"He's such a man of the community. St John is lucky to have him, and so is Northland rugby and Lions," he said.
"With 30-plus years as chairman of the St John Kaikohe Area Committee, any big project in Kaikohe in that time has been under his tutelage.
"Behind the scenes he has worked on the Rules Committee, which might sound mundane, but his legal mind makes a significant contribution. His knowledge of the law, the rules and the traditions of St John make him a huge contributor at every level.
"It's a huge commitment, and it reflects the passion the man has for the organisation."
Mr Macauley, who has been practising law in Kaikohe for almost 50 years since moving north from Wellington, was in 2000 named Community Service Lawyer of the Year by the Auckland District Law Society.
His wife, Sally, is also known for her public service. She is currently the chairwoman of the Northland District Health Board.
The Order of St John is one of the world's oldest service organisations, dating back to around 1070, and has its own Royal Honours. It provides ambulance services, first aid training, medical alarms, and youth and community programmes. Being made a Knight or Dame is effectively the organisation's highest attainable honour. The next rung up is limited to just 25 members worldwide at any one time.