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Graeme Avery
Graeme Avery is made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his work in business and sport. Mr Avery founded the international medical publishing house Adis International and was co-founder of the Millennium Institute for Sport and Health. He led the fundraising appeal for the East Coast Bays Stadium and was instrumental in establishing the Hawkes Bay Food and Wine Tourism Group. North & South named him New Zealander of the Year in 2002 for his contribution to business, sport and tourism.
Ginette McDonald
Comedian Ginette McDonaldbecomes an Officer of the Order of Merit for her services to entertainment. An actress on stage, television and radio in New Zealand and overseas, McDonald was once best known for her twanging Kiwi accent as TV's Lyn of Tawa, but has also hosted garden makeover show Ground Force and PA for a Day. She now writes columns, reviews and speeches.
Justice William Young
The president of the Appeal Court, Justice William Young, has been made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Justice Young was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2005 and was made president last year. Previously, he was a judge of the High Court for seven years and has acted for the Serious Fraud Office and the Commissioner of Inland Revenue. He has been involved with educational programmes for legal practitioners through the Canterbury District Law Society and the New Zealand Law Society, where he was a council member from 1995 to 1997. He has an honours law degree from the University of Canterbury and a doctorate from Cambridge University. He was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1991.
Dr Graham Bush
Retired academic Dr Graham Bush becomes a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services to historical research. Dr Bush, who retired from Auckland University's political studies department in 1996, is the foremost academic expert on the history of the Auckland City Council, having written two tomes on the topic. A member of the Auckland Regional Land Transport Committee, Dr Bush edited a local history of Epsom, published last year.
Kim Workman
Kim Workman, the national director of the Prison Fellowship, a Christian ministry to prisons, is made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services to prison welfare. In his career in the public service, he rose in 1992 to assistant secretary (penal institutions) in the Department of Justice, and oversaw a major review of prisons. He was joint winner of the International Prize for Restorative Justice in 2005.
Victor Talyancich
Ponsonby Pies founder Victor Talyancich is awarded the Queen's Service Medal for services to business and the Croatian community. Mr Talyancich, who owned the Open Late Cafe in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby, is treasurer of the New Zealand Croatian Rugby Union and a member of the Croatian Society.
