Order of New Zealand - Definition

The Order of New Zealand is the highest locally awarded honour in the New Zealand Honours System. Queen Elizabeth II instituted the Order by Royal Warrant significantly dated February 6, 1987 (Waitangi Day) "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity". It was deliberately and explicitly modelled after the Order of Merit and the Order of the Companions of Honour [1] (http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/overview/onz.html).

The order is limited to the Sovereign and twenty members, however there are also additional and honorary members which are not counted towards the limit. The order confers no knighthood or other status, but members of this one-class order are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "ONZ".

The Badge of the Order comprises an oval medallion, with the Arms of New Zealand in gold and coloured enamel. Members wear the badge on a red ochre ribbon with white stripes on each edge.

The Order has two officers: the Secretary and Registrar.

Current Members

(name followed by date of appointment)

• Sovereign: HM The Queen
• Members:
  • Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu ONZ DBE (February 6, 1987)
  • Sonja Davies ONZ JP (February 6, 1987)
  • Sir Edmund Hillary KG ONZ KBE (February 6, 1987)
  • Lady Blundell ONZ QSO (February 6, 1987)
  • Dame Miriam Dell ONZ DBE JP (February 6, 1993)
  • Margaret Mahy ONZ (February 6, 1993)
  • The Hon. Tini Whetu Marama Tirikatene-Sullivan ONZ (February 6, 1993)
  • Sir Roy McKenzie ONZ KBE (June 17, 1995)
  • Dame Kiri Te Kanawa ONZ DBE AC (June 17, 1995)
  • Sir Miles Warren ONZ KBE (June 17, 1995)
  • Sir James Fletcher ONZ (June 2, 1997)
  • Dr Ivan Lichter ONZ (June 2, 1997)
  • The Rt Hon. Jim Bolger ONZ (December 31, 1997)
  • Ken Douglas ONZ (December 31, 1998)
  • Dr Clifford Whiting ONZ (December 31, 1998)
  • The Rt Hon. Mike Moore ONZ (December 31, 1999)
  • His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Williams ONZ (June 5, 2000)
  • Professor Alan MacDiarmid ONZ (December 31, 2001)
  • The Rt Hon. David Lange ONZ CH (June 2, 2003)
  • The Rt Hon. Jonathan Hunt ONZ (31 December 2004)
• Additional Members:
  • The Hon. Michael Duffy ONZ (February 6, 1990)
  • The Rt Hon. The Lord Cooke of Thorndon ONZ KBE PC (June 3, 2002)
  • Sir Hugh Kawharu ONZ (June 3, 2002)
  • Dame Catherine Tizard ONZ GCMG GCVO DBE QSO (June 3, 2002)

Deceased Members

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

• Members:
  • The Hon. Sir Arnold Nordmeyer ONZ KCMG (February 6, 1987) (d. February 2, 1989)
  • Walter Knox ONZ (February 6, 1988) (d. December 1, 1991)
  • Dame Whina Cooper ONZ DBE JP (June 15, 1991) (d. March 26, 1994)
  • Frederick Turnovsky ONZ OBE (February 6, 1988) (d. December 12, 1994)
  • Professor Richard Matthews ONZ (February 6, 1988) (d. February 19, 1995)
  • Henry Lang ONZ CB (February 6, 1989) (d. April 17, 1997)
  • Dr Clarence Beeby ONZ CMG (February , 1987) (d. March 10, 1998)
  • The Very Revd John Somerville ONZ CMG MC CMG, MC (June 15, 1991) (d. October 5, 1999)
  • The Rt Hon. Sir Thaddeus McCarthy ONZ KBE (February 6, 1994) (d. April 11, 2001)
  • Professor Douglas Lilburn ONZ (February 6, 1988) (d. June 6, 2001)
  • The Rt Revd Manuhuia BennettONZ CMG (February 6, 1989) (d. December 20, 2001)
  • Dr Thomas Curnow ONZ CBE (February 6, 1990) (d. September 23, 2001)
• Additional Members:
  • Sir Guy Powles ONZ KBE CMG ED (February 6, 1990) (d. October 24, 1994)
  • HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother LG LT ONZ GCMG GBE CC CD (February 6, 1990) (d. March 30, 2002)
  • Janet Frame ONZ CBE (February 6, 1990) (d. January 29, 2004)
  • Dame Ann Ballin ONZ DBE (June 3, 2002) (d. 2.9.2003)
  • Arthur Lydiard ONZ OBE (February 6, 1990) (d. December 11, 2004)

External link

• Honours Secretariat page on the Order of New Zealand (http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/overview/onz.html)