Limes Room, Christchurch Town Hall, 24th November 2004.
Almost single-handedly she has built the Canterbury Primary Schools’ Chess competition up from small beginnings with less than twenty participating schools into a major annual event involving hundreds of school children and hundreds of teams from throughout the region competing over several days. Over the years she has become the central figure in the organisation of the Press Chess competitions, liasing with teachers, principals, sponsors, parents and children tirelessly and effectively. She built up a sound administration system and a charitable trust was established under her leadership, and funding secured to strengthen and secure the competition. But over and above her passion for the game of chess, and her selfless dedication to teaching the game for often very little reward, her gift to the children of the City of Christchurch has been the inculcation of the virtues of the Good Chess Player; maturity of outlook, clarity of thought, the ability to focus on problems and solve them logically, and above all a sense of fair play. Jacinta’s rules of sportsmanship and fair play have become the models for thousands of Canterbury children. Jacinta Buist
He was a foundation member of the ZooDoo project, an organisation that seeks to solve two pressing matters. The first matter is that of the many people with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, people who are institutionalised and on medication, as a result of which they lose their social skills, their feelings of self worth and thus their dignity. They enter a downward spiral of deterioration from which it is impossible to escape unaided. The other matter is that of the bountiful and bucolic end product of the many large herbivores held in zoos and wildlife parks. As a foundation member and worker for ZooDoo at Orana Park he has been an active and energetic part of an environment that brings those experiencing mental illness together with other people of the wider community, making them part of the community, not simply putting them in it. He had brought his extensive managerial and administrative skills to bear to ensure that ZooDoo remains a viable business operation and continues to provide those in need with the dignity of real employment and the long term social interaction that is the key to their rehabilitation. John Gilbert Burrell.
For more than forty years she has been deeply involved in a wide variety of community affairs. She has lived in the Parish of Our Lady of Victories at Sockburn for forty years. With her late husband Tom she generously supported the Parish in many ways, serving on committees and supporting community groups. She is a faithful member of the Parish community and is a commissioned lay minister, exercising this office regularly at Sunday worship. In the 1960’s and 70’s, she and Tom were involved with an orphanage in Korea, at that time still recovering from a devastating war, by raising funds and sponsorships to assist the orphans. For twenty eight years she has been an enthusiastic Leader in Guides East-West Canterbury Region, giving her services voluntarily in many ways. She is presently District Co-ordinator for Deans District, and her involvement has meant that the District is actively involved in several community projects including the local Horticultural Society’s annual flower show. As a member of the Christchurch Beautifying Association she has been involved in plantings and photographic projects, and in administrative tasks of many kinds. Her energy seems boundless, her interests limitless, her generosity endless. Josephine Mary Clarke.
Some thirteen years ago, while accompanying a friend to a rest home, he was invited to entertain the residents. After some hesitation he did perform, and found it a most fulfilling experience. That very evening he received a call from another rest home with a request to entertain at that establishment, to which he agreed. Word spread and before long he was entertaining for hospitals, hospices, dementia units, senior citizens’ groups and all manner of community organisations. In association with the Hornby Club and later the St Albans Club, he organised variety concerts so that groups could go out for an afternoon’s entertainment. About four years ago, unable to perform at weekends, he approached CTV with a proposal for a Sunday television show for older people. The station was enthusiastic, funding was organised and The Happy Half Hour Show was born. The programme is currently planning its fifth year of production and is being broadcast on NZ Regional Television as well as CTV. It would be difficult indeed to overestimate the pleasure that he has brought to thousands of people of all ages, or the countless lonely hours that he has banished through the universal language of music. Graeme “Sandy” Davis.
He has lived in the Redwood community for the greater part of his life, in business as an orchardist, a retailer, and latterly a hotelier. Throughout that time he has served his community in ways too numerous to mention, and of too broad a compass to easily define. He served for twenty four years in elected local body positions with the Waimairi District Council, the Shirley Papanui Community Board, and the Christchurch City Council. A Justice of the Peace and Marriage Celebrant, he has been an effective advocate for child care at Belfast, and for housing for the elderly in Main North Road, for pedestrian safety and for sports facilities for Redwood Park. In the 1970’s he set up the rural gardening competitions, was a Scout Leader for two years and was a coach at the Belfast Rugby Club. He has generously supported institutions as varied as Our Lady of Fatima School, the St. Silas Boys Brigade, and the Salvation Army Harvest Festivals. As an orchardist he would often give fruit away to elderly folk and young mothers and to this day the community continues to benefit from the fruits of his generosity. Gordon Leslie Freeman.
