Firefighters receive Royal Honours for outstanding service

Three South Island firefighters have received their Royal Honours in a ceremony at Government House in Wellington.

On Tuesday the firefighters from O¯ ma¯ rama, Marlborough and Nelson received their awards from GovernorGeneral Dame Cindy Kiro on Tuesday, having been recognised in the New Year’s Honours six months earlier, along with three North Island Fire and Emergency personnel.

Richard McNamara, known to most as Mac, was a well-respected incident controller and leader in the firefighting aviation industry who became a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Fire and Emergency Management.

McNamara had responded to many significant international wildfire events on behalf of New Zealand, as well as coordinating air support for emergencies nationally.

Talking to Stuff last year, he said he was just doing his job.

‘‘It’s what I’ve been paid to do for a long time, but having said that, I’ll take it, and I’ll take it on behalf of all emergency responders across all disciplines, and that includes all of our agencies that respond in time of need to the public in Marlborough.’’

McNamara’s list of accomplishments included his work as aircraft manager during the Christchurch Earthquake response, and his work to establish the Marlborough Kaiko¯ ura Rural Fire Authority in 2012, introducing a new model of managing rural fire.

He had held many roles over his career, from chief ranger in Mt Cook National Park, to Civil Defence controller in Marlborough. After the formation of Fire and Emergency, McNamara became national operational standards manager.

FENZ board chair Rebecca Keoghan said this year’s recipients had dedicated years to helping their communities become stronger, safer and more resilient, as firefighters and through their other community contributions.

‘‘It is a pleasure to see their efforts recognised.’’

North Otago Search and Rescue O¯ ma¯ rama station officer Maurice Cowie received a Queen’s Service Medal for services to search and rescue, which he had been involved with since 1998.

Having played key roles in revitalising the organisation from a membership of two, Cowie was described as an invaluable contact for police, and their first call for search and rescue operations in the area.

When he learnt in December he was receiving the award, he told Stuff he was ‘‘surprised and very humbled’’, and insisted the work was really a team effort.

Cowie was a part of the O¯ ma¯ rama Search and Rescue group that received the LandSAR Supreme Award in 2012 for a significant operation that located a tramper who had been missing for 14 days.

He also helped with renovations of the Oma¯ ¯ rama Search and Rescue base, constructed a stretcher trailer for an allterrain vehicle, and had been involved with the rural and urban fire brigades for over 50 years.

Eileen Harvey-Thawley, the oldest serving female firefighter in the Nelson Marlborough district at the age of 84, also received a Queen’s Service Medal for services to Fire and Emergency and the community.

Harvey-Thawley joined the Ma¯ pua brigade 18 years ago, and was currently brigade treasurer and welfare officer.

Between her many projects elsewhere in the community, she donated significant time and funds to the preservation of Ma¯ pua’s original 1948 fire truck.

In 2021 she became the first person to receive the Tasman District Council Community Award twice.

Harvey-Thawley told Stuff in December that she was pretty shocked to receive the award but wanted to dedicate it to the ‘‘wonderful’’ people at the Ma¯ pua Volunteer Fire Brigade.