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History
Since the beginning of settlement in the mid nineteenth century, British honours were awarded in New Zealand. In 1848, Governor George Grey received the first honour granted to a New Zealand resident, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.[1]
For more than a hundred years the British honours system was used for New Zealand. In 1975, after a review of the system, two uniquely New Zealand honours were integrated into it: the Queen's Service Order, and its affiliated Medal. In 1987, the Order of New Zealand was instituted as the supreme New Zealand honour. Finally, in 1995 – 1996, a further review of the system resulted in the termination of awards of almost all British honours and the creation of a new five-level New Zealand Order of Merit to replace them[2].
Knighthood or damehood was initially attached to the two highest levels of the New Zealand Order of Merit, but this was removed in 2000 when the statutes of the order were modified by the following government[2]. (All Knights and Dames created in this and other orders before 2000 may continue to use the titles "Sir" or "Dame" however.) Since the Order of New Zealand does not bestow knighthood, there is now no regular honour by which a New Zealand citizen can be made a knight or dame. However, the 1996 overhaul of the honours system did not affect the dynastic honours, that is, the honours in the personal gift of the Queen, which are not awarded on ministerial advice[1] (such as the Order of the Garter, Order of Merit and the Royal Victorian Order). In principle New Zealanders can still attain knighthood by appointment to knightly grades of these orders.[3] Recently there have been calls by some politicians to bring back knighthoods[4].
Orders
The Order of New Zealand is the highest civilian honour awarded by the Queen on the advice of the Government; in heraldic terms, it is a first-level honour. Next ranking is the five-level New Zealand Order of Merit. The Queen's Service Order is a fourth-level honour, while the Queen's Service Medal is a sixth-level honour. Both of the latter are awarded either "for Community Service" or "for Public Service".
In the reorganisation of the New Zealand honours system in 1996, appointments to the Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Order of the British Empire, Order of the Companions of Honour and Knight Bachelor were replaced as follows (references to knights include dames):[5]
First Level Honours
Present system
- Member of the Order of New Zealand* - ONZ
- Knight Grand Companion (before 2000) / Principal Companion (after 2000) of the New Zealand Order of Merit - GNZM/PCNZM
Previous system
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
- Companion of Honour
Second Level Honours
Present system
- Knight Companion (before 2000) / Distinguished Companion (after 2000) of the New Zealand Order of Merit - KNZM or DNZM/DCNZM
Previous system
- Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
- Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- Knight Bachelor
Third Level Honours
Present system
- Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit - CNZM
Previous system
- Companion of the Order of the Bath
- Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Fourth Level Honours
Present system
- Queen's Service Order* - QSO
- Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit - ONZM
Previous system
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Fifth Level Honours
Present system
- Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit - MNZM
Previous system
- Member of the Order of the British Empire
Sixth Level Honours
Present system
- Queen's Service Medal* - QSM
- New Zealand Antarctic Medal - NZAM
- Distinguished Service Decoration - DSD
Previous system
- British Empire Medal (Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service)
- Queen's Police Medal
- Queen's Fire Service Medal
- Polar Medal
* Honours which were also awarded under the previous system.
Other honours
- Other orders, decorations and medals which do not carry titles, but entitle the holder to place post nominals after his or her name.
- The Most Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem (founded 1888). Although it is an independent order of chivalry, it is officially sanctioned by virtue of the fact that the Queen is the Sovereign of the Order. The Governor-General of New Zealand is the Prior in New Zealand. The members of this semi-official order can wear the Order's insignia, but do not receive any titles of Knighthood or use any post-nominal letters.
See also
- New Zealand Honours Order of Precedence
- New Zealand gallantry awards
- New Zealand bravery awards
- New Zealand campaign medals
- New Zealand Meritorious & Long Service Awards
- The Right Honourable
- The Honourable
- British and Commonwealth orders and decorations
- Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom
- State decoration
References
- ^ a b History of the New Zealand Honours System, accessed 22 July 2006.
- ^ a b New Zealand Order of Merit, accessed 22 July 2006
- ^ Dynastic Honours at NZDF Medals, accessed 8 October 2006.
- ^ Brash plans to bring back knighthoods, New Zealand Herald, retrieved 5 September 2005;
Brash call for knighthoods 'living in past', Dominion Post, retrieved 5 September 2005. - ^ Press release of 2 May 1996 at the New Zealand Executive Government News Release Archive (govt.nz). Accessed 28 February 2006.
External links
- The Honours Secretariat of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
- State decorations: gallantry and bravery awards; military campaign and commemorative medals.
- MSM Awards - NZ Awards
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