Retired coroner Dr Wallace Bain has been appointed a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Photo / Andrew Warner
Retired coroner Dr Wallace Bain has been appointed a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Photo / Andrew Warner
Dr David Wallace Bain
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to health and the community.
When you look over Dr Wallace Bain’s remarkable career, it’s little wonder the retired coroner’s name has appeared on this year’s New Year Honours list.
His work during nearly three decades as a coroner brought about change that literally saved lives - and that’s just one of the reasons he’s been made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Bain is a pharmacist and lawyer who helped with legislation changes in both the pharmaceutical and coronial professions.
He was the Bay of Plenty Regional coroner from 2007 to 2020, having been coroner for King Country previously from 1992.
He played a significant role in changes to the firearms code and in reducing fatalities in the areas of cot deaths, texting while driving, youth drinking and cyberbullying.
He has provided pro-bono legal advice to community groups and was an International Rugby Board commissioner.
Rotorua coroner Dr Wallace Bain in 2017. Photo / NZME
As a coroner, he carried out a number of high-profile inquests, including into the child abuse deaths of Nia Glassie and Moko Rangitoheriri, and in his work to prevent suicides he put his money where his mouth was and toured with comedian Mike King in 2014 to deliver messages in schools called “A Coroner and King”.
Bain supported the Life Education Trust to provide books in South Waikato and together with other pharmacists helped fund the daily costs of a school in Fiji.
Politics was also on the list of achievements after a stint as Te Kuiti mayor from 1995 to 1998, as was being an author — having written two books on trout fishing and one about his time as a coroner.
Retired coroner Wallace Bain with his latest book. Photo / Andrew Warner
A stickler for doing what’s right, Bain has taken today’s acknowledgement so seriously, his honour will be a surprise to not only his wife and children but also his family who have travelled to their Lake Tarawera home to spend the New Year with him.
“You get a sent a letter saying the King has approved your appointment and are asked to keep it to yourself until the 31st so that’s what I’ve done.”
Bain told the Rotorua Daily Post Weekend he was taking the honour as a “recognition” and “compliment” on behalf of all coroners.
“They have such a huge workload and we have all worked hard and have brought about a lot of change. It’s been an honour to have the opportunity to do it.”
Bain paid tribute to one of his former colleagues - Rotorua GP Dr John Armstrong - whom he worked with to bring about modernising the autopsy processes.
That change meant Māori bodies could be released to their loved ones earlier to allow tangi to get under way.
“That has made a huge difference to grieving families. They were no longer held up in cold morgues where no one could see the body, which is completely contrary to Māori practice.”
Little did Bain know when talking to the Rotorua Daily Post Weekend that Armstrong’s name is also appearing in the New Year Honours list.
Another of his big wins was seeing the number of cot deaths drastically reduce - from about 150 a year nationally when he started to about 30 today.
He had gone on the “warpath” — with help from media — about co-sleeping and helping to introduce “pēpē pods”, or small baby beds that could be put in a bed or beside a bed with mothers.
Despite being retired for two years, the 72-year-old did not miss the opportunity in this interview to hammer home the message.
“I’ll never forget pathologist Dr David Taylor holding up two fingers in an inquest and saying if you put that on the chest of a sleeping baby for 20 minutes you will kill it.
“That’s what happens when you’re fast asleep with a baby in your bed, you roll over and the arm might go out. Particularly if you’ve had a couple of grogs, you just don’t realise.”
As Bain feels quietly chuffed with his latest recognition, he remains proud of his role as a coroner and their motto: “Speaking for the dead to protect the living.”
