Merrilyn George, of Ohakune, QSM, for services to education and the community
Mrs George has taught at Ruapehu College for over 50 years, in technology, art, mathematics, science and Te Reo Māori. She set up an inter-whanau kapa haka competition and helped train the kapa haka group. She has coached sports teams and established a netball competition. She was Chairperson of the college’s 50th Jubilee Committee. She has been involved in many historical, cultural and sporting events in the community. She researched, wrote and published ‘Ohakune, Opening to a New World’, and published several other historical works. She was awarded a Royal New Zealand Society fellowship for Traditional Māori Textiles Technology.