Just another quiet day for newly titled

Five knights and two dames have been named in the Queen's Birthday Honours, with ballet dancer Jon Trimmer and former All Black captain and coach Brian Lochore recognised alongside two judges, a businessman, a civil servant and a retiring politician.

Treasurer Bill Birch, in his 27th - and final - year as an MP, becomes Sir William; while recently appointed Chief Justice Sian Elias becomes Dame Sian - an honour she said she had yet to earn.

Christchurch electronics manufacturer Angus Tait, former High Court Judge David Tompkins and Social Welfare Department chief executive Margaret Bazley were the other major honours recipients.

For most it was just a quiet weekend with family. Third-ranked cabinet minister Sir William, nicknamed the Minister of Everything in reference to his huge work capacity and the 15 portfolios he has held, was found yesterday digging kumara in his Drury garden, while Sir Brian played his usual Sunday round of golf.

Sir David was miles from the limelight, sailing to Vanuatu on the family yacht.

Aucklander Dame Sian, a lawyer since 1970 and involved in a variety of ground-breaking cases, is the first woman to hold New Zealand's highest judicial office. She said determination had got her to where she was today in a profession that had no tradition of women's involvement when she joined. But it was tradition that dictated that the title came with her new job.

Sir Brian was All Black captain from 1966 to 1970, a national selector from 1985 to 1987 and coach of the World Cup-winning 1987 team. He has been on the Halberg Trust, the Hillary Commission and is chairman of the Sports Foundation's funding committee.

Sir Angus is founder and managing director of Tait Electronics, a top exporter, employing about 850 people and with sales of about $150 million a year.

Sir David was a High Court judge from 1983 to 1997, chaired of the National Case Management Committee from 1994 to 1997, and is a former vice-president of the Law Society, chancellor of Waikato University and president of Outward Bound.

Dame Margaret, a trained nurse, has headed Social Welfare since 1993 and was previously Transport Secretary (1988-1993) and a State Services Commissioner. Her most recent appointment was to replace Roger Estall as chairwoman of the troubled Fire Service Commission.

Sir Jon has been an integral part of the Royal New Zealand Ballet for more than 40 years. He joined in 1958 and had stints at the Royal Ballet in London, then in Australia and Denmark, before returning home in 1970.

The former principal male dancer, who now concentrates on character parts, headed a host of honours recipients whose achievements are in the arts.

Champion shearer David Fagan, of Te Kuiti, was made a member of the NZ Order of Merit for services to shearing. Among hundreds of others honoured were Jan and Rex McMechan, a Hamilton couple who have fostered more than 300 children, and Auckland Methodist missioner Charles Fenwick.

Full Queen's birthday Honours List