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Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Otago King's Birthday honours 2025
An in-depth look at the Otago recipients of King's Birthday Honours. David Baxter Dunedin For services to physiotherapy and health Academic and researcher David Baxter initially misread his notification of a King's Birthday Honour, believing the email related to a friend. However, a closer look soon revealed he, himself, had been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. "I was stunned and delighted. These things are always unexpected, as so many people contribute to a project's success, so this recognition is an acknowledgement of the achievements of all those I've had the pleasure to work with over the years." The University of Otago Emeritus Professor came to New Zealand from the University of Ulster in 2005 to take on the role of dean of physiotherapy. He also served as deputy pro-vice chancellor for health sciences and as the dean of the Graduate Research School. At 67 and semi-retired, Prof Baxter said he continued to enjoy part-time roles at the university. His ONZM was awarded for services to physiotherapy and health encompassing musculoskeletal pain, particularly ageing pain, physical activity and health, and photo-biomodulation. He was the inaugural director of the National Science Challenge — Ageing Well, established in 2014, focused on the health and wellbeing of older New Zealanders. Under his leadership the challenge fostered a range of research projects directly improving people's wellbeing — an enduring source of pride and satisfaction, he said. He was appointed a member and then chairman of the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand from 2015, and a member of the Australia Physiotherapy Council Accreditation Committee. He is the co-director of the New Zealand-China Non-Communicable Diseases Research Collaboration Centre and is a member of several expert advisory groups. He has authored and co-authored more than 270 research papers, peer-reviewed journals and contributed to textbooks, and has been awarded more than $20million in research grants. Prof Baxter has also been the editor-in-chief of Physical Therapy Reviews since 1995. He said writing remained a pleasure. "I'm trying to get back into creative writing, which I enjoyed as a young man and, outside of academia, I also enjoy the Central Otago lifestyle at home in Alexandra." "I've always considered myself lucky to have joined the physiotherapy field at a time when it was rapidly expanding. Sometimes you're just in the right place at the right time." Peter Michael De Blois Invercargill For services to music Singer, choral conductor and educator, Peter de Blois has dedicated his life to music and passing his passion for it to the next generations. When he was 8 years old, the violin was the first instrument he learnt, which earned him a place in the Dunedin Youth Orchestra. His musical skills bloomed to include keyboards and pipe organs. "I just love the sound of it and all the different colours of sound that you can get," he said. He was a founding member of the Dunedin Youth Choir and a member of the New Zealand Youth Choir before being appointed as its assistant musical director. His love of choir singing took him on a journey around multiple teaching positions and singing gigs — including the UK's Ely Cathedral Choir and Christchurch Cathedral. "I love teaching. and I thought to myself, 'why didn't I do this years ago?' — just sharing my passion with other people — that's what it's all about," he said. "You just need that one light bulb to go on and you think — 'I've done my job'." He was gobsmacked to get an honour, saying this sort of thing happened to other people. He said he was just doing something he had loved since he was a child. Two children's choirs and junior chorister scholarships were launched while he served as Auckland's Holy Trinity Cathedral's music director between 2000 and 2010. Mr De Blois has been both a regional and national final adjudicator for New Zealand The Big Sing competition. Based at Southland Girls' High School, he directs the all-comers' choir Sanguine and co-directs Femme, often featured at The Big Sing. Between 1999 and 2007 he was a music examiner with the Trinity College of London and has been made an Honorary Associate of the Royal School of Church Music for services to church music in New Zealand. Dr Celia Jane Devenish Giddings Dunedin For services to women's health and education Celia Giddings wants to keep teaching about women's health forever. The University of Otago School of Medicine teacher has been made an Officer of the New Order of Merit in this year's King's Birthday Honours. Dr Devenish said she was "pleased" and "humbled" by the recognition, but had no plans to reduce her workload yet. In her 40 years as a doctor specialising in women's health issues, she has seen the environment change markedly. "Well, when I was a medical student in the UK and at Cambridge, I was fascinated by women's health and it was at a time when women's liberation was just beginning as a movement, I suppose, and people said, 'oh, you can't be an