2026 Citizens Awards recognise leading Waitakians

If you know Harry Andrew, then it’s probably because of his much-celebrated work with the Oamaru Steam and Rail – the preservation and restoration of steam locomotives, rail-cars and rail infrastructure in Waitaki.

His career took him to the army, then working up in Twizel on the hydro projects, before returning to Oamaru to work on the main water races – now part of the Lower Waitaki scheme, and providing Oamaru to Moeraki with drinking water, before working at Fletcher’s Timber whose site is just opposite the current Oamaru Steam and Rail workshops.

But if you think Harry is all about tracks and trains, you might be surprised to find it’s a lot more about people.

Harry has been General Manager of the Oamaru Steam and Rail for 40 years but has also worked alongside the Department of Corrections for 39 years as a Mentor for young men and women who need some support, guidance and understanding the satisfaction of getting their hands dirty and making a good cup of tea.

Over the years he’s overseen many, many young men and women who’ve been passed to him via the Court system and without them the Waterfront Road rail line would not have been uncovered.

Harry remembers he had eight to ten people working on it, but to provide them with tools he’d nip to the Council’s Chelmer St depot on a Friday afternoon and pick up all the equipment but would have to get it back first thing Monday morning so Council could use it.

The Steam and Rail also attracts a diverse range of people who benefit from clear directions, the chance to socialise and experience working with others – and Harry is extremely proud of all of those who he has helped get a good start and get along in life.

He also appreciates them getting back in touch to check in on him and the society and let him know how their lives are going.

It’s a unique role, one which is about making sure the funding’s there but also wheeler-dealing to exchange this part for that part with other organisations running heritage rail around New Zealand.

Harry says, “In the end, I have a great team of members working in behind me. Our railway would not be what it is now if I did not have them there with me. So I do need to put out a very big thank you to all the members past and present”.

Although, stealing that last word back, Harry wouldn’t have that team of members if he hadn’t spent forty years investing as much in people as he has in the steam and rail society. That’s more than enough to deserve this year’s Waitaki Citizens Award.

Thank you Harry.

Palmerston’s Lloyd Smith has spent much of his life working with dogs, helping other trainers and contributing to his rural community. 

His long involvement with the Waihemo Collie Club has included around 35 years as a committee member and course marshal, many years of fundraising, and a period as president when the club needed a helping hand. 

When membership dropped, Lloyd stepped back into the president’s role and helped organise training days, encourage younger people to become involved and rebuild numbers. 

As Lloyd puts it simply: “Anyone’s welcome.” 

That willingness to help others has been a constant throughout his life. 

Lloyd began shepherding after leaving school at 17 and freely admits he had plenty to learn. 

Remembering those early struggles was one reason he later became so committed to helping others train working dogs. 

Together with his late wife Linda, Lloyd travelled throughout New Zealand for around 20 years running dog-training days, while also producing training material that sold thousands of copies around the world. 

His own achievements in dog trialling are considerable. 

Lloyd has won five New Zealand dog trial titles, six Island titles and recorded around 72 Island and New Zealand placings. 

He has represented New Zealand in heading test series against Australia three times, and has also served as manager and judge of a New Zealand team in a handy dog series. 

For Lloyd, though, dog trialling has never been only about winning. 

He values the fellowship, the camaraderie, the places it takes you and the people you meet. 

Those relationships have been particularly important in rural communities, giving people the chance to catch up, share experiences and have what Lloyd describes as “a bit of a yarn”. 

That same sense of community is what keeps him committed to the Waihemo Collie Club. 

He wants it to remain a place where people can come together, learn, compete and keep an important rural tradition alive. 

For decades of service to the Waihemo Collie Club, his contribution to dog trialling, his willingness to share his knowledge with others and his commitment to rural community life, Lloyd Smith is a deserving recipient of a Waitaki Citizens’ Award.

With nearly 125 uninterrupted years under their sporrans, the North Otago Highland Pipe Band has plenty to be proud of - longevity, community service, and a century-and-a-quarter of spreading joy through music. 

