Providing medical care to Stewart Island's more than 400 residents and 40,000 summer visitors during the past 20 years has earned the island's two nurses the Queen's Service Medal.
Deborah Dillon and Marty Pepers are among four Southland recipients of the medal.
The other two are former Winton mayor and St John stalwart Russell Hodges and Southland Disability Enterprises general manager Ian Beker, of Invercargill.
Mr Pepers (51) and Mrs Dillon (50) are clinical nurse specialists and ambulance officers on the island and both have post-graduate masters qualifications in clinical health sciences.
He went trout fishing "in shock" when he heard of the honour and she thought how special it was to receive such recognition from their community.
"It's good for nursing and good for the Stewart Island nursing practice," Mr Pepers said.
They provide rostered round-the-clock care of the island's residents and visitors across the whole spectrum of healthcare, from maternity and geriatric care to acute trauma and search and rescue.
Their work meant many lives had been saved.
Mr Pepers said working on the island for the past 20 years had provided constant challenges but also enabled them to see positive outcomes for the patients.
Mrs Dillon said it was a real privilege to work so closely with people during the past 10 years.
The nursing partnership was unique and very special and she was continuing to gain further qualifications.
Mr Beker (58) has spent the past 19 years developing the non-profit organisation which provides employment and training services to disabled people.
Under his leadership the service had gone from employing 35 people to the employment of 108 in recycling services, he said.
"It's just sort of grown.
Recycling is the lifeblood of the organisation."
The organisation won Environment Southland's environmental innovators award in 2008.
Mr Beker, who spent 22 years in the army, was also the Southland Vietnam Veterans' pensions and welfare representative, Awarua RSA president and foundation member and past president of Invercargill's Sunrise Rotary Club.
Mr Hodges (75) served as councillor, deputy mayor and for nine years as mayor of the former Winton borough.
He had been actively involved in the Order of St John and his enthusiasm and drive was credited as helping get a volunteer ambulance service established in Winton.
Mr Hodges chairs the St John Winton area and was invested as an officer of the order in 2003.
Sport was a great passion and over the years he had been a player, coach and referee for several sporting codes and was a keen bowls player.
