King’s Birthday and Coronation Honours 2023: Whanganui rural community advocate and tramping enthusiast Brian Doughty ‘overwhelmed’ by QSM

Brian Doughty has been honoured for services to rural communities and outdoor recreation. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui rural advocate Brian Doughty’s dedication to fixing rural issues and building a sense of community in outdoor recreation has earned him a Queen’s Service Medal*.

“I feel overwhelmed,” Doughty said.

“There’s always people that you think do more than you but never get seen in this way.”

When Doughty was 18, he started the Wanganui Tramping Club with just 40 members, which has grown to around 270 people in 2023, and he remains president and a life member.

In 1977, four Wanganui Tramping Club members died at Aoraki Mount Cook in a tragic accident when the hut the trampers were sleeping in blew off the mountain.

“It left a huge hole in the club and we knew it was important to do something,” Doughty said.

He became a foundation trustee of the Four Friends Memorial Trust in 1978 and oversaw the disbursement of more than $160,000 to causes such as funding for teenagers to go to Outward Bound.

“Outward Bound really helps young kids to think for themselves because it pushes them to their limits.”

Doughty is currently chairman of Te Araroa Whanganui Trust, which oversees the Te Araroa Trail between Taumarunui and Bulls.

Alongside Doughty’s lifelong career in farming, he worked as provincial president of Whanganui Federated Farmers for 10 years.

“As an industry 20 years ago, Federated Farmers were a bit on the back foot, they’d been seen as a relatively aggressive organisation and if you are seen like that, it’s hard to talk to people.”

Doughty worked hard to get “a seat at the table” for Federated Farmers to be heard by local and central government.

As founding trustee of the Ruapehu-Whanganui Rural Support Trust, Doughty aimed to support farming families and address mental health issues within the rural community.

“We try to make it so anyone can come along and we will listen to what you’re going through and find a way through that.”

Doughty said the volunteer work he found most rewarding was being on the board of Jigsaw Whanganui, a family support services trust.

“I get immense satisfaction out of seeing the people there and how they work together to get on with the job; there’s always been a disconnect between urban and rural communities and it’s important to try to bridge that gap.”

Doughty said he felt “very proud” to be recognised but there were a lot of people he felt had helped him to “get the work done” along the way.

“You don’t think about why you’re doing this stuff, you just do it, it’s good fun.”

* The Queen’s Service Order and its accompanying medal, the Queen’s Service Medal, is still named after the late Queen Elizabeth II this year, but will change name to the King’s Service Order and King’s Service Medal to acknowledge the new monarch.

The first honours using the new titles are likely to be announced as part of the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024.