Jacq Dwyer at the Alton Coronation Hall with the relocated war memorial. Photo / Bevan Conley
Jacqueline (Jacq) Dwyer, of Alton, has been recognised with a King’s Service Medal (KSM) in the King’s Birthday Honours list for services to the community.
Dwyer has been committed to the preservation of South Taranaki history, particularly of Pātea, Kakaramea, Hurleyville, Alton and Manutahi.
“I am surprised and pleased to receive the honour,” Dwyer said.
“There are a lot of people doing good things for their communities around here so the recognition is very much appreciated.”
Born in Kakaramea, Dwyer returned to the district after living overseas and developed a strong interest in local history.
Dwyer has written several books on the histories of the small settlements of the area and compiled family stories from residents of Hurleyville, Alton and Pātea.
As president of the Pātea Historical Society, she arranged for the publication of the late author Ian Church’s book Salutary Punishment. The book about Māori prisoners sent from Taranaki to Dunedin in the mid-19th century was unpublished at the time of Church’s death.
For the past decade, Dwyer has been uncovering and documenting the military history of South Taranaki towns.
She has brought to light the names and stories of men listed on war memorials in the South Taranaki area. Her book Patea RSA: 100 Years 1919-2019 includes stories from the outlying small settlements of the area. Dwyer documented the names of hundreds of soldiers in both world wars, some for the first time.
She is now working on a history of Kakaramea School in preparation for the 150th anniversary in 2026.
As well as writing about the local history, Dwyer helped to preserve it as a co-ordinator for the relocation of the WWI and WWII Cenotaph from the former Alton School to a site at Alton Hall in 2013.
The relocation instigated a revival of Anzac Day services at Alton with the attendance of more than 200 people each year.
Dwyer helped co-ordinate the restoration of the Alton Coronation Hall, which consists of a small museum with local history in the former post office making it a suitable venue for large district events. She has also maintained a keen interest in the Kakaramea Hall where regular community events are hosted.
In 2020, Dwyer was diagnosed with the blood cancer myeloma – a treatable but incurable condition. While receiving treatment, she worked on two books in her The History of a Settlement series published in 2022.
Dwyer is the chairwoman of the Pātea Community Board and this year she joined the Paepae in the Park organising committee.
The free, annual music festival held at Memorial Park in Pātea has been running for 21 years and Dwyer said she was happy to lend her support to ensure its continued success.
It was her third term as the community board chair and a role she continued to enjoy, she said.
“I want to ensure that the Pātea, Waverley and Waitōtara districts continue to get their fair share of improvements and facilities,” she said.
Liz Wylie is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. She joined the editorial team in 2014 and regularly covers stories from Whanganui and the wider region. She also writes features and profile stories.
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