His Excellency the Governor-General has announced that The Queen has been pleased to approve the redesignation of Miss (Isoleen) Heather Begg, D.C.N.Z.M., O.B.E., of Sydney, Australia as a Dame Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit (DNZM).
Dated at Wellington this 17th day of April 2009.
REBECCA KITTERIDGE, Secretary and Registrar, The New Zealand Order of Merit.
Background note
Miss Heather Begg was appointed a Distinguished Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit (DCNZM) in The Queen's Birthday Honours 2000 for services to opera. The recent Amending Royal Warrant for The New Zealand Order of Merit permits Distinguished Companions to be redesignated as either a Knight or Dame Companion of the Order.
Miss Heather Begg now becomes Dame Heather Begg, DNZM, OBE.
This redesignation has been approved in advance of other resdesignations in light of Miss Begg's current ill-health.
For more information, contact David Baguley, Director, Honours Secretariat, 04 817 9349