A fiercely independent woman, she has been a wonderful mother and grandmother to her children and many grandchildren, both real and honorary. She has cheerfully assisted neighbours in countless ways on countless occasions, putting firewood away, taking someone to the doctor or a pet to the vet. Although eighty-seven years of age she painted her fence and concrete driveway by herself without telling anyone because she did not want to put the family to any bother. Despite that she suffers from arthritis in her hands, she nevertheless has knitted hundreds of little hats for premature babies over the last eight years, hats that are sent to Christchurch Women’s’ Hospital. Here they are most gratefully received as they are invaluable in maintaining the health of the little ones, enabling them to grow faster and stronger. She is continually asking around for more wool to recycle. Her family and many friends are unanimous in their desire for her to receive some formal recognition for the love she has shared with so many over so long a journey through life. Gladys Maude Fuller.
She began her service with the Guides Canterbury North Region in the Avondale – Wainoni area as a Pippin leader in 1985. For almost two decades she has continued to dedicate her time and many talents to the girls and Guide leaders in Christchurch as a Trainer, District Co-ordinator and Regional Administration Advisor. She currently oversees the fifteen Districts within the Region, as well as her own Fletcher – Rawhiti District. In both these rôles it is her job to promote and support guiding through administration, communication, recruitment and retention, as well as providing training, support and development to all her leaders. To be effective she spends many hours nurturing those leaders so that they have the confidence and skills needed to provide quality, engaging programmes for girls. The time and effort that she gives is commendable, and the determination and perseverance with which she approaches her own tasks are a continual inspiration to others. She is an outstanding leader who well personifies the values of Guiding. Gladys Gardener.
Some years ago he decided to put his training as a former Regular Force soldier to good use and became a volunteer member of the New Zealand Cadet Corps. He undertook training with the Mountain Safety Council and with the Cadet Force, in which he was duly commissioned as an officer with the rank of Lieutenant. He has for some years now given unstintingly of his time and energy to the City of Christchurch Cadet Corps Unit, a uniformed, disciplined youth organisation for young men and women up to the age of eighteen years. His attendance records accumulate weeknight and weekend involvement to the equivalent of six months’ full-time work for the Cadets every year, a truly prodigious effort for one who is also the self-employed owner of a small local company. He keeps himself up to date in many practical areas such as bush craft, first aid and risk management, passing this training on to the Cadets. He has made an extraordinary contribution to the young people of the City, inculcating those virtues of self-discipline, self-reliance and community spirit that are the core of the good citizen. David Malcolm Gardiner.
His first association with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra was in 1991 on becoming a Trustee. In 1992 he joined the Orchestra’s Finance and Marketing Committee where his efforts helped substantially to increase the support given to the orchestra by the business community and funding bodies such as Creative New Zealand, the Community Trust, and the Christchurch City Council. In 1994 he was elected to the Orchestra’s Board and the following year his colleagues elected him chairman, a position he held until May of 2004. The task of the Board was to transform the Orchestra from a poorly supported semi-amateur ensemble into a highly professional performance group of consistently high standard and with a wide repertoire. Thanks in large part to his efforts that goal has been achieved with a five-fold increase in annual activity and strong support from the Christchurch community. In addition to his governance rôle he has contributed to the orchestra’s development through direct financial sponsorships, innovative ideas, and input into the orchestra’s key Programme Committee. Music lovers throughout the South Island in general and the City of Christchurch in particular owe him a huge debt for the exceptionally high standard of orchestra they now enjoy. Gilbert Alexander Glausiuss.
