Mr Graham Smith, of Waitara, MNZM for services to horticulture
Graham Smith has been Curator, Horticultural Director and Director of Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust Garden. He built a specialised Rhododendron collection, importing many specimens and establishing links with leading gardens in the United Kingdom and the United States. He led plant-collecting expeditions to countries of origin, creating a significant global collection. He has served as Vice President of the International Rhododendron Union, has lectured internationally, and was fundamental to the development of the Massey University ‘ex-situ’ Rhododendron conservation project. He was the inaugural chair of the Taranaki Garden Festival. Now retired, Mr Smith remains an active member of the Trust’s Gardens Advisory Group and takes guided walks through the gardens.