Civic Honours

Whangarei District Council's Civic Honours logo.

A Civic Honour is our highest award for outstanding voluntary service to the community. Every year, we honour up to four citizens. 

Our Civic Honours awards recognise people who have made a significant contribution to the community wellbeing of the Whangārei District through their personal leadership, inspiration, sacrifice or devotion to a cause.  

Civic Honours awards recipients

2024 Civic Honours

  • Don McDonald-Spice
  • Jenni Moore
  • Dr George Perera
  • Marilyn Cox

2024 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 2MB)

2023 Civic Honours

  • Beryl Wilkinson
  • Elizabeth Shepherd (Auntie Bess)
  • Hilary Gittos
  • Robin Lieffering

2023 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 2MB)

2022 Civic Honours

  • Brian Corney
  • Felicity Christian
  • Fred Tito
  • Stephen Westgate

2022 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 2MB)

2021 Civic Honours

  • Janelle Beazley
  • Maurice Whittaker Brownlee
  • Sharon and Lou Davis
  • Murdoch Ross

2021 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 395KB)

2020 Civic Honours

  • Lily May Hooper (Betty)
  • Rosemary Sanderson
  • John Shanks
  • Terence Ward

2020 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 583KB)

2019 Civic Honours

  • Vic and Yvonne Pitman
  • Lynette MacDonald
  • Major Christopher Williams NZCF
  • Eric Hansen

2019 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 104KB)

2018 Civic Honours

  • Pamela Stevens
  • Russell Rawiri
  • Fay Colthurst
  • Warren Daniel

2018 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 248KB)

2017 Civic Honours

  • Kelvin Attwood
  • Linda Melville
  • Maxine Neighbour
  • Audrey Trimmer

2017 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 160KB)

2016 Civic Honours

  • Anthony Solomon
  • Stuart Clark
  • Jeffrey D'Ath
  • Rosemary Waters

2016 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 274KB)

2015 Civic Honours 

  • Naotake Fukuoka
  • Peter Coates
  • Atsuko Fukuoka
  • Margaret Hibbert

2015 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 479KB)

2014 Civic Honours 

  • Helen McGregor
  • Trevor McKenzie
  • Paratene Te Manu (Sonny) Wellington
  • Delecia (Maxi) Thompson
  • John McGregor

2014 Civic Honour citations(PDF, 639KB)

2013 Civic Honours 

  • Sophie Edwards
  • Fredrick and Mary Field
  • Mervyn Rusk
  • Desmond Coutts

2013 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 834KB)

2012 Civic Honours 

  • Robert (Robbie) Stevenson
  • Elizabeth (Betty) Fyfe
  • Peter Harding
  • Sheryn Comrie

2012 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 440KB) 

2011 Civic Honours 

  • Loha Bruce
  • Henry Davis
  • Fraser Sim
  • D'Arcy Bailey

2011 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 491KB)

2010 Civic Honours 

  • Vivienne Dobson
  • David Dobson
  • Yvonne Stewart
  • Ray Palmer
  • Archie Dixon

2010 Civic Honours citations(PDF, 462KB)

2009 Civic Honours

  • Irene Walding
  • Rev Des Olney
  • Deane Main
  • Jennifer Brasting

2008 Civic Honours

  • Andrew Gurney
  • Hazel O'Donnell
  • Betty Powell
  • Jean Marian Barclay

2007 Civic Honours

  • John and Sheila House
  • Rhondda Rutherford-Dunn
  • Jean Dufty
  • Roger Neal

2006 Civic Honours

  • John Richard Bryham
  • Lachlan Charles McKenzie McLean
  • Joan Williams
  • Tori White

2005 Civic Honours

  • Ian Harvey Babe
  • Cornelius (Kees) Dubbelman
  • Craig Jessop
  • Lorraine Audrey Morgan

2004 Civic Honours

  • Richard and Joan Kennaway
  • Gordon Johel Marsh
  • Bernard Darcy McGonagle 
  • Tom and Eileen Parore
  • Agnes Miriam Ringer

2003 Civic Honours

  • Eric Colin Gulbransen 
  • Raumoa Balnevis Kawiti 
  • Judith Anne Swinn
  • Bruce Rodney Trigg

2002 Civic Honours

  • Margaret Ida Batten
  • Frederick Harold Batten 
  • Laurence David Bradshaw
  • Dr. George John Alexander Wilson 
  • Yvonne Judge

2001 Civic Honours

  • Iris Mary Bradford-Smith
  • Elizabeth Faithful 
  • Jessie Olive Feeney 

2000 Civic Honours 

  • Lisha Haywood 
  • Tuitagaloa Cherrington
  • Katherine Helen Campbell Bowde 
  • Alexander Clyne French 

1999 Civic Honours 

  • Katherina Ariana Allegonda Broeren 
  • Norma Sarah Joan Dobson 
  • Mary Joyce Stubbing
  • Ron De Rooy

1998 Civic Honours

  • Maron Fisher 
  • Lawrence Hanneford Wordsworth
  • Doreen Mae Wordsworth
  • Gary Philips 
  • Nelson Palmer Ross

1997 Civic Honours

  • Hare Raharuhi Kaka
  • Arthur Ivan Lundberg
  • Gertrude Mahy 
  • Kahu Sutherland
  • Iris Edith Bowyer

1996 Civic Honours

  • Dr. Williams Parkes 
  • Dorothy Mary Toomer
  • Harold Harry Toomer
  • Keith Herbert Emsden
  • Mavis Muriel Bull

1995 Civic Honours

  • Helen Julie Harbin McLay
  • Ila Pike
  • Shona Alexa Kenrick Wright
  • John Henry Wright

