in care
Mr Eugene Ryder (Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau) has been a long-term advocate and prominent spokesperson for Māori survivors of abuse and has used his personal experience, including his experience as a former gang member, to support other survivors.
Mr Ryder has connected communities, such as gang communities, in voicing their experiences and engaging with the system as survivors of abuse in state care, and to include their families in the process. He has been a member of Te Taumata, which provided the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions with strategic guidance to ensure the inquiry had an effective Treaty of Waitangi-based approach. He co-chairs the Survivor Experiences Service Board, which was established in response to a recommendation from the inquiry as a supportive and confidential place for survivors of abuse in state care and their families to share their experiences. Mr Ryder has provided a confidential place for people and their families with similar experiences.
The King’s Service Medal:
SIMPSON, Mrs Barbara Anne (Barb)
For services to conservation and the community
Mrs Barb Simpson has contributed to the Queenstown community and environmental restoration through a variety of roles.
Mrs Simpson taught outdoor education and food technology at Wakatipu High School for 23 years until retiring in 2006. Since then, she has run education and volunteering initiatives at the school’s annual camps, involving students in the establishment and maintenance of a wetlands area at the Branches Station. She co-founded the Whakatipu Islands Reforestation Trust with her husband in 2009, through which she has contributed to the restoration of an area badly affected by wildfires. Through the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust, which she co-established in 2013, she has helped to grow more than 10,000 native plants annually for planting on public land, and shares her knowledge with visiting school groups. She has volunteered for the Department of Conservation as a Hut Warden, for Gorse Busters to remove the invasive weed from around Ōkārito Lagoon, as a Trustee of the Wakatipu Trails Trust, and a volunteer and manager with the Queenstown Lakes Search and Rescue. She has also been a Big Buddy for three girls, volunteered with Victim Support and continues to volunteer with the St John Shuttle Service between Queenstown and Invercargill. In 2016, Mrs Simpson and her husband were awarded the Loder Cup for their contribution to conservation.
The King’s Service Medal:
SINCLAIR, Mrs Anne Acton
For services to the community
Mrs Anne Sinclair has volunteered with the Auckland Cancer Society for more than 40 years.
Mrs Sinclair began volunteering with the Cancer Society Auckland-Northland branch in 1983, serving in a variety of roles and encouraging others to follow in her footsteps. She was instrumental in organising events, rallying community support and developing creative fundraising initiatives that translated into resources for patient care and awareness campaigns. In her 90th year, she continues to collect donations on Daffodil Day. As a volunteer host, she provides support and comfort to cancer patients during their stay at the Society’s accommodation facility near Auckland Hospital. As a volunteer driver, she drove patients to and from their treatment. She held a part-time role as a Driving Coordinator, liaising with the Auckland Hospital’s oncology team and ensuring patients were allotted a driver. She has prepared numerous meals for cancer patients in the community and those staying at the Society’s facility. Since 2011, she has also volunteered as a driver for Red Cross Meals on Wheels. Mrs Sinclair is a Life Member of the Cancer Society Auckland-Northland and in 2022 she received the Ministry of Health’s Longevity of Service Award.
The King’s Service Medal:
SMITH, Mr Darryl William
For services to survivors of abuse in care
Mr Darryl Smith has served as the New Zealand Ambassador to the United States of America National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and has self-published books on his experiences in state care and faith-based institutions.
Mr Smith has campaigned for decades against the abuse in Catholic Churches and state care, raising awareness on the forms of abuse and educational neglect faced by children. He has provided evidence to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions on the physical and spiritual abuse he faced at Marylands School, and from witnessing the racial abuse suffered by Māori and Pacific children at the school. His experience has supported the inquiry’s case study on the St John of God abuse, ‘Stolen Lives, Marked Souls’. He provided evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse – Australia, concluding in 2017. In 2023 Mr Smith attended the Ending Clergy Abuse Summit in Rome, an organisation of survivors and human rights activists from 24 countries, campaigning to end clergy abuse and bring justice to survivors and their families and taking a stand on state abuse in New Zealand and Queensland, Australia.
The King’s Service Medal:
STEELE, Mr Richard Antony Dougal, JP
For services to the rural community
Mr Richard Steele has been supporting his rural community of Whanganui and Ruapehu for more than 40 years.
