Prestigious Paul Harris Fellow awarded to Rotorua's Dr Anne Walsh

Rotary Club of Rotorua Sunrise president Heinz Fett (left) with Paul Harris Fellow recipient Dr Anne Walsh. Photo / Supplied

A Rotorua woman has been recognised for "many years" of service to the Rotary and her community.

Rotary Club of Rotorua Sunrise member Dr Anne Walsh is the recipient of this year's Paul Harris Fellow for showing a high ethical standard professionally and serving the club and community tirelessly with dignity and humility.

Club president Heinz Fett said Walsh's contributions were always done "in a quiet unassuming way" and often went quietly under the radar.

Since Walsh's arrival in New Zealand she has overcome the hurdles as an immigrant. She quickly integrated into the community and became part of it. This was largely achieved by the excellent work she does professionally and through the church, which is a big part of her life, and in Rotary.

She joined the Rotary Club of Rotorua Sunrise in January, 2005. Since that time she has been a very active member of the club taking on many leadership roles and projects including Directorships of Youth, Club Service and Membership. She was president in 2015-2016 and this past year has been the Rotary Foundation Champion of Sunrise Rotary.

She has had a long involvement with the Rotorua Swimarathon for End Polio Now and she has been the on-site doctor and health presenter at the Rotary Youth Programme of Enrichment for local secondary school students aged 14-16 years.

Walsh has been the doctor and Rotary co-ordinator for the Stroke Foundation NZ and St John Ambulance annual "Blood Pressure Checks" at Pak N Save. She has helped out with marshalling at numerous events including the Rotorua Marathon and the Weetbix Triathlon.

During her year as president she set up a Health and Wellbeing Programme for Rotarians as well as the Kuri hikoi dog walking group which involves members taking their dogs walking in the Redwoods on Sundays.

Walsh has always been a strong advocate of Te Wa Korero a nga Tamariki Oral Language Programme which Sunrise Rotary run in three local primary schools, recommending it to her patients as a retirement activity to give back to the community.

She is a board member of the Rotorua Community Hospice Trust and a GP with the Rotorua Medical Group at Central Health. She maintains a holistic approach to health. She has a strong sense of community and supports the initiative for compassionate communities.

Fett said Walsh was a kind, caring and compassionate health professional, who had supported many members and their families through times of extreme pain, loss and grief.

"Anne is a person of great integrity and the values she upholds are Rotary values and encompassing Rotary's code of ethics. Rotary, the Rotorua community, her colleagues, friends and family are privileged to have her in their lives. We are very proud to honour Anne with a Paul Harris Fellow."

The origins of Paul Harris Fellow recognition

The Paul Harris Fellow is named after the founder of Rotary. He and three business associates had the first meeting in Chicago in 1905. The Paul Harris Fellows was established in his honour in 1957 to express appreciation for the contribution to the humanitarian and educational programmes of The Rotary Foundation.

Rotarians designate a Paul Harris Fellow to recognise a person whose life demonstrates a shared purpose with the objectives and mission of The Rotary Foundation to build world understanding and peace.

Many notable figures have been named Paul Harris Fellows, including US president Jimmy Carter, Russian president Boris Yeltsin, US astronaut James Lovell, UN secretary-general Javier Perez de Cuellar, and polio vaccine developer Jonas Salk.