Richard Dunkerton will receive a Queen Service Medal for services to swimming. Photo / Tania Whyte
Richard Dunkerton will receive a Queen Service Medal for services to swimming. Photo / Tania Whyte
A Northland swimming coach who is nearing 50 years of involvement in the sport has been awarded a Queen’s Service Medal.
Richard Dunkerton, 81, started coaching swimming in 1976 and hasn’t looked back since. He’s described receiving a QSM* as a “huge honour”, but it was something he didn’t believe at first.
Dunkerton said he initially placed the notification email in his spam folder, but a call soon confirmed that the news was true.
“I nearly fell over when I got the call,” he joked.
Dunkerton’s dedicated his life to swimming , with various roles across the Northland region.
He said getting into the sport was something that happened entirely “by accident”.
“They [Bay of Islands Swimming Club] actually had a coach and he couldn’t get back into New Zealand. I didn’t know much about swimming but I said, ‘I’ll get them fit’, and unfortunately he couldn’t come back.”
Dunkerton said he had to learn “furiously” to try and “get ahead” of some talented young kids.
He was appointed president and remained coach at the club for more than 20 years, and in 1988 and 1989 he received life membership from the Northland Swimming Association and Bay of Islands Swimming Club.
In 2003 he began as head coach at Bream Bay Swimming Club and continues to mentor, leading youngsters to compete at the national level.
Richard Dunkerton is a veteran in the Northland swimming world. Photo / Tania Whyte
One observation he’s made over his time involved in the sport has been a dramatic decrease in clubs across the region. At one point there were around 16, which has reduced to about five.
He believes swimming, particularly in Northland, is a hugely important skill and something that needs to be invested in by Swimming New Zealand.
“We’re surrounded by water,” he said, “you can’t go very far in New Zealand without at least a creek.”
He said those “running the show” need to get more hands-on to assist clubs and swimmers.
“We used to run swim camps and weekend camps and that type of stuff,” he said. “There was physical and financial support, but it doesn’t seem to be happening these days.”
While not all changes have been positive, Dunkerton said even after nearly 50 years of coaching and teaching, he still gets that “buzz”.
“The older I get, the more of a chore it is on occasion or getting up in the mornings and all that kind of stuff,” he said.
“But you see young kids all of a sudden manage to pick up the water properly and that kind of stuff, you get a huge buzz from it.”
Dunkerton has taught students who’ve completed at the national level, a second-to-none feeling.
“It’s choice you know, you get them to New Zealand Age Group champs and get them to the New Zealand Opens, and especially if you’ve had them for a long time, they sort of become like your family, like your children.”
“It’s been a great ride,” he said.
His goal is to still be coaching in 2026, which will be his 50th year coaching.
* The Queen’s Service Order and its accompanying medal, the Queen’s Service Medal, is still named after the late Queen Elizabeth II this year, but will change name to the King’s Service Order and King’s Service Medal to acknowledge the new monarch.
The first honours using the new titles are likely to be announced as part of the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024.