Mr Steele helped establish and was inaugural President of the Ruapehu Federated Farmers Province in 1990, serving three terms as President and remaining as an Executive Member since being appointed a Life Member. The Ruapehu Federated Farmers Province was formed to ensure voices of the rural community from the Ruapehu region were heard, particularly on issues such as Bovine TB outbreaks. He provided information to farmers on the need to understand controls on TB outbreaks and advocated for them to receive compensation for the loss of cattle due to the outbreak. He served on the Regional Animal Health Committee between 1990 and 2006 working on education and eradication of TB through possum control. In 2008 he helped form the Rural Support Trust with others, to provide mental wellbeing support due to the drought-like conditions farmers were facing. With the Rural Support Trust, they created a space where support and advice were provided on issues such as managing finances. He served as Chair for several years. Mr Steele has been a member of the Friends of the Whanganui River Group and received life membership.
The King’s Service Medal:
SWAIN, Mr Peter David
For services to the community
Mr Peter Swain has volunteered with the Southland Food Bank since 1991 and played an integral role in establishing and maintaining the Foodbank Charitable Trust as a valuable non-profit community asset.
Mr Swain was made a Life Member of the Otago Southland branch of the Meat Workers’ Union in 2007, having been Union Secretary for 27 years until retirement. While in the role of Meat Workers’ Union Secretary, he set up a food bank for workers during a 13-week strike. He was elected as Chair of the Southland Foodbank Charitable Trust in 2007, holding the role until 2022. He remains a Trustee and active volunteer. He helped organise food drives for 12 years. He has performed numerous speaking engagements to promote the Southland Food Bank and receive food donations. He was President of the Southland branch of the 60s Up movement from 2010 to 2020, having been a member of the Invercargill branch since 2007. He has organised bus trips and funding for 60s Up, as well as organising speakers for meetings and attending national conferences representing the branch. Mr Swain was made a Life Member of 60s Up New Zealand in 2021.
The King’s Service Medal:
TEREPAI, Miss Teremoana
For services to the Pacific community and seniors
Miss Teremoana Terepai has volunteered in the Tāmaki community and supported her Cook Islands community in Auckland.
Miss Terepai became a certified Community Coach in 2011 and runs low-impact exercise classes in public spaces. She has been instrumental in building the participants base of the Te Oro Golden Seniors Group and has promoted their traditional dance programme for seniors. She is involved with the Cook Islands Elderly Support Group, running exercise classes for seniors. Her contributions to the Cook Islands community between 2008 and 2019 were recognised with a service certificate from Vaka Tautua. She was involved with the Mad Ave Community Trust from 2014 to 2019, is a volunteer for Tāmaki Community Patrols, and a member of the PACIFICA Tāmaki Branch. She is a member of the Koru Group, a regular drop-in support group for women living and working in Tāmaki. She helped establish HEART (Healthy Relationships in Tāmaki), a community-led movement of change aiming to reduce family violence, facilitating community conversations and growing supportive relationships in homes, neighbourhoods and communities. She has helped promote health campaigns in her community, including personally transporting people to alcohol and drug education workshops. Miss Terepai has promoted the Money Mates financial capability sessions hosted by Tāmaki Budgeting.
The King’s Service Medal:
VICKERS, Mrs Margaret Ann
For services to the community
Mrs Margaret Vickers is an advocate for rural women in the Taranaki region.
Mrs Vickers has been a dedicated member of Rural Women New Zealand (previously Women’s Division Federated Farmers) since 1968, serving at various times on the Midhurst Branch’s committee as Secretary and President. She received Life Membership of the Midhurst Branch as well as the Stratford Citizen’s Award In 2000. Nineteen years later, she received Stratford’s Outstanding Citizen Award and was also enrolled as a Member of Excellence in Rural Women New Zealand. She was a founder of the Stratford Positive Aging Group, advocating for the aged community, as well as the Stratford Community House, which provides temporary accommodation for community and health organisations, so residents do not need to travel out of town to access services. She has personally procured wheelchairs for public use, organised inclusive Christmas parties and Rural Women’s Day celebrations and workshops. During storm events in 2015 when many rural residents were left isolated, she secured funding, collated and packed boxes of supplies for those in need. An active member of the Stratford Floral Art Group for 35 years, Mrs Vickers has been involved in town centre beautifications and created the mayoral wreath for annual Anzac Day commemorations.
The King’s Service Medal:
WEBBER, Mr Grahame Roy Perry
For services to local government and farming governance
Mr Grahame Webber has contributed to farming and local government in the Waikato region since the 1980s.
