New Year Honours: Veteran broadcaster and former Bay politician Philip Sherry

One of New Zealand's longest serving broadcasters has been recognised in the New Year Honours.

Papamoa's Philip Sherry — "Mr Credibility" himself — has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to local government and broadcasting.

His career in the latter began in 1960 when he joined the New Zealand Broadcasting Service as a continuity announcer.

Two years later he was an original radio newsreader and, when television began in 1963, he joined John Roberts, David Clark and Brian Hudson as the country's first news frontmen.

He went on to read the news for Radio New Zealand bulletins, Morning Report, TV1, TV2, and TV3 news and current affairs in a broadcasting career spanning more than three decades, during which he earned his nickname "Mr Credibility".

A household name, he moved seamlessly from broadcasting to local politics in 1992 — elected as a councillor for the North Shore City Council and the Takapuna Community Board, then representing the North Shore on the Auckland Regional Council from 1995 to 2004.

Sherry and his wife, Margaret, had hardly moved into their new home in Papamoa after 26 years in Auckland when he was elected a councillor for Environment Bay of Plenty as the second-highest polling candidate. He served four terms to 2016.

He has also supported a range of philanthropic causes.