Dr Peter Hurly, of Palmerston North, DSD for services to the New Zealand Defence Force and aviation medicine
Dr Peter Hurly has served in both the New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force as a uniformed and civilian medical officer in a variety of roles since 1990, with a particular emphasis on aviation medicine. As the first formally trained aviation medicine specialist in the RNZAF, Dr Hurly has been at the forefront of developments in this field and influenced much of the aviation medicine policy that supports current air operations. The period 2002 to 2005 saw a reduction in the size of the Air Force medical establishment and during this time he was the only serving RNZAF doctor. He single-handedly maintained a medical service supported by a small staff. From 2005 to 2013 he served as the Director of Air Force Medicine, during which time he re-established the medical trade in the RNZAF and rebuilt the capacity of the Air Force medical system. He has been active in the Air Space Interoperability Council, serving for many years as the Head of Delegation for the Air Space Medicine Group. He is a council member of the Australasian Military Medicine Association. For many years he has been a Civil Aviation Authority medical examiner. Dr Hurly continues to support RNZAF operations at Ohakea as a civilian medical officer and member of the Active Reserve.