New Year Honours: No bull.... Sir Tim heads eight new knights, dames

If public profile, popularity and protest were grounds for a knighthood, long-standing Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt would have been Sir Timothy decades ago.

But the one-time activist, who first achieved fame as the author of Bullshit & Jellybeans in late 1960s at the height of anti-Vietnam war movement, has finally achieved the respectability of the New Year 2019 Honours List as Knight Companion of the NZ Order of Merit (NZOM).

The country’s longest serving mayor was first elected to head Waitemata City (later Waitakere) for two terms from 1983-89. After moving south, he won the Invercargill mayoralty for a three-year term in 1993 and again in 1998. He is now on his eighth term.

His policies, such as free tertiary education, have stimulated economic growth in Southland (it is top of the latest ASB Regional Scorecard) and provided Invercargill with facilities such as Stadium Southland and the SIT Velodrome.

Four new Dames, two new Knights of the NZOM and an upgraded one are also in the New Year 2019 Honours List.

The new Dame Companions are:
• Internationally recognised scientist Professor Margaret Brimble. She is director of medicinal chemistry at the University of Auckland and principal investigator in the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery. She was the first New Zealand woman to be elected Fellow of the Royal Society (London) and has received many previous awards, including Companion and Member of the NZOM (2012 and 2004, respectively). 

• Former Retirement Commissioner Diana Crossan. She held this post from 2003-13 after being the first manager of the Equal Opportunities Unit at the Services Commission. She chaired the JR McKenzie Trust for many years and was chief executive of the Wellington Free Ambulance from 2013-17.

• Former Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast, who was elected for three terms from 2010. She has since chaired Tourism New Zealand, the establishment board of the Environmental Protection Authority, New Zealand Film Commission and the New Zealand Conservation Authority. Previous honour: Companion of the NZOM (2011). 

•Wellington film-maker Gaylene Preston, who made the documentary My Year With Helen (2017), on former prime minister Helen Clark's unsuccessful bid to become UN Secretary-General. Her other films include Home by Christmas (2010), Earthquake (2006) and Perfect Strangers (2003). Previous honour: Officer of the NZOM (2002).

New Knight Companions are:
• Former Commissioner for Children Dr Ian Hassall, who has spent his career in child welfare, including cot death research. He was appointed the first commissioner for children in 1989.

• Auckland businessman Robert (Rob) McLeod was chief executive and managing director of Ernst & Young (now EY) Oceania from 2010-14. He headed the Government Tax Review (McLeod Report) in 2001, was a member of the Capital Markets Taskforce (2008) and chairman of the NZ Roundtable (2002-10). His involvement in Maori business interests includes the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission, chairman of Aoteroa Fisheries and director of Taiunui Group Holdings. 

• Former families Commissioner Kim Workman. He took up this role from 2008-11 after steeping down as national director of the Prison Fellowship. He has held academic posts as well as others in the prison welfare and the justice sector. Victoria and Massey universities have awarded him honorary degrees of Doctor of Literature for his publications. Previous honour: Companion of the Queen's Service Order (2007).

Sir Stephen Tindall, redesignated as a Knight Companion in 2009, has been promoted to Knight Grand Companion of the NZOM. He founded The Warehouse Group in 1982 and since leaving active management has been involved in a wide range of philanthropic, sporting and business innovation roles. These include the Tindall Foundation, which has made $145 million in donations, the $250m venture capital fund K1W1 and chairing America's Cup holder Team New Zealand. Previous honours: Distinguished Companion and Officer of the NZOM (2007 and 1997, respectively.