She began her involvement in Guiding in Christchurch as a girl. Her involvement in leadership started in 1983 when she took up duties as a Brownie Leader in the Cracroft District. Over the years she has ably adapted her skills, moving into leadership positions with the Guides, then with the Rangers and most recently has been involved as District Co-ordinator with the Cranford District which covers the St Albans, Shirley and Mairehau areas. As a leader she regularly attends training courses to challenge herself and to enhance her ability to provide leadership of the highest quality. In her current rôle of District Co-ordinator, she oversees the administration and finance of her district, and provides communication, support, recruitment, retention and on-going development for her leaders. She was also Regional Music Instructor for three years, providing instruction in the highly specialised disciplines of singing and music, helping leaders to hone their musical skills, and providing another dimension of self-improvement and challenge for the girls. Her commitment and dedication to each and every tasks she undertakes have earned her the respect and admiration of all her colleagues. Sue Grigor.
She has been a Kaiwhakapuawai, a worker with and for Whanau groups, for many years, a dedicated servant of her community working with all who come within her ambit but mostly with babies in high risk situations. Coming to Te Puawaitanga o te Tamaiti, the Otautahi Maori Women’s Welfare League, in 1998 from Tipu Ora at Ngai Tahu, she has been a dedicated and committed worker for that organisation servicing at-risk, high needs babies and their Whanau in Christchurch and the surrounding districts. She has committed many, many hours of her time voluntarily, over and above her normal work hours, in service to her community and has been on call for ten years. She is also deeply involved with the Poutama Training Centre Trust, and both Maori and Non-Maori organisations as well as Government Agencies recognise her abilities and dedication, as witnessed by the many referrals to her and to the programme of Tamariki Ora. She has the overwhelming support and gratitude of her Whanau, Hapu and Iwi. Pat Hetariki.
He retired from the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1989, but did not let that minor administrative readjustment get in the way of his continuing work in aiding young citizens of all conditions to become rôle models in the community. For sixteen years he has worked with and for the New Zealand Cadet Corps in Christchurch, being Commanding Officer of Cadet Forces before his retirement, and continuing active involvement in training and administration since. He was a key member of the Cadet Force Trust, an organisation developed to obtain the building used by the Cadets at RNZAF Wigram, their major base in the City since the demise of the King Edward Barracks in Cashel Street. He acted as secretary for the Trust, keeping the books in immaculate order. Over the years he has travelled many thousands of kilometres, coming into the City from Sumner, to attend meetings and activities. An honest and trusted person, he has set standards for the young people of Christchurch to follow for many years to come. His service to his community has been outstanding, far beyond the call of duty. Noel Francis Lynch.
As President of the Christchurch Branch of the New Zealand China Friendship Society since 2000 she has worked tirelessly to improve the care and support of Chinese students in Christchurch. She arranged fora in which those who are directly involved in student food, health and pastoral care were able to discuss ways in which student problems could be solved in a positive way. As a result, Christchurch education authorities are now much more aware of the needs for foreign students and other agencies have become involved. She worked as a co-ordinator for Barnado’s from 1984 to 1985, was a Volunteer Social Worker with the Child and Family Guidance Centre, a Social Case Worker with Catholic Social Services and was a Tutor for Impact Personnel Nanny School. She is a member of the Christchurch Beautifying Society, a Friend of the Botanic Gardens, a member of the Christchurch Horticultural Society, and a member of the Shirley Tennis Club. In her spare time she acted as a volunteer guide in the Botanic Gardens and is a writer on gardening matters for various publications. She is greatly loved by all who come in contact with her. Diana Marie Madgin.
For eleven years she has been running a Family Home for the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. She and her husband become new temporary foster parents to a continual stream of unsettled, unconfident and unco-operative children who, coming on referral to a Family Home, are in need of very special care. She brings genuine warmth, creative caring and responsible boundary setting to these young lives. Whether it is being woken in the middle of the night by someone’s bad dream, or interceding for another who seems likely to be stood down from school again, or worse, she is there for them with an inexhaustible supply of inspiration, love and good humour. She keeps these difficult children busy, filling their lives with fun and creativity. Under her guidance and encouragement they become involved, often for the first time, in the normal things of life, in cultural and outdoor activities and sports. Positive goals and social boundaries are being established where none existed before. If the home is the foundation stone on which society is set, then she is the firm bedrock upon which it is built. Ana Gail Martin.