obstetrics and gynaecology services (OBG) specialist as a woman'. "There weren't any. So I said, 'well, I'll give it a go'." Dr Devenish has been a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (Ranzcog) since 1981, holding senior leadership roles including chair of the New Zealand Specialist International Medical Graduates Panel, serving as a member of the College Council and Board, and as chair of the New Zealand governing committee Te Kāhui Oranga ō Nuku. She is a highly regarded teacher and mentor for undergraduates, midwives and registrars, working as senior lecturer and tutor at the University of Otago Dunedin School of Medicine since 1981. "I think women's health and teaching has changed dramatically. "When I first arrived in New Zealand, I was surprised to find I was the only specialist with a university appointment and academic interest to teach. "But because of that, I stayed and because I was asked to stay and promote women's health and women's perspectives, that's what I did. "I've done that for probably 45 years now." She said she loved nearly everything about teaching. "It's an amazing thing; seeing how excited the students are to think that they can be helpful to people and to understand what their needs are, what the women's needs are. "Options for medical students, especially women medical students, have grown a lot in the past 40 years," Dr Devenish said. "When I started at the medical school, about 10% of the student population were women, now it's close to 60%. 'I've also got a commitment to rural women because I do live on a farm when I'm not working. "And that means I understand the needs of women, whether it's from childbirth and need for transfer to access to care, which is so much more difficult when you have distance." While there was greater acceptance of women's health issues, Dr Devenish said the care on the ground was hampered by things such as long waiting lists. "But it's the most satisfying, exciting branch of medicine and health because it's a mixture of both meeting people from different cultures and needs and backgrounds and ethnicities. It's an opportunity to provide medical advice as well as surgery. "So, it's both a hands-on and a very holistic way of looking after people and families. "I hope never to give up teaching." Bernadette Kathleen Drummond Dunedin For services to dentistry and education Bernadette Drummond has spent her entire career helping put smiles on people's faces. The dentist turned professor has now been recognised as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to dentistry and education. She said it was a surprise to receive the honour. "I'm very grateful to my colleagues because they've supported me to get this." Prof Drummond had contributed to the field of dentistry since the late 1970s and had been recognised with a range of fellowships and research awards. She was a senior lecturer in paediatric dentistry at the University of Otago from 1988, later becoming head of the department of oral health, associate dean of postgraduate studies and chair of paediatric dentistry. Prof Drummond said she always wanted to specialise with children. She worked with children with disabilities who were afraid to go to the dentist, with teeth trauma or those born with teeth that had not been properly formed. "That was very rewarding". She believed children with disabilities and problems with their mouth felt double the hardship. Occasionally, Prof Drummond would be recognised by individuals in the street whom she had helped and found it very rewarding. She said being a female dentist was a lot more talked about when she was young in the profession because it was less common. She said it was "fun" for her to be the first Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons female president which had recently appointed its third female president, a former student of Prof Drummond. She was also an Emeritus Professor at the University of Leeds were she worked during Covid. Gillian Christine Naylor Alexandra For services to rural communities, particularly women Former Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) national president Gillian (Gill) Naylor said the news she had been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit was overwhelming. "I was blown away and deeply, deeply, deeply humbled and incredibly honoured, yeah, for this recognition." Mrs Naylor's involvement with RWNZ began in 1990 when she joined the Cambrian St Bathans branch. Having lived in small rural communities all her life, she wished to do her bit to contribute to groups that were necessary to keep those communities functioning, something she said she loved. As time went on, Mrs Naylor was encouraged to take up further opportunities and climb the ranks of the RWNZ organisation. In 2018, Mrs Naylor joined the RWNZ national board and in 2020, she became national president. While national president at RWNZ, Mrs Naylor was involved with advocacy work involving issues impacting rural women and communities to ensure access to education, health, social and welfare services. In 2024, Mrs Naylor finished her term as RWNZ national president and was made a life member of the