Mrs Tina O’Halloran, of Auckland, MNZM for services to education and the Niuean community
Mrs Tina O’Halloran was one of the first Niuean primary school teachers. She has led community language classes, helped develop learning resources, including ‘Ponataki’ and ‘Haia! An Introduction to Vagahau Niue’, and is developing a Niuean thesaurus. She has worked with the Vagahau Niue Trust, Hulaaga Vagahau Niue and Lalaga Fakatupuola Moui. She co-authored academic work exploring the challenges of language and cultural loss among Niueans in New Zealand, and co-developed the ‘Mind Your Language’ website. She is a tutor and songwriter with the Laupapa Trust, and was one of the first Niuean language advisors for Polyfest. Mrs O’Halloran is a leader with Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu, an organisation working to address family violence.