Gisborne resident Pauli Ma’afu has received the Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) for his service to the Pacific Island community.
Mr Ma’afu received the award at an investiture ceremony at Larnach Castle in Dunedin last week. He chose to attend the Dunedin investiture because he had never visited the city.
“It
was an amazing day, it was so beautiful to be in a castle, it was like something out of a movie,” Mr Ma’afu said. He was among 19 others named in the Queen’s Birthday honours list who received their awards at the Dunedin ceremony.
“I would like to thank the Tongan and Pacific community for their support, minister Finau Halaleva, the Tongan Wesley Methodist Church, community leader Theodosia Nia Nia, Pacific Island Community Trust chair Mona Ferris, my wife Seini Ma’afu, my four daughters Mele, Lavinia, Finau and Kalisi, my sisters Mele and Lavinia, my niece Hehea and her three children.”
One of his daughters lives in Australia and surprised him by flying to Dunedin for the ceremony.