organisation. "I was really fortunate to lead a fantastic team of incredibly capable and passionate people." Mrs Naylor was also a trustee of Life Education Trust Heartland Otago Southland between 2013 and 2022, receiving a Life Education Trust New Zealand Distinguished Service Award in 2021. "I love being part of a team, and I love working together, and I get huge satisfaction from just encouraging and enabling others to succeed, really." "I had an awesome group of people to work with there as well ... delivering so many important messages in just such a memorable way, yeah." And who didn't love Harold the Giraffe, she joked. Now that Mrs Naylor is an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit she is taking time to reflect and enjoy time with family and friends in Alexandra. She was looking forward to still being involved with RWNZ and hoped to see a vibrant future for the organisation. Fiona Dorothy Pardington Waimate For services to photography Photographer Fiona Pardington says she has "an overwhelming sense of gratitude" to receive a King's Birthday Honour. "I'm so surprised. It's never just about me, it's about my family and all the people that have supported me throughout my career," she said. Dr Pardington (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha, Ngāti Kahungunu) is an internationally acclaimed photographer active since the 1980s, who was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017 for her services to photography. Since 2017, Dr Pardington has represented New Zealand at the London Art Fair and Art Basel Hong Kong, participated in the 2018 major international exhibition "Oceania" at London's Royal Academy of the Arts, and was the first New Zealander invited to participate in the Sharjah Biennial 16 in the United Arab Emirates in 2024. She is known for her investigation of traditional and forgotten objects in her still-life photography and her focus on taonga, such as the hei tiki and the extinct huia. This year she was selected to represent New Zealand at the Venice Biennale which she said was a "great honour". Dr Pardington has donated photographs to the collection of the Aigantighe Art Gallery in Timaru and Christchurch Art Gallery, and to the Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari wildlife reserve in Pukeatua. More recently she has worked with the Shorebirds Trust, north of Auckland, to support their recovery efforts for the endangered bird, tara iti (New Zealand fairy tern). Dr Pardington said she had a "social responsibility" to help protect birds. "My career is built on working in museums with birds and my life path is really highly connected to nature in that way." She has also donated funds for the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Te Tumu Toi for their Springboard award for emerging artists. MNZM Aaron Halstead Queenstown For services to Search and Rescue and the tourism industry Queenstown's Alpine Rescue team leader Aaron Halstead says he is "immensely" humbled, a little overwhelmed and "incredibly appreciative" to have been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours. Mr Halstead, 53, has been involved in more than 200 rescues since joining Search and Rescue (SAR) in 1991. He joined the Wakatipu LandSAR Alpine Cliff Rescue Team in 2000, was Aoraki/Mt Cook rescue manager from 2005 to 2008, became New Zealand Mountain Guides Association vice-president in 2006 and was president for two years from 2008. Mr Halstead provided moderation as an expert adviser on national SAR exercises and represented the New Zealand mountaineering industry through training and advisory roles with international organisations and as part of SAR operations. Additionally, he conducted expeditions in Antarctica, privately and through his adventure business exploreGO, and trained staff in technical mountain skills and managing people in hostile polar environments. The outdoor recreation instructor, speaker and lecturer became a Southern Lakes Trails trustee in 2019 and was appointed chairman in 2023, responsible for the governance of a new biking and walking trail network, including the under-construction Kawarau Gorge Trail, which links 30 Central Otago communities. Mr Halstead said across his varied career he considered his leadership success was attributed to "a team of individuals". "For me, it was about the skill, professionalism and experience of the teams that I work with ... I'm proud to have worked in such high-performing teams in many aspects of my life." Ross Lawrence Queenstown For services to the ski industry Queenstown's Ross Lawrence embodies a Confucius quote, believing in 40 years he never really worked a day. Subsequently, being informed he had been recognised in this year's King's Birthday Honours for his ski industry career, which included 17 years as The Remarkables ski area manager, came as quite the surprise. "It's quite humbling, really, because I've never thought of my job as a job ... I've always enjoyed every day of it. "I don't know who put me forward — I've got a fair idea, but I'm guessing I'm going to be talking to them [today]." Originally from Hastings, Mr Lawrence, 64, has been instrumental in the evolution