The 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List has been published, and as far as boating-related accolades go, it’s slim pickings this year. While the list includes dozens of worthy recipients from a broad range of sectors—health, education, arts, sports, and community leadership—there’s precious little for the maritime or recreational boating sectors to celebrate directly.
That said, five recipients in particular stood out for their connections to the nautical world.
Rear Admiral David Proctor, ONZM – Honoured for leadership in the Royal New Zealand Navy
Appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2025 New Year Honours for services to the New Zealand Defence Force.
Proctor served as Chief of Navy from 2018 to 2024, a period that included several major operational challenges, such as the response to the Whakaari/White Island eruption and the Navy’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic. He joined the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1987 and over nearly four decades held a wide range of leadership and strategic roles, both at sea and ashore. His work helped shape the strategic development and operational effectiveness of the modern Navy. His career has been marked by a strong focus on personnel, readiness, and future-proofing the maritime capabilities of the Defence Force.
Margaret Mitchell, MNZM – A lifelong advocate for naval women
Margaret Mitchell of Auckland has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her services to the Royal New Zealand Naval Women’s Association (RNZNWA). Her connection to the sea stretches back to 1964, when she joined the Women’s Royal New Zealand Naval Service (WRNZNS) as a Wren (Officer’s Steward). Since then, her 55-year involvement in the association—20 of those as National President—has seen her spearhead the recognition of women’s contributions to the Navy.
Mitchell’s work included not only running large-scale events for veterans but also lobbying for increased visibility for WRNZNS servicewomen—securing museum displays, cemetery plaques, and official veteran status for members. She was instrumental in creating a significant exhibition at the Royal New Zealand Navy Museum in 2012, which was finally installed as a permanent feature in 2023.
She’s also no stranger to grassroots support—personally driving former WRNZNS members to events, setting up welfare networks, and mentoring new members. In addition, she served as a Sea Cadet Force officer for over two decades. While her work may not directly touch the pleasure boating community, her decades of service help shape the broader maritime narrative in New Zealand.
Suzanne McFadden, MNZM – Honoured for sports journalism, including sailing
Another notable recipient is journalist Suzanne McFadden, awarded an MNZM for services to sports journalism and women. McFadden is known for her extensive coverage of sailing over the years, including the America’s Cup—both the competition itself and the people behind it. She’s one of the few journalists in New Zealand who has consistently covered both the high-profile and behind-the-scenes efforts in competitive sailing.
Her current work, leading the LockerRoom platform under Newsroom, focuses on elevating women’s sports and includes occasional deep dives into New Zealand’s sailing talent. Her writing has brought attention to female sailors, support crew, and leadership roles that often go unnoticed in mainstream coverage. While her award wasn’t given solely for coverage of boating or yachting, it’s fair to say her work has helped broaden public understanding of sailing in New Zealand—particularly from a gender representation perspective.
Tony and Jenny Enderby, The King’s Service Medal – For services to conservation
Marine photographers, writers and volunteers Tony and Jenny Enderby have spent more than three decades helping protect New Zealand’s marine environment, most notably as long-time Honorary Officers for the Cape Rodney–Okakari Point Marine Reserve near Leigh.
As two of just four such officers in the Auckland region for many years, they regularly patrolled the reserve, often at odd hours, to deter illegal fishing and promote marine protection. Their voluntary work with the Department of Conservation dates back to the early 1990s and has included guiding on Tiritiri Matangi, observer work for Maui dolphins, supervising visitors to Hauturu/Little Barrier Island, and diving survey work around Aotea/Great Barrier Island.
In 2018, they launched the Leigh Penguin Project, building a volunteer team to establish nesting boxes and trap lines from Ti Point to Goat Island. They’ve also supported conservation through the Tāwharanui Open Sanctuary Society, Whangateau Harbour Care, Forest and Bird Coast Care, and more.
The Enderbys have published widely on New Zealand’s marine life, including A Guide to New Zealand Marine Reserves, and have played a key role in educating others—both in Aotearoa and overseas—about the value of marine protection.
Why so few boating or maritime-related honours?
Recognition in New Zealand’s Royal Honours system hinges on who is nominated, what they’ve achieved, and how convincingly their case is put forward. It’s not enough to have made a contribution—nominations need to clearly show the impact, scale, and significance of a person’s work. This is especially true in the maritime and water safety sectors, where the range of service is wide, but public awareness and advocacy often vary.
In recent years, a number of individuals from these sectors have received national recognition, illustrating the types of contributions that tend to gain traction. Ian Godfrey was appointed MNZM in 2024 for services to surf life saving and water safety education—a clear example of long-standing, practical impact in public safety. That same year, Keith Gordon was recognised for his commitment to diving and maritime history, showing how subject expertise and preservation of knowledge also hold value. Jocelyn Urbahn, honoured for her service to life saving, and Joyce Talbot, acknowledged for her dedication to sailing administration, both demonstrate how consistent commitment in structured organisations can translate to national honours. In 2023, Rodney Bracefield’s recognition for services to Search and Rescue and aviation highlighted the cross-over between maritime and aerial response work in emergencies. Keith Ingram’s 2021 MNZM, for services to the fishing and maritime industry, stands as an example of commercial sector leadership being recognised at a national level.
These cases show that honours typically go to individuals whose work is high-profile, sustained over time, and clearly articulated in the nomination. Olympic sailors and elite rowers—whose achievements are in the public eye—have long featured in the Honours lists. So too have Coastguard and surf life saving volunteers, where structure, visibility, and measurable outcomes can be clearly presented to the Honours Secretariat.
Behind the scenes, the Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee reviews around 800 to 1,000 nominations each year, with only a small portion progressing. The committee weighs not just what was done, but how far the benefit reached—whether it was local, regional, national or international. For those in recreational boating, grassroots safety, or community-led maritime initiatives, this can pose a challenge. Without widespread recognition or a compelling nomination backed by strong references, these efforts are often overlooked.
The takeaway is simple: if we want to see more recognition for the everyday contributors in boating, from builders to club volunteers, nominations must be timely, detailed, and backed by others who can speak to their impact. The Honours system is open—but success relies heavily on the quality of the case that’s made.
Looking Ahead – Who will represent boating in 2026?
The boating community has no shortage of candidates worthy of national recognition—from safety instructors and rescue volunteers to innovators in boat design and marina management. If the sector wants more representation in future Honours Lists, now is the time to start preparing nominations.
Strong nominations are well-documented, include letters of support, and provide specific examples of how the nominee’s work has gone above and beyond. The emphasis should be on long-term impact, innovation, leadership, and service to the wider community.
Whether it’s the local boat club commodore who’s served for decades, the designer of an innovative New Zealand-built catamaran, or a tireless advocate for water safety, the stories are out there—they just need to be told and supported.