She first came to Iona Presbyterian Church in the early 1960’s to serve as a Sunday School teacher, later becoming organist, a position that requires a heavy commitment as it requires weekly attendance at church, and many hours of practice. She has served for many years with the Evening Women’s Fellowship Group, currently acting as Secretary. She has been an Elder of the Church for many years, and is a driving force behind the monthly jam, pickle and variety “Tuesday Stall”, an important source of Parish income and a valuable avenue of outreach into the community. For over twenty-five years she has been actively involved in the New Brighton Silver Band Supporters’ Club, mostly in the position of Secretary-Treasurer. As such she organises the monthly meetings, prepares the Treasurer’s Report, and arranges the afternoon teas. She also attends to the important task of fundraising, organising raffles and a host of other fund-raising ventures. Her efforts have been instrumental to the success of three overseas trips for the band. She has also been a pillar of the Aranui branch of International Women’s Concern. Her commitment and dedication is a continuing inspiration to all who work with her. Margaret Elizabeth Miller.
She enrolled as a Ranger leader in 1974 in the Waikato, later transferring to Christchurch with her family and continuing her service with the Guides Canterbury North Region as Leader of the Roydvale Brownies 1993. She became Regional Brownie Adviser in 1996, then Regional Administration Adviser in 1996, as well as taking up duties as Co-ordinator for the Waimairi District and as a Trainer. The muster of the Waimairi District includes one hundred and forty girls aged between five and eighteen as well as twenty-one adult volunteer leaders, and an annual financial turnover in excess of $10,000 per annum. She devotes countless hours to liaising with leaders and parents, recruiting new leaders, and ensuring that the leadership has the support, encouragement and resources to carry on the programmes. She has raised many thousands of dollars over the years, money that has gone toward funding for camps and jamborees, training and uniforms, and as subsidies for low-income families. She is approachable and at all times, ever willing to listen, to offer support and advice. Without her the District would not be in the healthy and happy condition it now enjoys. Anne Morgan
Her community involvement has been broad indeed, in social welfare, in educational services, and in religious and community affairs. Over the years she has served as Chair, Vice-Chair and as Treasurer of the Schizophrenia Fellowship Canterbury Branch, increasing membership, improving services, and introducing good accounting systems. She was the driving force behind the introduction of the ZooDoo enterprise at Orana Wildlife Park that has provided employment and self-esteem to people with mental illness. She is a dedicated worker for the Riccarton Ratepayers’ Association and the Huntsbury Hill Neighbourhood Support Group. She serves as Chair of the Middleton Matipo Community Association, and for six years as a community representative on the Public Passenger Transport Committee of the Christchurch City Council. For well over a decade she has been a volunteer with Christchurch Raja Yoga Meditation Centre, helping to provide Positive Thinking, Stress Management and Meditation Courses, running the monthly World Meditation Hour, helping with the Week of Prayer for World Peace, and being involved with the Global Hospital Village Outreach Programme. She leads by example, working hard and well for those things in which she believes. Justine Mary Mouat
The City of Christchurch is known throughout the world as The Garden City, and few have done more than he to justify that image. His work over the past seven years as organiser of the annual Christchurch Streets and Gardens Awards is a high point in his community service. The Awards, which include the Community Pride Awards, are a joint venture between the Christchurch Beautifying Association and the Christchurch City Council, and involve many hours of work co-ordinating the judging and compiling the results. But important as the Awards are, they constitute one small part of his contribution to the City. He has been a member of the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture for many years, and was President of the Christchurch Beautifying Association for three years. He has been a garden judge for the Association, the Canterbury Horticultural Society and many other beautifying associations and organisations over many years, and was recently elected to the position of Chairman of the Committee of the Friends of the Botanic Gardens. He is always willing to assist in a wide range of horticultural undertakings, and his contribution to the beautification of the City has been immense. Edward David Moyle.
He has been a member of the band for nearly forty years, joining in 1965, when it was the Christchurch Garrison Band. Over the years it evolved, like any living thing, and became the original Garden City Big Band, and then, in the mid 1990’s the Mainland Big Band. He has been the Musical Director for twenty-five years, and without his immeasurable contribution the band simply would not exist. Not only is he the drummer and percussionist, he also does vocals, conducts at rehearsals and the regular live performances, and designs the playlist for those performances, a critical skill for a dance function. More than that, he writes and arranges – by hand – every piece of music, that is to say he writes down the different parts for each of the sixteen to eighteen instruments. His knowledge and energies were instrumental in the initial purchase of the band’s rehearsal rooms, The Continental Lounge, and in the later upgrading and ongoing maintenance of the premises. Arranging, conducting, organising, or simply playing, he has given countless hours to an ensemble that has given performance practice to hundreds of Christchurch musicians, and musical pleasure to countless numbers of Cantabrians. Terence McGowan.