of New Zealand's ski industry. He started as a lift operator at Whakapapa in 1984 where he remained for a decade, then spent two years at Rainbow Valley ski area in St Arnaud, near Nelson, before moving to NZSki-owned Mt Hutt, where he spent another 10 years. He was appointed The Remarkables ski area manager in 2007, stepping down last April. During his time there, he enhanced the country's reputation as a world-class skiing destination and helped bolster the wider Southern Lakes' economy, mentored thousands of staff and helped many advance their careers. He also showed a strong understanding of the cultural and conservation values associated with New Zealand mountains through environmental stewardship. Mr Lawrence said his career highlight was "the last 17 years at The Remarkables" and its overall development. "You sort of visualise things along the way, then you go through that construction or development phase, and then you realise just what it has brought to the community, and it's pretty amazing." Lloyd McCallum Winton For services to the dairy industry and the environment. Winton dairy farmer Lloyd McCallum, 65, was not looking for any recognition, nor did he expect it. But being included in this year's King's Birthday Honours was "a nice surprise", Mr McCallum said. "The world's full of doom and gloom these days, but yeah, it was a nice surprise. "It puts a little bit of a skip in your step." The former three-term Environment Southland councillor was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the dairy industry and the environment. "It's not the end of the journey. — there's still more to do," he said. Mr McCallum is a church elder, an award-winning dairy farmer and active community member in Southland. He was one of the original Southland sheep and arable farmers to convert his property to dairy production in 1991, a move that helped to bring prosperity and growth to the region. He has won several farming awards, including Westpac NZMP Dairy Farmer of the Year in 2002 and Ballance Farm Environment Award for best dairy farm and Lincoln University Farmer of the Year, both in 1997. He was a member of the original Fonterra Shareholders Council (SHC) between 2000 and 2013, providing leadership during a period of significant change in the dairy industry. He has been involved with many industry bodies including the South Island Dairy Event committee, Livestock Improvement Co-op, and the Southland Demonstration Farm. He was elected as an Environment Southland councillor in 2013 and became deputy chairman in 2016. Significant improvements in the Southland waterways are now visible due to policies made by Environment Southland in his tenure. He has been instrumental in leading farmers in best practice farm management and taking responsibility for environmental effects. Mr McCallum was one of the first co-chairs of Whakamana te Waituna Charitable Trust, which is focused on improving freshwater quality in the Waituna region of Southland. Julie Pearse Dunedin For services to governance and the community A rural upbringing on a sheep farm just out of Dunedin was the perfect preparation for working long hours, Julie Pearse says. Whether it was hands-on at the farm or off-site earning money, she had always been aware that sometimes "you needed to go the extra step". "I have just always been quite committed to doing the things that need to be done to get to where we want to go." The chair of Methodist Mission Southern said she was "absolutely gobsmacked" to learn she would be made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM). "I've been involved in the voluntary sector for many, many years but it's always just been part and parcel of my life. "I never expected that there would be recognition attached to the time and effort and work that has gone into that." Mrs Pearse joined the board of Methodist Mission Southern in 2002 and has served as its chair since 2013. There, she led an extensive programme of change management, introduced a focus on intervention logic modelling and oversaw the development of initiatives aimed at education, homelessness and poverty. She served on the board of Tūhura Otago Museum between 2008 and 2018, having earlier invigorated the Friends of the Otago Museum organisation and updated its constitution. She was involved in establishing the Otago Farmers' Market, serving as a board member between 2001 and 2015, helping to promote the market to student audiences, connect the board with micro-businesses and develop guiding policies. Mrs Pearse also initiated the annual H.D. Skinner Memorial Lecture series, which is focused on anthropological research and advances in the Pacific region. Gary Rooney Waimate For services to business and philanthropy Waimate's Gary Rooney was so surprised to be include in the King's Birthday Honours List he thought it was all a hoax. The well-known businessman was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (for services to business and philanthropy). "I thought it was a joke, a hoax email," he said. "I feel extremely privileged, I certainly did not expect this at all. "We just work quietly behind the scenes to better the communities we are