Brian Flintoff and Richard Nunns
Richard Nunns (left) and Brian Flintoff, both of Nelson, received the Queen's Service Medal for services to taonga puoro. Mr Flintoff (carver) and Mr Nunns (musician) have been recreating and promoting the art of taonga puoro (researching the traditions and reviving the playing of Māori musical instruments) for more than 20 years. Together they established Haumanu, a group dedicated to spreading the knowledge about taonga puoro, which has recreated instruments that were previously only talked about. They have been involved in projects that promote the traditions of these instruments, including recording the album Te Ku Te Whe: The Women Mat of Sound; which is regarded as the definitive recording of taonga puoro. With others, they have re-discovered long-forgotten sources of pakohe and pounamu at the top of the South Island. They have had much of this stone fashioned into instruments. They developed the Māori musical instruments display at the Mana Whenua exhibition at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and acted as mentors to it’s taonga puoro group, that performs at museum ceremonies.