She has been a volunteer librarian at the Woolston Community Library since 1972, being awarded a life membership in 1992. She has been the Children’s Librarian for approximately 25 years and has devoted many extra hours each week to maintaining the Children’s Department. She has been involved with the Order of St. John for twenty-seven years, and her first aid qualifications and experience have meant that she has been called upon to assist at many, many events, particularly those involving the Guiding movement. She has been directly involved with the Guides in the Woolston area for twenty-five years, as a leader and as an administrator. Her fund of craft ideas, her loyalty and constant efforts have made her a valued asset for the District and the movement as a whole. She joined the Canterbury Federation of Country Women’s Institutes in 1968 and has been a keen and active member ever since, serving as a committee member for two four year periods, and as Treasurer for four years. She is an outstanding exemplar of the qualities of loyalty, dedication, and hard work, qualities that she has brought to bear unstintingly to the many institutions that she has served. Therese Lorraine Perry.
She works as an employee of the Otautahi Maori Women’s Welfare League, and is both a member and Secretary of the Tuahiwi Branch in North Canterbury. She has given many, many hours of her time not only to her official work, but also voluntarily outside of working hours and has been on call for the past ten years, working to support high needs whanau in Christchurch and the surrounding rural areas. For ten years the City has benefited from her involvement with at-risk babies and children and their whanau as she gives support in the form of food and clothing parcels, washing and drying clothes, assisting people to get help and generally trying to guide people in the right direction. Maori and non-Maori organisations as well as Government departments and agencies acknowledge her work, as illustrated by their referrals to her and the Tamariki Ora Programme. She has been a most dedicated and committed worker for Te Puawaitanga o te Tamaiti. Pani Ruwhiu.
When hostilities began in 1939 he signed up for the New Zealand Army and after training at Burnham Military Camp he, along with many other Canterbury men, headed for the war zone. Captured while fighting in Greece, he passed through a succession of German prisoner-of-war camps before finally being liberated by United States Forces in 1945. Travelling via Britain, he was back in New Zealand in time for the celebration of the Victory in Japan, and has remained in the City ever since. He became a member of the Returned Services Association through which he has worked hard for the welfare of many hundreds of former servicemen and women, particularly through the Ex-Prisoner of War Association. When the City of Christchurch Cadet Corps Unit was established in 1987 at the old King Edward Barracks he became involved. He assisted in fundraising, enabling the Unit to purchase uniforms and equipment and in particular that essential item of military paraphernalia, boots. Through the years he has been an outstanding role model for the Cadets, passing on his many dramatic experiences, and helping to imbue a younger generation with the true meaning of citizenship and civic pride. Robert Sanders.
He was Honorary Consul for the Republic of Korea for ten years from 1988 to 1998. In this capacity he contributed significantly to the assistance of new settlers from Korea as they arrived in Christchurch, helping them to overcome the difficulties they encountered on arrival and to integrate into a society very different to that of their homeland. He was the instigator of the Sister City relationship between Christchurch and the Korean City of Songpa-gu, an agreement formally ratified in Christchurch in 1995. He was elected Chairman of the Sister City Committee on its formation and remains in that position to this day. As such he has been instrumental in the successful running of many projects such as links between schools in the two Cities, and exchange studentships, the annual Korea day celebrations and other cultural events, and a number of tourism and commercial ventures. He provides his expertise as a chartered accountant to the Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Korea Veterans’ Association as Auditor and is an Honorary Member of that Branch. His efforts have helped to build a climate of international understanding and mutual goodwill without which no community can thrive. Clyde L Sugden.
