Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit

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Bill Dooley
(Oamaru)
Services to restoration of historic buildings

Oamaru stonemason Bill Dooley reckons it is the staff who should be getting the honour he received today in the Queen's Birthday list.

Without their dedication, Mr Dooley (79) doubts the Oamaru company which bears the family name, Dooley's Masonry, would be where it is today - recognised as one of New Zealand's foremost authorities on the use and restoration of Oamaru stone.

Mr Dooley was the fifth generation in his family to be a stonemason, and the sixth generation now carries on the business.

The honour he receives is in recognition for his services to the restoration of historic buildings, but he is adamant that could not be achieved without the staff he has worked with or employed during his 63 years in the business.

During that time, it has changed dramatically.

Restoration work used to involve hand-carving intricate replacements for weathered or damaged parts of buildings.

In recent years, new technology has seen the development of machines, mostly by Dooley's itself, which can carry out the task of shaping Oamaru stone to make and carve parapets, intricate stone pillars, fireplaces and other ornate decoration outside or inside buildings.

Asked what the company's major achievement was, Mr Dooley unhesitatingly identifies the new administration block at Christ's College in Christchurch, designed and built in keeping with the school's historic buildings.

But the company has also been involved in other major projects, including restoration of the Dunedin Railway Station, Waitaki Boys' High School Hall of Memories, Otago Boys' and Girls' High Schools, Clark's flour mill, near Maheno, and Knox College, in Dunedin.

"It's been a job all my life, and I've loved it. But it is the team who have worked here that has made it work for us," he said.

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Adam Hall
(Outram)
Services to sport

Adam Hall (23) is delighted with his Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sport, but says the award does not belong to him alone.

Being born with spina bifida has not slowed the slalom skier's determination and dedication to his sport.

And he believes it was only with help from his family, friends and supporters, that he was able to win a gold medal in the 2010 Winter Paralympics slalom in Vancouver, Canada.

In recent years, Mr Hall was named New Zealand Snowsports Disabled Skier of the Year and New Zealand Snowsports Athlete of the Year for the past three years, and in 2010 he was named Otago Sportsperson of the Year - the only person with a disability to win the award.

He has been part of the prestigious Pinnacle Programme since 2008 - a sports mentoring programme which provides young athletes with professional and personal skills to help them reach world-best status.

He graduated from the programme last year.

"A large part of what I do, my family are heavily involved.

"I see this Queen's Birthday honour not just being for me, but my family, the community, and my sponsors for all their support.

"You can't do all of this on your own."

Mr Hall was delighted with the honour, and was looking forward to placing it on the mantle next to his sporting trophies.

"It's huge. It's a huge privilege to have this kind of recognition. I always thought it would be cool to sit an award like this next to my sporting trophies.

"But I thought that would happen after I retire - later on, not this soon."

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Lois Scott
(Dunedin)
Services to community

"Extreme determination" and hailing from a large, generous West Coast family were key to her success as a fundraiser, Lois Scott of Dunedin says.

Mrs Scott has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, a distinction she said would take a few weeks to sink in.

"I feel like I'm talking about another person," she said.

Mrs Scott has been a fundraiser for more than 35 years, both as a volunteer and in paid positions.

Plunket Society, Cancer Society, Deaf Aotearoa, IHC, CCS, RSA, Life Education Trust, and Otago Community Hospice were among many organisations for which she had helped raise millions of dollars.

In her paid roles, she established a fundraising operation so another person could then run it, she said.

Highlights had included organising health fundraising revues featuring doctors and nurses under the old Otago Area Health Board.

Her biggest highlight was assisting the Malcam Charitable Trust because of what that organisation did for young people. Family had always been important to her, which was why she wanted to help young people.

In her large West Coast family there had always been an "extra potato in the pot", a sense of generosity and making things last which stood her in good stead as a fundraiser.

She paid tribute to her family, including late husband Robin, and to the people who donated money. 

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Roka Cameron
(Waitati)
Services to Maori

Wanting to do more than "baby-sit" troubled youths at care houses in the city led her to establish a marae and foster-care centre in Waitati, social worker and Maori master weaver Roka Cameron says.

Mrs Cameron, who has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, established Te Whanau Arohanui in 1990 because as a young social worker in Dunedin it had been frustrating to "baby-sit" youths in care houses.

In Waitati, young people were able to fish, garden, and swim, with Maori weaving and art a special focus.

Mrs Cameron is a master practitioner and teacher of Maori fibre weaving and the centre was also a base for teaching the craft to others.

While her honour was for services to Maori, Mrs Cameron said the Waitati centre had had referrals from many cultures and she felt a sense of responsibility to all disadvantaged young people.

For the former foster child, helping young people completed the "circle" of her life.

In 2008, Mrs Cameron graduated from the Otago Polytechnic School of Art with a Master of Fine Arts. Her dissertation explored the combination of traditional Maori weaving and loom weaving, which culminated in an exhibition at Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

She teaches Maori art at the University of Otago summer school.

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