She’s a dame in name but the accolades are for everyone striving to support research into a cure for the injury that changed the course of her life two decades ago, says one of the country’s six new dames and knights.
“I feel very fortunate that someone has taken time out of their life to put me forward, and even more fortunate that those in power think I’m worthy”, CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust founder Catriona Williams said.
“And I’m really proud that our team is acknowledged [by this] … there’s a lot that makes CatWalk tick, and I’ve just been at the face of it because of the chair”, said the Masterton-based former top equestrian rider, who became a C6/C7 tetraplegic after cart-wheeling off her horse at Hamilton’s Kihikihi Horse Trials in 2002.
Almost 190 people across community, health, education, science, sport, arts, business and politics have been recognised across a range of King’s Birthday Honours, including double Olympic cycling champion Ellesse Andrews, former Government ministers Steven Joyce and Ruth Richardson, comedian and health campaigner Dai Henwood, and former All Black Murray Mexted.
See the full list of honourees here.
Sistema Plastics founder Brendan Lindsay was one of three new knights companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, along with former judge Mark Cooper (Ngāti Mahanga, Waikato-Tainui) – a High Court and Court of Appeal judge who chaired the Royal Commission into Canterbury earthquakes’ building failures – and Air Rarotonga managing director and tourism champion Ewan Smith, whose airline is one of the largest private sector employers in the Cook Islands.
Lindsay, who was honoured for his service to business and philanthropy – the latter through the Lindsay Foundation’s support of charities focused on family, education, disabilities and animal welfare – said he especially wanted to acknowledge all who had helped him, including family, friends and staff.
“Whoever nominated me, whoever approved it, thanks forever and thanks to everybody that said yes … thanks very much to my country for recognising me as an individual and [wife] Jo and I as a couple.”
Along with Williams, two other women were appointed dames companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Multi-award winning community wellbeing leader and advocate Ranjna Patel was recognised for her initiatives supporting ethnic communities, health and family violence prevention, which has helped people across the country.
The Aucklander co-founded Tāmaki Health in 1977, which has grown to become New Zealand’s largest privately owned primary healthcare group, serving more than 330,000 patients.
Patel also later co-founded Gandhi Nivas, an innovative and successful early intervention service supporting men at risk of committing family harm and for which she’s consulted on internationally, and set up Mana 4 Mums to provide holistic, wrap-around care for pregnant Māori and Pacific women under 23 in South Auckland.
Top plant scientist Alison Stewart has also been made a dame after a 40-year career focused on sustainable plant protection, soil biology and plant biotechnology.
The Christchurch-based Emeritus Distinguished Professor has been chief executive of the Foundation for Arable Research since 2018, advocating to the Government and public on the importance of plant production systems, and encouraging collaboration between researchers, growers, Government and industry stakeholders for the benefit of all.
Stewart is internationally recognised for her work on the biocontrol of plant pests and diseases, commercialising a number of products in New Zealand and the US, and pioneered bringing in sustainable farming practices to improve crop yields and quality while minimising environmental impacts.
Along with fellow National alumni Joyce, former Finance Minister and four-term Selwyn MP Ruth Richardson is among 13 new Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit recipients.
The first woman to hold the finance portfolio, Richardson famously pared back government spending in her 1991 “Mother of all Budgets”, and spearheaded the 1994 Fiscal Responsibility Act to ensure prudent fiscal policy.
Another former National MP, Arthur Anae, is among 67 to be made members of The New Zealand Order of Merit, with Olympic champ Andrews, comedian Henwood, kids’ TV presenter Suzy Cato, TV and stage actor, presenter and director Louise Wallace and another high-profile TV host – Jude Dobson – for her wide-ranging services to community, broadcasting and historical preservation.
Henwood, who has stage four bowel cancer, heard about the honour while heading to hospital – where he will have surgery tomorrow.
“It’s nothing major. It’s just I’ve had fluid around my heart and lungs ... which is frustrating because the new chemo drug I’m on is actually working very well.”
He’d now “completed the trifecta” after his mother Carolyn Henwood was made a Dame in 2022 for services as a judge and to the arts and his late father Ray Henwood was named an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2006 for services to film and the theatre.
Cato, celebrated for using her profile to promote literacy, mental health and family wellbeing, initially suspected a scam when emailed about the honour.
“I had to go online and find out what the letters mean.”
Gold Sports’ The Country Sport Breakfast host Brian Kelly – a 55-year veteran of the airwaves – is also a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, with journalist Suzanne McFadden (Tainui, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Pū), a long-time champion of women’s sports’ coverage.
Forty-four Kiwis have been appointed to the more senior honour of officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, including high-profile sociologist and Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley.
A swag of current and former sports stars are also among those recognised, including current White Ferns captain Sophie Devine and former Black Caps captain Tim Southee, both for services to cricket.
Others include former All Black Murray Mexted, Black Ferns’ and women’s rugby great Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahu) and Olympic BMX silver medallist Sarah Walker – who currently represents New Zealand as a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Two of the five people made companions of the King’s Service Order today are being acknowledged for services to survivors of abuse in care.
Napier’s Chris Longhurst is the founder and national leader of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (Snap) Aotearoa New Zealand, and Hamilton’s Tyrone Marks (Ngāti Raukawa) advocates for those who suffered abuse and torture at the former Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit.
It was an “honour and privilege” to support fellow survivors of abuse in faith-based care, the collective work done by many through the peer support efforts of those involved in Snap, Longhurst said.
“In supporting others, we heal ourselves.”
However, the Catholic theologian considered the Government’s rejection of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in state and faith-based care’s recommendation of a new entity to deal with compensation “an insult”.
“Together let’s hold the Government and church leaders to account to provide the redress they promised.”
Former Labour Government Minister and Te Tai Tokerau MP Dover Samuels was also appointed a companion of the King’s Service Order, an honour which ranks in seniority between the companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit and the officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.
One victim's son is appealing for information about the ute involved