2:38:02 Thursday 23 October 2025

Bay residents on honours list

The founder of Sport Bay of Plenty, a Katikati vet known as the 'father of companion animal medicine” and school teacher with a career spanning more than 50 years are among those recognised on the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

In the Western Bay of Plenty seven people from various industries across the region have received a range of honours.


Founding Sport BOP chief executive Bruce Trask has been awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to the environment and sport. Photo: Bruce Barnard.


Otamarakau School teacher Robyn Rosie has been awarded Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to education. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

The honours are part of the British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and other Commonwealth Realms Honours Systems as a civic occasion on the celebration of the reigning monarch's birthday.

Bruce Trask (services to the environment and sport) – Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:

For someone who could be described as a pioneer in waste minimisation programmes and sport in the Bay of Plenty, Bruce Trask sees it as something to keep both the body and world healthy.

Though he is 'humbled” to be made a member of the NZ Order of merit on what is an extensive list of achievements.

Bruce was a teacher for 24 years and held three principal positions before establishing the Bay of Plenty Sports Foundation, now Sport Bay of Plenty, in 1988 and becoming its first chief executive.

He went on to establish the Community Sport Trust, through which he organised a number of recreational and competitive sporting events, some of which continue to run 25 years on.

He takes pride in the 24 hour charity relay that ran for 10 years along with the jewel in the crown – the continuance of the iconic Port of Tauranga Half Ironman which celebrated its 25th running this year.

In 1993 he developed a Zero Waste Education programme for the Tauranga City Council, delivering the programme for the first time in 1994.

The programme continues to be taught today and he has expanded the programme to 21 other local authorities around New Zealand.

The programme offers waste minimisation education annually in more than 500 schools, and in 2011 he arranged for the resource materials to be translated into Te Reo.

The success of this programme led to the establishment of Environmental Education for Resource Sustainability Trust in 2000, which he co-founded and chaired for 13 years.

Though he takes pride in the Paper4trees recycling programme in schools and established Water4schools to encourage schools to collect rainwater for grey water use, irrigation or ablution blocks.

'The paper for trees programme that we created, that's gone from Tauranga schools to over 4000 schools and preschools in New Zealand.

'It's really important about educating our youth about the resources of the world.”

The Trust has been the recipient of several environmental and sustainability awards.

And of the two areas it is the environment that has taken centre stage for Trask as he has got older.

As I got older and have 21 grandchildren and two great grandchildren I started thinking that we have got to look after the planet for them.

'We are a bit selfish at the moment, we tend to be looking after ourselves and not looking ahead at looing after the planet and its resources.”

He was awarded the Round Table Community Award in 2000 and the Tauranga City Council Community Spirit Award in 2003.

'I'm pretty pleased that a little old boy from Hastings was able to do these things. With a lot of help from others of course.”

Robyn Rosie (services to education) - Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit

When Robyn Rosie first picked up the phone and found out she was being made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, it just didn't ring true.

'I thought I must have had a seeing ticket because I haven't been rung from the ministry before. I was very overwhelmed and thought I didn't deserve it because there are lots and lots of other people who probably do a lot more than me.”

But after more than 50 years of service in education, sport, and health and welfare, it's hard to find someone more deserving.

At Te Wharau Primary School., in Gisborne, Robyn established some of the earliest reading recovery and support programmes for disadvantaged youth.

She led and scripted school and community musicals and theatre productions, started the first Rhythmic Gymnastics Club in Gisborne and coached Junior Netball and Gisborne Trampolining.

As Principal of Elgin Primary School for 15 years she led several initiatives, including the first school breakfast programme in Gisborne and an award-winning healthy lunch menu, a school vegetable garden, and Tu Tangata and other programmes to strengthen Māori students' achievement.

She established the Safe, Enjoyable, non-Violent School Environment programme, the Kids at Home Reading Programme and the first Gisborne School Duffy Books in Homes Programme.

She was the Gisborne Jump Rope for Heart Co-ordinator with a special focus on Māori and Pacific Island health.

Currently at Otamarakau School, the 71-year-old continues to teach and support children with healthy eating, Irlen's eye screening, prevention of bullying, entertainment and gymnastics programmes, and established the Green Machines environmental protection group.

'I have always loved the teaching because I have four children and it lends itself very nicely to be able to work around family.”

A teacher at the school for the last 14 years, five as principal, her she looks back fondly on a number of overseas teacher exchanges – England, US, the Artic, Canada, and Korea – helping add to her own teaching repertoire.

'It's fantastic to go and teach in those countries and step into another world really.”

Professor Emeritus Boyd Robert Jones (services to veterinary medicine) – Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Professor Emeritus Boyd Jones is widely regarded by the veterinary profession as the ‘father of companion animal medicine'.

Professor Jones taught veterinary students at Massey University for 22 years. In 1996 he became Head of Department at University College Dublin, later becoming Dean of Veterinary Medicine.

Since retiring from University College Dublin in 2009 he has been Professor Emeritus and Companion Animal Group Leader at Massey University's Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences.

He is a member of numerous veterinary organisations nationally and internationally. He was a founding member of the Companion Animal Society of the New Zealand Veterinary Association in 1973.

He was Chairman of the Veterinary Council of New Zealand. He has had a long association with the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists and was President in the early 1990s.

He was instrumental in the establishment of the Companion Animal Health Foundation and the Centre for Service and Working Dog Health.

Some of his greatest contributions to veterinary medicine include the discovery of five previously unreported entities affecting cats and dogs.

He has provided editorial advice to a number of academic journals, and is currently on the Editorial Board of the New Zealand Veterinary Journal. Professor Jones recently resigned as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of Veterinary Education International.

In 2009 he was awarded the European Society Feline Medicine International Award, in 2011 World Small Animal Veterinary Association Service to the Profession Award, in 2011 and 2012 British Small Animal Veterinary Association Blaine Award, and in 2013 the 2012, 2011 the New Zealand Veterinary Association President's Award for Distinguished Service.

Queen's Birthday honours recipients from the Western Bay of Plenty:

Professor Emeritus Boyd Robert Jones (services to veterinary medicine) – Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Robyn Rosie (services to education) - Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Bruce Trask (services to the environment and sport) – Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Susan Baker Wilson (services to historical research and war commemoration) – The Queen's Service Medal

Susan Heath (services to foster care) – The Queen's Service Medal

Ian Herbert Pirani (services for conservation) – The Queen's Service Medal

Derek Spratt (services to agriculture) – The Queen's Service Medal

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