The annual Gay Oscars is a show that recognises the contribution of local gay people to the community. He has been the organiser of the event for twenty-two years, spending months collecting nominations and ensuring as wide as possible a participation by the gay community. He organises other events such as comedy shows to raise funds to help pay for the sets, costumes and technical hireage of the main event. He usually comes under fire every year from some individual or organisation that opposes the existence of anything that might recognise the efforts of gay people in Christchurch, but despite this he works very hard to ensure that it is a safe and welcoming event for everyone irrespective of gender or sexual orientation. The show fosters goodwill and friendship between all people, regardless of their differences, and various charities receive donations from proceeds arising from the Gay Oscars. It is a light-hearted and friendly way to bring people together and to recognise those who have made a difference, often very quietly in the background. It is a spirited and humorous event that includes all who are willing to be included, bringing the understanding of otherness that is the foundation of tolerance. Murray Swann AKA Miss Mole.
Since the age of five he has been committed to Rugby League, playing coaching, managing, sitting on Club and Provincial committees, and acting as Chairman of the South Island Districts League, and Treasurer of the New Zealand Women’s League. In his own words, he has “spent a few hours” of his time over the past fifty-six years. Despite the senior positions he has held, he has never been one to sit back and let others to do the menial work. He has typically rolled up his sleeves on many an occasion, acting as PA announcer at Rugby League Park, and match controller at suburban grounds on wintery Saturday afternoons. High points in his career have been managing the Kiwi Ferns national women’s team for their World Cup victory in England in 2000, and managing a New Zealand 18-year-old side which defeated top Australian teams Penrith and Newcastle. For over thirty years he has been a member of the Christchurch Speedway Association, where he has served on management, and for three seasons as an official at Ruapuna. No job is too big for him, no job too small, and every job gets 100% of his commitment. Gavin Tavendale
It is a sad but well-known fact that the lower the socio-economic status of a community, the poorer its collective health shall be. The staff at the family centre know this well, and for over ten years they have provided low cost (and on occasion no cost) medical services to the Aranui community in an holistic and caring way. In spite of a current medico-political climate that promotes the ‘private business’ aspects of primary health care in Canterbury, the team at the centre have continually put into practice their belief in equity and accessibility of primary health care for all. Their community care has extended well beyond the confines of strict medical practice, interacting with the local Christchurch Supergrans organisation in support of their healthy eating programmes and their sewing courses. They voluntarily run a Thursday morning support group for local women, and a similar group for young mothers on Tuesdays, and over a number of years have organised a Christmas Party for their clients and the wider community in Wainoni Park. They provide an example of community spirit and generosity that is all too rare, not simply serving the community but being an integral and much-loved part of it. Te Rawhiti Family Care Centre
She has been involved in Guiding in Christchurch for the past twenty-six years as a Pippin and Brownie leader in the Brighton area. She continually adds to and augments her skills by attending training sessions that help her to maintain the high standards that she sets for herself and for the service that she gives to her community through the girls. Within the movement she has attained her Camping Badge which enables her to take girls camping regularly, as well as to indoor camps and pack holidays. She has completed her Advanced Leadership Qualification and the Arahina Course. She is always available to help with fundraising, selling biscuits and helping on other projects. She regularly attends her District meetings and is always supports the activities of the Guides Canterbury North Region. She encourages her girls to have fun while gaining in confidence, self esteem and an awareness of the outdoors. She has dedicated herself to the service of her community by providing stimulating programmes for hundreds of girls over the years and is a truly loved and respected leader both in the Brighton district and the wider community. Val Thompson
She is a physiotherapist who has worked for the rehabilitation of cardiac patients as part of the Cardiology Department of Christchurch Hospital for twenty one years. Physiotherapy is a key component of the rehabilitation process for those suffering from cardiac conditions, and an integral part of post-operative care, but her efforts have been far beyond the call of duty. She has shown enthusiasm, patience and skill in encouraging thousands of patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction to return to a normal life. Without her dedicated care many of these patients would never have regained a full and fulfilling quality of life. Her work brings her into close and continual contact with the Cardiac Companions, a group formed almost thirty years ago to assist with the rehabilitation of patients and to give support to their families when needed. Thanks in large part to her efforts the Cardiac Companions can now boast that the Neil Columbus Cardio-Thoracic Intensive Care Unit is the best cardio-thoracic surgery unit in New Zealand. She has the deepest gratitude and the unreserved affection of the many hundreds upon whom she has so unstinting bestowed her healing energies. Brenda Grace Visser
Poddimok 