New Year Honours: Driving force behind Northland road safety awarded

Northland Road Safety Trust chairman John Williamson QSM. Photo / Michael Cunningham

John David Thomas Williamson, Whangārei
Queen's Service Medal for services to the community

Northland Road Safety Trust chairman John Williamson says he's just one of many people who have volunteered their lives to help others.

And now he's one of 53 people nationwide to be awarded the Queen's Service Medal in today's New Year's Honours.

"I was quite surprised and I didn't feel I had done anything special but I guess if you'd asked I would've said I'd been involved in a number of things over a number of years," Williamson said.

"I'm just one of many people who want to help others and who volunteer to help others because we love to do it."

The first drop in Williamson's 40-year waterfall of community service came in 1972 when he joined Jaycees – a not-for-profit organisation focused on building local communities and training future leaders.

During his time he helped construct community playgrounds, upgrade the Whangārei Riding for the Disabled facilities, and long-term fundraising to boost the Whangārei community.

In 1982 he served as a committee member and president of the Northland Chamber of Commerce up until 1991.

"Through that, I was nominated to be part of the [Northland] Regional Council transport committee and then through that, we founded the Northland District Automobile Association in '97."

Which was followed in 2002 by his post as chairman and trustee of the Northland Road Safety Trust.

"They were all kind of one just happened to follow the other without any particular plan other than just doing what needs to be done," Williamson said.

Amidst Williamson's growing commitment to keeping the region's motorists safe on the roads was his work as trustee and chairman of the Northland Business Development Trust.

Those roles saw him spend 23 years providing business training, mentoring and advice for budding small business owners.

Williamson further applied his knack for guidance to his position as a business mentor at The Papermill, an organisation to employ people with intellectual disabilities.

He also introduced Business North Magazine, delivered monthly to 1900 local businesses in a bid to provide ongoing work for Northlanders.

And with more to give, the three-term ex-Whangārei District councillor has been chairman of the Whangārei Museum and Heritage Trust since 2017.

"When everything you do falls into place, it's very rewarding," Williamson said.