Gordon Bailey, the parks manager at Gore District Council for many years, was honoured with a RNZIH Associate of Honour for his work in many fields.
Mr Bailey also served as parks manager for the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes district councils.
Mr Bailey established Bannerman Park’s rhododendron collection, which now has about 30 different species.
Now living in Wānaka, he holds the Ian Galloway trophy for his work with public gardens and is a RNZIH Fellow.
As long-serving chairman of the Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust, Mr Bailey has also has a leading role in developing an internationally significant rhododendron conservation strategy, centred on Pukeiti, in Taranaki and was recently awarded life membership of the trust.
He has visited China six times to study rhododendrons in the wild and collect seeds.
His involvement in the horticultural industry’s training organisation and the Otago Conservation Board reflected Mr Bailey’s decades of commitment to mentoring others and advocating for the environment. — Allied Media