present in." Mr Rooney started his earthmoving business in 1976 with a single bulldozer. "I wanted to be a farmer and buy a farm and the only way to do that was by being a contractor. "We bought a farm, then had to continue to be a contractor to pay the interest and its been a lifetime of hard work to be where we are today." The Rooney Group now employs more than 300 people across multiple divisions including earthmoving, pipe and cable laying, transportation, and farming. His work in irrigation scheme construction has made a significant impact, including the Rangitata South scheme which irrigates 13,000 hectares on the South Canterbury plains. He encourages natural fauna regeneration and has pioneered the development of a rock fish screen, designed to prevent salmon smolt from entering irrigation schemes. He has been a driving force behind numerous transformative community projects in the region, including the $8million redevelopment of Timaru's Fraser Park and the revitalisation of Waimate, including investment in a medical centre and the restoration of Quinns Arcade. He has supported the local foodbank with three months of funding and has setup several scholarships for young athletes. After the Christchurch earthquakes, his support was integral in the design and build of the new gymnasium and other facilities at Timaru's Craighead Diocesan School. "What motivates me is watching people and communities grow, it's important to give back to the community," he said. "I'm very grateful to a number of people and staff." Bruce Ross Invercargill For services to cycling The man who put Southland on the map for cycling is proud of the role he and others played making the Tour of South one of New Zealand's most prestigious cycling events. Bruce Ross, who has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King's Birthday Honours, rates the transformation of the Tour of Southland his proudest achievement during many years promoting cycling in the region. The accolade, however, should also go to those who helped him, he said. "This [award] should be a reflection on all those people who have volunteered and helped out cycling over the years too ... They deserve to be part of it," he said. Ross has been a leading figure in Cycling Southland for more than 45 years. From 1985 to 2020 he served as Tour Manager for the Tour of Southland. During his tenure, he transformed the race from a three-day to a week-long event. "I'm a proud Southlander myself and seeing it grow into a seven-day event ... has been a highlight for me." He also oversaw the Tour's progression from an individual race to a team-based event. In 2002, he secured accreditation for the Tour from UCI, the world governing body for cycling. It was part of the UCI oceania tour until 2010. Since then, it has been a national tour but has remained one of New Zealand's largest and toughest cycling events. Ross supported youth participation in cycling while serving as Cycling Southland Development Manager, from 1999 to 2020. During this time, he created a cycle education programme for schools which continues to this day. He played a key role in the establishment of New Zealand's first covered velodrome in Invercargill. The 72- year old said the team behind the velodrome build had achieved a great feat. "It was very pleasing to be part of something that was going to revolutionise cycling, not only in Invercargill, but in New Zealand." He has received a Cycling New Zealand Long Service Award, a Service to Southland Sport award, was named Southland Administrator of the Year, and, in 2006 received the Cycling New Zealand Malayan Cup for services to the sport. Despite retiring from working life in 2020, he is still involved with cycling education programmes and is a regular judge official for the Tour of Southland. When not volunteering, Ross spends time travelling with his wife, looking after his grandchildren and playing bowls. Jane Smallfield Dunedin For services to historical research and the community When Jane Smallfield received an email telling her she was receiving a King's Service Medal, she thought it was a scam. When she realised it was not, she said she felt very proud. "I think my family will be thrilled because they've always been very supportive of the work that I've done over the years in different ways and they've sort of, my husband in particular, sacrificed quite a lot." Mrs Smallfield had spent a lot of time collating historical records for her former secondary school Otago Girls' High School and Dunedin residential suburb Maori Hill, where she lived. "It's a lot of meetings and a lot of time just sitting in front of the computer at night". As librarian and archivist at Otago Girls' from 2003 to 2021, she undertook the preservation and digitalisation of the school's photographic and historical record. This enabled the school's extensive 150-year history to be accessible to the school community for future generations. "I just had a real passion for the school and its history. "I absolutely loved it at the school." She was a member of the Maori Hill School Centennial Committee between 2004 and 2007 and co-authored AboveThe Belt: A History of the Suburbof