For the final New Year 2024 investiture ceremony at Government House Wellington, eleven recipients received their insignia for outstanding contributions both here and abroad. Among them was master weaver Matekino Lawless, who has been weaving for over 60 years. Her works have been showcased both nationally and internationally, and she is a founding member of an advisory group for senior raranga artists. Dr Megan Balks received the New Zealand Antarctic Medal, for services to Antarctic soil science. Dr Balks is one of Aotearoa’s leading soil scientists, and has completed 19 expeditions to study human environmental impact on the Antarctic permafrost. Her research has led to the establishment of Antarctic soil climate monitoring stations, which monitor the effect of climate change in polar areas.
You can find more images in the ceremony's image gallery.