1994 Civic Honours

  • Taina Te Puangi Waipouri
  • Wiremu Wareta Nga Paura Kake
  • Alexandra Thomas House
  • Jean Carter

1993 Civic Honours

  • Leonard Bradford Smith
  • Ellis McDonald
  • Alan Poulton
  • Sylvia Redfern

1992 Civic Honours 

  • Myrtle Jessie Christie 
  • James Carney
  • William Edward Rossiter
  • Roger Marsden Scampton
  • Noeline Mary Sheama Shepherd

1989 Civic Honours

  • Barbara Thomson
  • Richard Cormack
  • Glynis Collins
  • Vernon Fairbrother

1988 Civic Honours

  • William Leslie McKinnon
  • Brian John Thomas 
  • Bertha Keys

1987 Civic Honours

  • George Phiskie
  • Dawn Noeline Sullivan 
  • Horo Hemi Te Waihika Pou
  • Norman Leslie Hooson
  • Wendy Lawrie

For information about the ceremony or previous recipients, please contact the Executive Assistant to the Mayor.

Contact us online

Phone:  09 430 4200

Nominations for the Civic Honours 2025 awards closed on Sunday 13 April 2025.

You can submit your nominations for the 2026 awards now. Nominations for the 2026 awards will close on 1 May 2026.

The awards evening will be held in the second half of the year and recipients are publicly announced following the ceremony. 

Make a nomination

Online

Step 1.Read the guidelines

Please read the guidelines about who can be nominated.

Civic Honours guidelines

Step 2.Gather supporting material

Gather letters of reference from people or groups the nominee has assisted. 

Step 3.Complete form

Fill in our online nomination form and attach any supporting material.

Civic Honours nomination online form 

Late nominations will not be considered. 

Step 4.Decision

All nominations will be referred to the Civic Honours Selection Committee for consideration.  

We may make enquiries to clarify any statement made in a nomination to assist with the selection process.

The decision of the Selection Committee is final and cannot be contested.

Step 5.Notification

Recipients will be:

  • visited by a councillor who will advise them of their award
  • sent a congratulatory letter
  • sent an invitation to the Civic Honours Awards Ceremony.

Nominators will be advised whether their nominee was selected. 

Step 6.Official announcement

Civic Honours recipients will be officially announced following the Civic Honours Awards Ceremony.

Printable

Step 1.Read the guidelines

Please read the guidelines about who can be nominated.

Civic Honours guidelines

Step 2.Complete form

Download the application, print and complete it by hand.  

Civic Honours nomination form(PDF, 2MB)

Step 3.Send to us

Send us your completed nomination form and supporting material to us.

By email:  civichonours@wdc.govt.nz

By post:  

Whangarei District Council 
Private Bag 9023
Te Mai
Whangārei 0143

In-person:  

Te Iwitahi
 9 Rust Avenue, Whangārei
Hours:  Monday to Friday – 8:00am to 4:30pm
Closed public holidays

Ruakākā service centre 
9 Takutai Place, Ruakākā
Hours:  Monday to Friday – 8:30am to 4:00pm
Closed public holidays

Service centre at isite
92 Otaika Road, Raumanga
Hours: Monday to Friday – 9:00am to 12:00pm and 12:30pm to 4:30pm
Closed public holidays

Late nominations will not be considered. 

Step 4.Decision

All nominations will be referred to the Civic Honours Selection Committee for consideration.  

We may make enquiries to clarify any statement made in a nomination to assist with the selection process.

The decision of the Selection Committee is final and cannot be contested.

Step 5.Notification

Recipients will be:

  • visited by a councillor who will advise them of their award
  • sent a congratulatory letter
  • sent an invitation to the Civic Honours Awards Ceremony.

Nominators will be advised whether their nominee was selected. 

Step 6.Official announcement

Civic Honours recipients will be officially announced following the Civic Honours Awards Ceremony.

We reserve the right to not grant any Civic Honours Awards if, in the Selection Committee's view, nominations received do not meet the desired standard of contribution to the community wellbeing of the District.

An unsuccessful nomination in any year may be resubmitted for consideration in a subsequent year.

Civic Honours guidelines

Who can be nominated?

All nominees must live in the Whangārei District.

Any person, who by their personal leadership, inspiration, sacrifice or devotion to a cause has made a significant contribution to the community well-being of the Whangārei District, is eligible for nomination.

Who can nominate?

All nominators must live in the Whangārei District.

Nominations must be supported by at least two people. This could be two individuals or an organisation or group.

If a person is being nominated by an organisation or group, two executive members of that organisation or group should sign the nomination form.

Note: If you are submitting via the online nomination form, signatures are not required.

Any organisation or group nominating more than one person in any one year will need to provide a clear indication as to the respective rating of the nominees.

What do we want to know about the nominee?

To assist the Selection Committee in their decision-making process, include as much detail as possible including:

  • Background: include date and place of birth, details of working life, family etc.
  • Community involvement: include detail of the various voluntary works the nominee is, or has been involved in, the people they have helped or supported, the length of service, and the difference they have made.
  • Other awards received by the nominee.
  • Letters of reference from people or groups the nominee has assisted.
  • Any other information you think will assist the Selection Committee with their decision making.

All nominations are confidential.

If you need more information about making a nomination, please contact us. 

Email:  civichonours@wdc.govt.nz

Phone:  09 430 4200

Enquiries

Nomination enquiry:  

civichonours@wdc.govt.nz

Ceremony or previous recipients enquiry:  

Contact us online

Back to top