Maori Hill to celebrate the centenary. Mrs Smallfield said she loved lookingfor nuggets of information andit was really satisfying when she found them. "I love researching, it's like the chase." She had been an active member of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists, serving as treasurer from 1996 to 1998. Mrs Smallfield had also provided a significant service in the role of treasurer to a range of local community and national organisations including the John McGlashan Pipe Band, the School Library Association New Zealand, the Royal Federation of New Zealand Justices' Associations, and the Otago Croquet Association. KSM Christine Gilbertson Clyde For services to midwifery Christine "Tina" Gilbertson could not imagine a more rewarding job than that of a midwife. And the changes she has noticed throughout her career have been for the better. Ms Gilbertson is a recipient of the King's Service Medal for services to midwifery. "I certainly feel very honoured to receive such recognition," she told the Otago Daily Times . "It makes me very reflective on what a true privilege it's been to work in both the care and roles of leadership with midwifery and nursing." Ms Gilbertson registered as a midwife in the 1980s and for 28 years provided community and hospital-based care to pregnant women and babies throughout the Otago region. She began her nursing career in 1979 in the Dunedin Public Hospital and subsequently held a number of midwifery roles in the Otago District Health Board including acting service leader, maternity service manager and midwifery director between 2003 and 2006, during which she developed a midwifery professional development and recognition programme, which was subsequently adopted throughout New Zealand health institutions. "When I commenced my training in 1975 at Dunedin School of Nursing originally and then later trained in Edinburgh for my midwifery, when I watch (British television period drama) Call the Midwife now, there are many aspects that you recognise. "It was a very different world in the way in which we were trained and the way in which we worked. "We were trained originally in quite a militaristic model — things were very ordered, very structured, regimented, very hierarchical. "Now, as we work with our young professionals, it's a different way in which they work. "Both the professions and those that we care for appreciate a different kind of environment." Ms Gilbertson said she never loses sight of the role's importance for mothers. "It may be very, very hard work and very challenging at times, very sad at times, but there is always that satisfaction that you have made a contribution to help that person or to make the arrival of a child. "It's a very privileged place to be, to be with a family, with a mother as they welcome their child to the world." Ms Gilbertson has held a number of senior roles in the Southern District Health Board since 2007, including knowledge centre manager, acting and deputy chief nursing and midwife officer, and director of quality. Ms Gilbertson was the nursing director of the Central Otago Health Services, Dunstan Hospital in Clyde from 2022, shifting into a quality and patient safety role this year while mentoring her successor. "I think working with the teams that are so highly committed to delivering for their community and having a rural community is a special place. "Rural has a special connection and closeness with their community and I think that's one of the things that really has sustained me in my work." Asked what advice she would give anyone wanting to practice in her field, Ms Gilbertson was straight forward. "Service is a really important thing and it feeds the soul. "So, I would say go for it, go for it. I absolutely promote that." Anne McCracken JP Southland Services to the community Anne McCracken has been almost bursting at the seams, trying to keep her big news a secret from family and friends until today. "It's a bit overwhelming. "I've been finding it hard to keep under wraps." The 84-year-old retired Invercargill volunteer worker said she felt "very humble" to receive a King's Service Medal (KSM), for services to the community, following a lifetime of involvement in community organisations, outdoor recreation and local government. Mrs McCracken has supported community projects, including the Southern Scenic Route, the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track, McCracken's Rest tourist lookout, the Southland Locator Beacon Charitable Trust, Tuatapere Promotions; and is a life member and former secretary and vice-president of the Borland Lodge Adventure and Education Trust. She was a Waiau Health Trust director from 2000 to 2012, campaigning for improved rural health support for the Tuatapere area; and was on the Southland Medical Foundation executive committee for more than 20 years. She has been president of the Southland Women's Club, chaired its policy and planning committee, and became a life member after 21 years' involvement. She was also president of the Southland Girls' High School Old Girls Association. In 1995, Mrs McCracken shared her expertise to the wider community after being elected to