Badge of the Order of New Zealand

Ribbon of the Order of New Zealand

The Order of New Zealand is the highest honour in New Zealand's honours system, created "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity". Instituted on 6 February 1987, it is modelled on the Order of Merit and the Order of the Companions of Honour.¹

The order has a maximum ordinary membership of the Sovereign and 20 others, though there are also "additional" and "honorary" members not counted in the numerical limit. Members are entitled to the post-nominal letters "ONZ".

Members' badges comprise an oval medallion of the Arms of New Zealand in gold and coloured enamel, worn on a white and ochre ribbon.

Additional members are also created to commemorate certain special events, such as the order's 20th anniversary.²

Current members

• Sovereign: HM The Queen
• Members:
  • June, Lady Blundell ONZ QSO GCStJ (6 February 1987)
  • Dame Miriam Dell ONZ DBE JP (6 February 1993)
  • Margaret Mahy ONZ (6 February 1993)
  • Tini Whetu Marama Tirikatene-Sullivan ONZ (6 February 1993)
  • Dame Kiri Te Kanawa ONZ AC DBE (17 June 1995)
  • Sir Miles Warren ONZ KBE (17 June 1995)
  • Dr Ivan Lichter ONZ (2 June 1997)
  • Jim Bolger ONZ (31 December 1997)
  • Ken Douglas ONZ (31 December 1998)
  • Dr Clifford Whiting ONZ (31 December 1998)
  • Mike Moore ONZ (31 December 1999)
  • Cardinal Thomas Williams ONZ (5 June 2000)
  • Jonathan Hunt ONZ (31 December 2004)
  • Dr Vera Doreen Blumhardt ONZ DCNZM CBE (30 December 2006)
  • Emeritus Prof. Lloyd Geering ONZ PCNZM CBE (30 December 2006)
  • Sir Kenneth Keith ONZ KBE QC (4 June 2007)
  • Don McKinnon ONZ (31 December 2007)
  • Sir Murray Halberg ONZ MBE (2 June 2008)
  • 2 vacancies
• Additional Members:
  • Michael Duffy ONZ (6 February 1990)
  • Dame Catherine Tizard ONZ GCMG GCVO DBE QSO DStJ (3 June 2002)
  • Sir Brian Lochore ONZ KNZM OBE (6 February 2007)
  • Sir Paul Reeves ONZ GCMG GCVO QSO (6 February 2007)
  • Prof. Karl Stead ONZ CBE (6 February 2007)
  • Sir Owen Woodhouse ONZ KBE DSC (6 February 2007)

• Honorary Members:
  • Sir Shridath Ramphal ONZ OE GCMG OM AC QC (6 February 1990)
• Officers:
  • Secretary and Registrar: Rebecca Kitteridge (Clerk of the Executive Council of New Zealand)

Deceased members

(name followed by date of appointment and date of death)

• Members:
  • The Hon. Sir Arnold Nordmeyer ONZ KCMG (6 February 1987) (d. 2 February 1989)
  • Walter Knox ONZ (6 February 1988) (d. 1 December 1991)
  • Dame Whina Cooper ONZ DBE JP (15 June 1991) (d. 26 March 1994)
  • Frederick Turnovsky ONZ OBE (6 February 1988) (d. 12 December 1994)
  • Professor Richard Matthews ONZ (6 February 1988) (d. 19 February 1995)
  • Henry Lang ONZ CB (6 February 1989) (d. 17 April 1997)
  • Dr C.E. (Clarence Edward) Beeby ONZ CMG (February, 1987) (d. 10 March 1998)
  • John Somerville ONZ CMG MC ChStJ (15 June 1991) (d. 5 October 1999)
  • Sir Thaddeus McCarthy ONZ KBE (6 February 1994) (d. 11 April 2001)
  • Professor Douglas Lilburn ONZ (6 February 1988) (d. 6 June 2001)
  • Manuhuia Bennett ONZ CMG (6 February 1989) (d. 20 December 2001)
  • Sonja Davies ONZ JP (6 February 1987) (d. 12 June 2005)
  • David Lange ONZ CH (2 June 2003) (d. 13 August 2005)
  • Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu ONZ DBE (6 February 1987) (d. 15 August 2006)
  • Professor Alan MacDiarmid ONZ (31 December 2001) (d. 7 February 2007)
  • Sir James Fletcher ONZ (2 June 1997) (d. 29 August 2007)
  • Sir Roy McKenzie ONZ KBE (17 June 1995) (d. 1 September 2007)
  • Sir Edmund Hillary KG ONZ KBE (6 February 1987) (d. 11 January 2008)

• Additional Members:
  • Sir Guy Powles ONZ KBE CMG ED (6 February 1990) (d. 24 October 1994)
  • Dr Allen Curnow ONZ CBE (6 February 1990) (d. 23 September 2001)
  • Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother LG LT ONZ GCMG GBE CC CD (6 February 1990) (d. 30 March 2002)
  • Janet Frame ONZ CBE (6 February 1990) (d. 29 January 2004)
  • Dame Ann Ballin ONZ DBE (3 June 2002) (d. 2 September 2003)
  • Arthur Lydiard ONZ OBE (6 February 1990) (d. 11 December 2004)
  • The Lord Cooke of Thorndon ONZ KBE PC (3 June 2002) (d. 30 August 2006)
  • Professor Sir Hugh Kawharu ONZ (3 June 2002) (d. 19 September 2006)
• Honorary Members:
  • Dr William Hayward Pickering ONZ KBE (USA) (2 June 2003) (d. 17 March 2004)

References

1. ^ "The Order of New Zealand" (in English). Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
2. ^ "Honoured New Zealanders", nzherald.co.nz (2007-02-06). Retrieved on 6 February 2007. 

External links

• Buckingham Palace page on the Order of New Zealand
• Honours Secretariat page on the Order of New Zealand
• Order of New Zealand at New Zealand Defence Force
• New Zealand Legislation. The statutes of the Order can be found as SR 1987/67 of New Zealand regulations.