Year: 1961 - 1964
Occupation: Michael Christensen

Michael is a scientist specializing in fungi and in particular, endophytic fungi that have a unique partnership with important forage grasses that form the backbone of the pastoral farming industry that provides much of the wealth of this country. His career in science as a technical trainee at the Grasslands Division of the DSIR provided him with an apprenticeship-like training during which he was appointed to work in the field of plant pathology and opportunities to learn and to apply his talents with supportive colleagues. He says that a key thing that enhanced his career was joining with a group of young scientists as a lunchtime runner. These achievement-orientated people encouraged him to set a goal of achieving at a high standard in science research. As a result of his work he was promoted from technician to scientist. His work in science has resulted in many publications in international science journals, the highlight being as senior author of a publication in 2008 on the unique manner of growth of the endophytic fungi when in their host grasses. His finding over turned the long-held dogma on how fungi grow and changed peoples’ understanding. This finding was highlighted in Nature Reviews Microbiology and in Science. He was also a part of the world-leading research team of AgResearch that developed procedures to successfully utilize beneficial strains of these fungi to protect host grasses from insect pests and enhance growth and health of grazing livestock. This research has taken him to Japan, China and the USA. Michael is indeed a world expert.

Year: 1960 - 1963
Occupation: Olympic Gold Medallist – Hockey

Trevor Manning began his hockey career as Hatch Cup rep aged 13 and worked his way up to New Zealand representative. He was in the NZ hockey team to three Olympics 1968 Mexico, 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal and was goal keeper in the gold medal winning 1976 team. I n the final 13 minutes of the game, Manning saved a goal and had his knee cap shattered – despite his knee hurting he kept playing until the final whistle then realised something was really wrong. It did not stop him getting on the podium to receive his medal which he described as awesome!

Year: 1952 - 1955
Occupation: Trade Commissioner & Diplomat

John joined the Department of Industries and Commerce (now Trade & Enterprise), and finished his degree studying part time. He was appointed to commissioner/ diplomatic positions in Tokyo, Bagdad, Vienna and Melbourne. Between postings he worked for Trade & Industry and MFAT with his final position Director of Trade Promotion. John then moved to the Commerce Commission as Manager of the Fair Trading Division. He was selected by the Commonwealth Secretariat to serve on the Zimbabwe Competition Authority and for the last ten years worked in London as a consultant to the UK’s Department for International Development, travelling extensively in Africa and Asia.

Year: 1959 - 1963
Occupation: Double Olympic Gold Medallist

As well as gaining a Bachelor of Engineering at Canterbury University Dick earned a Canterbury University blue and a NZ university blue (all in rowing). He became a Registered Engineer in 1972, and is currently a Chartered Professional Engineer and member of IPENZ. He has his own small engineering consulting business and has written books on alternative fuels in light and heavy transport. Dick represented NZ in rowing from 1967 to1972 including two Olympic games in crews that won gold medals the coxed four at Mexico 1968 and the eights at Munich 1972. He has won: N.Z. Championship titles 1967,1968,1969,1970 & 1972 NZ Sportsman of the year as a member of the 8s in 1971 & 1972. The European Champs in1971 in the eights He was a flag bearer at Commonwealth games in 1990 and he has continued to serve as a rowing coach and an administrator. He has coached two NZ Championship winning crews. He was involved in the running of the World Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro in 1978 and in 2010. He was an inaugural member of the N.Z. Sporting Hall of Fame and inducted into the Porirua Sporting Hall of Fame, 2011. He is the current Past President of the Wellington Rowing Club and he has also been an active skier and member of the Aorangi Ski club administration.

Year: 1959 - 1962
Occupation: Nurse, Educator & Scholar

Irihapeti trained as a registered general and obstetric nurse at Wellington Hospital. She worked in a range of areas including general nursing, respiratory medicine and public health before moving into nursing education. She is perhaps best known in Aotearoa and internationally for the development of Cultural Safety – an educational framework for the analysis of power relationships between health professionals and those they serve – the subject of her PhD. Cultural Safety has been part of the New Zealand nursing and midwifery curriculum since 1992 and comprises 20% of the state registration examination for all nurses and midwives. Irihapeti negotiated the foundations for developing a process of ownership of the Cultural Safety curriculum between Otago Polytechnic and Ngai Tahupotiki iwi, an early example of exercising intellectual property rights. The International Council of Nurses, the oldest and largest international professional organization in the health field, representing nurses and nursing in 118 countries, recommended in 1995 that Cultural Safety be included in the education programmes of all national nurses associations. She was a Council member of Lincoln University and sat on a number of other committees including the Health Sponsorship Council, the Ethics Committee and the Maori Health Committee of the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the executive committee of the National Heart Foundation of New Zealand and the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Irihapeti had a long standing interest and involvement in asthma research and asthma service development. She was a member of the Ministerial Maori Asthma Review Team in 1991, and a member of the Maori Committee of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand. Another area of interest was bioethics. Irihapeti was a Teaching Fellow in Bioethics at the Otago Medical School, Bioethics Research Centre and in 1997 she was appointed as the New Zealand representative to the International Board of Bioethics. Just weeks before her death Irihapeti was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to nursing and Maori health.