Mr Webber was a member of Cambridge Federated Farmers from 1982 to 2020, chaired the Dairy Section of Waikato Federated Farmers from 1989 to 1991, and was director of the New Zealand Dairy Group from 1991 to 1994. He was elected to the Waipā District Council from 2001 to 2022, serving as Deputy Mayor from 2010 to 2019. He served on numerous Council committees, including chairing the Service Delivery Committee, Strategic Planning and Policy Committee, and the Maungatautari Reserve Committee. He served on the Cambridge Community Board from 1998 to 2022 and implemented an annual tour of the urban-based Board to visit rural communities to learn of their local issues. He chaired the Sister City Committee with Le Quesnoy in France and Bihoro in Japan from 2007 to 2019. He organised Cambridge delegations to Bihoro, travelling at his own expense, and visits from Bihoro focusing on agriculture, education, health services and local government. He has administered the fund which assists school students with exchanges between the towns. Mr Webber has been a member of regional committees including the Waikato Region Land Transport Committee, the Waikato River and Catchment Committee and the Future Proof Implementation Committee.
The King’s Service Medal:
WEIR, Ms Phyllis Rosemary (Rose)
For services to cricket and horticulture
Ms Rose Weir has actively contributed to Papatoetoe’s sporting and gardening communities since the 1970s.
Ms Weir became involved with the Papatoetoe Women’s Cricket club in 1978, serving as its Secretary in the 1980s and 1990s, organising coaching for local women and school children, and even opening her home to visiting cricket coaches from the United Kingdom. As part of her community fundraising efforts, she has voluntarily assisted and supervised ushers at one day matches at Eden Park. As an avid gardener, she encourages horticulture in her local community. She has been active in the Papatoetoe Garden and Floral Society since 1986, serving as Club President for three terms, and rallying its members to maintain garden barrels of flowers on Papatoetoe’s main street. She also organised the floral designer’s yearly roster for the Totara Hospice South Auckland. Between 2009 and 2020, Ms Weir volunteered as a mentor with the Manukau District Health Board’s Growing for Health initiative to help reduce diabetes in the area through the establishment of community gardens in Middlemore Park, and was key to the initiative being recognised by the New Zealand Recreation Association’s Outstanding Project Award.
The King’s Service Medal:
WELLS, Mr Craig John
For services to business and the community
Mr Craig Wells (Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa, Ngāi Takoto, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kuri, Ngāpuhi) has contributed to his community through numerous governance and leadership roles with community, business and iwi organisations.
Mr Wells has been instrumental in developing strategies to enable greater productive use of iwi land, creating new employment opportunities and contributing to Northland’s GDP. Playing an integral role in the development of Te Rūnanga O Ngāi Takoto’s horticulture business, he helped with the design and construction of large-scale orchard and market garden operations. The orchard offers an inclusive approach to employees with all staff in permanent roles in what is traditionally seasonal employment, as well as a mothers’ group who work between school hours. He has developed community and staff initiatives including free dental healthcare and mental health through to budgeting services. He continues to work with Te Rūnanga O Ngāi Takoto to explore reducing costs for whānau and facilitating free farm-produce baskets to schools, whānau, and local food banks. He was a director of the Northland Rugby Union for more than 13 years, driving a significant financial turnaround, and has served on the national board for Land Search and Rescue New Zealand. He chaired the forestry trust Whakatere ki Koranui for 10 years. Mr Wells currently provides strategic leadership to Waitangi Limited who administer the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
The King’s Service Medal:
WOTTEN, Mrs Jennifer Gai (Jenny)
For services to the community and squash
Mrs Jenny Wotten has contributed to the Te Puke community since 1997 through numerous volunteer roles and community organisations.
Mrs Wotten served on Te Puke Primary School Parent Teacher Association from 2002 to 2011, organising numerous fundraising events, serving as President, Secretary and helping organise the school’s 125th celebrations. She was a founding member and volunteer for the Te Puke Toy Library and was Secretary of Te Puke Neighbourhood Support Group from 2008 to 2012. She was Secretary of Te Puke Squash Club Committee from 2008 to 2013 and President from 2015 to 2016, representing on the New Zealand Secondary Schools Squash Association Committee. She held almost all the club’s voluntary roles including uniforms officer, sponsorship liaison, communications officer from 2016 to 2022, and bar manager. She led the organisation of a three-day event for the club’s 50th jubilee. She was Chair of Te Puke Centre Charitable Trust in 2020, having been Secretary and Founding Trustee of the preceding Te Puke Centre Project from 2018, which helped preserve the local post office from closure. She has supported homeless and underprivileged people by distributing donated food from local businesses and cooking community meals. Mrs Wotten was a Justice of the Peace in Te Puke from 2002 to 2022.