the Tuatapere Community Board, and then to the Southland District Council in 1998. She also served on the Southland Conservation Board, the Southland Art Society, and the Southland Foundation for the Blind where she used to read to the blind. She has been an Invercargill Citizen's Advice Bureau volunteer, and spent eight years on the Citizen's Advice Bureau New Zealand national board. More recently, she has co-ordinated the Dictionaries in Schools project for Invercargill North Rotary Club, and become a programme maker for Radio Southland, which involves interviewing people for a Southland Oral History project. "If I could help people, I did it — it's as simple as that. "And obviously, I got a lot of reward out of doing this work. Absolutely." Fergus More Invercargill Services to the Southland community and law Invercargill lawyer Fergus More is officially resting his case — but not before one final verdict is reached. Fergus More is ending a 44-year law career with the honour of receiving a Kings Service Medal (KSM). He has received his award for a lifetime of service to the Southland community and the law. " I did not expect my career to end with this honour," he said. Less than 30 days after being bestowed with the award, he is hanging up the robes for good and starting retirement. When Mr More opened the mailbox a few weeks ago, he was left "gobsmacked." He was "deeply, deeply honoured," and shocked in the best way possible. "I don't see myself as any different to any other practitioner — I've just been doing it a lot longer." He has worked as a partner at Scholefield Law and with many not-for-profits in the community, however most of his work has been advocating for the children and youth of Southland. Mr More is the longest-running youth court advocate in New Zealand and longest running lawyer for children in Southland. He has been the lawyer for Child in Care of Children Act and Oranga Tamariki proceedings since 1985. Mr More said he would never have been able to help the community if he himself did not have the help of his wife, and his law partner. His biggest career highlight had been working with, and for, the families and the children of Southland. After 44 years of practising law, and at 72, Mr More said the demands of the job were definitely becoming more intense, and he believed it was time to rest his feet. "My practising certificate expires in June. For all intents and purposes, I won't be renewing it." "I'll leave it in the hands of the younger set now." Glenys Margaret Weir Gore Services to health Dr Glenys Weir was with a patient when she got a call from the prime minister's office, informing her she had been awarded a King's Service Medal — she thought it was a scam. Dr Weir said once she realised it was for real, and had finished up with her patient, the honour came as a "lovely surprise". The doctor began working at the Gore Medical Centre in 1981 and was the first female GP in the Gore District. "I'd get people asking me if I was a nurse," she said. Despite this, she said she had support from the "visionary GPs" who preceded her at the practice. "They could see the benefit of having a woman, a younger woman doctor coming and supported me in that role," she said. Still working part-time at the centre, she said now seven of the practice's nine part-time doctors were women. She was co-director of the medical centre from 1996 to 2023 but said she was now just an employee, as two years ago Dr Debra Wilson and Dr Andrew Ure, along with others from the practice, had stepped up and bought in. This was "really good for the future of the practice", she said. In the past, she volunteered her service to rural health days, offering free consultations for health screening and promotion. She had a little clinic in the Plunket rooms out in Waikaka, where she would see a lot of young mothers and do immunisations. Now, she said rural patients were more inclined to travel into town to visit the centre, as they were coming and going more frequently. For 20 years she served as a medical sexual assault clinician assessing and supporting victims of sexual abuse. She said she came upon this area by default as the only female doctor in town and then went on a formalised roster and was trained nationally. After 20 years she stopped doing it to avoid burnout on top of her GP workload and to end the late-night callouts which would, at times, take her away from her family. "It was actually a really good call and I decided, no, I've got to protect myself, I can't do this any more," she said. Working with sexual assault victims informed her work as a GP, and helped her to ask patients the right questions. "That understanding of sexual assault and the impact that it makes on people's lives for years ... it's all part of the puzzle," she said. She said one of the benefits of caring for a small town for so long was treating as many as five generations of one family, and watching people grow up. She was accepting the award on behalf of her team, those who had come before her and those who were the future of the practice, because, she said, she could not have done this alone. "You just can't carry it on your own," she said.
