Recognition at last for trio of locals | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Editorial Opinion

At last, some proper recognition for people in our community.

Roddy McKenzie, Harry Tolley and Jim Law were all honoured today in the Queen's Birthday awards, and deservedly so.

Mr McKenzie, who stood down at the last elections after 30 years of service as a local body politician, was awarded the Queen's Service Medal.

A former councillor, chairman of Masterton County Council and Masterton's deputy mayor, he also coached junior and senior rugby, including a stint as coach of the Wairarapa-Bush representative side and has held office for both Masterton-Red Star Club and Wairarapa-Bush provincial union.

He has been a trustee of Masterton Rotary Club since its inception and served as its president and is on the Montfort Trimble Trust, a charitable trust dedicated to growing trees for community benefit.

Harry Tolley, the man who started Probus Clubs in Wairarapa also receives a QSM. Mr Tolley started the Wairarapa branch in 1989 for retired or semi-retired professionals.

Mr Tolley is also being honoured for the establishment of the Tolley Rotary Educational Trust, where he invested $100,000 as he was the recipient of a bequest. The trust provides an income for young people looking to study further in their chosen field.

And finally there's Jim Law, who is appointed to the New Zealand Order of Merit.

He received the award for his long list of services to the community, which includes 10 years on the board of the Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre and the establishment of annual scholarships at Pirinoa School for students to continue into tertiary education. Mr Law was managing director and chief executive of Mobil Oil New Zealand from 1994 until 1997 and was executive director of Global Business Support, based in the United States, from 1997 until his retirement in 1999.

He is also involved in Ducks Unlimited, an organisation focused on wetland restoration, and, in particular at the moment, preserving the Wairio Wetlands in South Wairarapa.

All three of these men in our wider community richly deserve the recognition they receive today.

We congratulate them all.