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Future of Wicklow rivers in jeopardy
The draft River Basin Management Plan aims to set out the measures that are necessary to protect and restore water quality in Ireland. Under the draft River Basin Management Plan, protections for 456 water bodies nationwide are at risk of being diluted by being classified as 'highly modified'. If this goes ahead, it will mean that these water ways will no longer be subject to water quality standards. In Wicklow, rivers like the Vartry and Dargle, both currently rated as having 'good' ecological status, could face increased pollution and degradation if these changes are introduced. Social Democrat TD Jennifer Whitmore said: 'This is yet another hit to our natural environment. We've already seen consistent degradation of our rivers and government inaction on it. Now, they're trying to quietly lower the standards for water quality across the country, not because it's the right thing to do, but because they're failing to meet the standards we already have. Rather than trying to address the problems head on, it feels like government are throwing in the towel on our rivers.' Deputy Whitemore gained two diplomas at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and later graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science and Ecology from the University of Ulster. During the ten years she resided in Australia, she studied Environmental Law at the University of Sydney. She has particular concerns over the potential impact on the Vartry and Dargle rivers. 'The Vartry and Dargle are vital arteries in Wicklow's ecosystem,' she said. 'They support biodiversity, provide clean water, and are central to our tourism and recreation. Weakening protections now will only lead to long-term damage that will be far more costly to fix. We've seen what happens when we don't take water quality seriously. Lady's Island Lake in Wexford is a cautionary tale, where pollution and mismanagement have led to serious ecological decline. We cannot let that happen here in Wicklow. 'The government's approach is not just short-sighted, but dangerous. This is about more than just water. It's about our health, our environment, and our future. Every time the government chips away at environmental protections, they're making it harder for us to meet our climate and biodiversity goals.' She is calling on the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to immediately halt any plans to lower water quality standards and instead invest in proper monitoring, wastewater treatment, and nature-based solutions to restore and protect Ireland's rivers and lakes. 'We should be strengthening protections, not weakening them. We should be restoring our rivers, not polluting them. And we should be listening to communities who care deeply about their local environment, not sidelining them,' added Deputy Whitmore. 'The people of Wicklow want clean rivers, healthy ecosystems, and a government that takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. It's time for the government to stop making excuses and start protecting what matters.'
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
The Big Tech Show: From cookery demos to Ford's first female UK-Ireland boss, Lisa Brankin has a plan to revive Ford's sales with EVs
Lisa Brankin, chair and managing director of Ford in Britain and Ireland, joins Adrian Weckler on this episode of the Big Tech Show. The managing director grew up in county Antrim just outside Lisburn and used to help her father at work, who was a self-employed coal merchant. Lisa Brankin attended the University of Ulster in Jordanstown and studied home economics. The Antrim native went on to work for British Gas as a home service advisor where she did cooking demonstrations. However, the managing director made the move to Ford because she said she was fed up being called a professional housewife. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts.
RTÉ News
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
72-year-old designer creates deam garden for growing family
The 16th series of beloved gardening competition Super Garden has returned to our screens on RTÉ One, with this week's episode introducing viewers to 72-year-old designer Eileen Sung. A latecomer to garden design, Eileen Sung took to studying horticulture following retirement. Her varied career saw her working with the police in Hong Kong for eight years before returning to Northern Ireland to work in the civil service. Originally from Derry, the Belfast-based woman has been working in the gardening sphere for over 12 years and recently graduated in horticulture with a degree from the University of Ulster. "My ambition for the next five years [is] I want to help people build their gardens and to renew their gardens," she said. "I also want to go on learning and I want to enjoy my horitculture training." Eileen currently volunteers as a gardener and garden guide at Rowallane National Trust, and previously worked for Belfast City Council as a garden labourer. Now, aged 72, her dream is to feature at Bloom as a garden designer. If she wins Super Garden, she will be given the chance to showcase her winning design at Ireland's largest gardening festival, where over a hundred thousand visitors will have the chance to see their winning design brought to life, joining the ranks of Ireland's top garden designers. Her opportunity to win the prize comes through her work with a young family in Baker Hall in Navan, Co Meath. Vasile, Sarah, and three-year-old Francesco are a growing family, with another baby on the way, and are hoping to create a space that will be suitable for their little ones. As well as having room to play, the family hope that Eileen can create a space to styslishly store away a series of bicycles and Vasile's motorbike. With this in mind, Eileen used her three weeks and €15,000 budget to create a 'new beginnings' garden. Initially, the plans included a water feature, children's monkeybars, and no space for the bikes but things soon changed when time became crunched. In the end, Super Garden judges Monica Alvarez and Carol Marks told Eileen that she created a functional family garden with great use of space and incredible planting, while Brian Burke felt that Eileen remained a little "unsure of herself".