That contribution has now been formally recognised with a Citizens’ Award 2026, an honour pipers Janice Hayes and Helena Paton say is “a real boost” for the band. 

Janice has been an active member for 57 years, while Helena has been involved, on and off, for more than 50. Both are still going strong, sustained by their passion for the music, dedication to the band and the camaraderie that comes with band life. 

One of the band’s greatest achievements is simply that it has endured under the same name, without going into recess. 

That continuity, Janice says, comes down to people staying involved, teaching new players and keeping the music alive for the next generation. 

Today, Pipe Major Hugh Matheson and Drum Major Noel Joyce lead the band — Hugh at practice and Noel on parade. 

Although now mainly social rather than competitive, the band remains a familiar presence throughout the community. Its 9 or 10 drummers and 12 pipers turn out for Anzac Days, A&P shows, Christmas parades, rest homes, heritage parades, steampunk events and the races. 

And that tradition of turning out when the community calls goes back generations. 

The band played at the opening of the Waitaki Dam in 1934 and the opening of the new road bridge at Glenavy in 1956, along with many other special events over the years. 

As Helena says, attracting younger members and the commitment needed to learn and practise can be challenging, but the band has always encouraged people to give it a go. 

Janice believes fluctuating membership is simply part of being a small-town band. 

This year, members will mark 125 years with a Labour Weekend reunion — a chance for past and present members to catch up, bring out the pipes and drums, and have a tune together like they did in the old days. 

For nearly 125 years, generations of members have kept the North Otago Highland Pipe Band playing, marching and contributing to community occasions across the district. 

That remarkable continuity, dedication and service make the North Otago Highland Pipe Band a worthy recipient of a Waitaki Citizens’ Award. 

When Jennifer retired in 2014 after a career in public service, her plan was to put down some roots – literally – as a full-time gardener in Hampden.

She’s still a member of the Waianakarua Garden Club, and a keen and passionate gardener, but eventually there are only so many conversations you can have with plants, and Hampden is a community with a strong ‘If we don’t do it, who else will’ ethic that drew her back to getting involved. As Jennifer says, “I felt the absence of being useful so over a period of time I added to my interests, and it seems in the process I have been useful!”

So, back to public service – but this time on her own terms. Ten years as the secretary to the Board of Trustees at Hampden School, and a member of the Friends of Hampden School – with the aim of ensuring the children at the school get the best start in life and supporting the school to fund what the Ministry of Education doesn’t.

Jennifer’s also extremely proud of the Hampden Branch of the Waitaki District Libraries, where she has volunteered and supported its expansion from one to three rooms by working with Council’s Library team.

Jennifer is also a member of the Hampden Branch of Rural Women NZ, holding a pink ribbon breakfast, while also supporting the annual Daffodil Day stall in Hampden – fundraising for cancer charity.

She’s also on the Hampden Presbyterian Church community, supporting the maintenance

Most recently, she’s led the successful campaign to reduce the speed-limit through Hampden – no easy feat on State Highway 1 – to 50km/h but also reduce the approach speed into township and upgrade the junctions at both the Moeraki Boulders and to Moeraki township itself.

Working with local businesses, the Waihemo Community Board, Miles Anderson and NZTA – the project’s been approved, even if it’s going to take a little while to get done.

Not bad for a full-time gardener, and one who is thoroughly deserving of this year’s Citizen Award. 

For many island teenagers who arrived in Ōamaru, Wendy Havea became their Kiwi mum — and the person who taught them to eat with a fork. 

Those young men originally came to Ōamaru to attend high school and play rugby. Many stayed, married and raised families of their own. 

Today, Wendy’s grandchildren are growing up alongside their children and she says they are now “one big family”. 

That sense of family has been at the heart of Wendy’s long involvement with the Ōamaru Pacific Island Community Group Incorporated. 

She first became involved when her two oldest children wanted to learn island dancing. 

She found a welcoming group where everyone pitched in — teaching dances, supervising children, preparing supper and cleaning up afterwards. 

Before long, Wendy had become part of what she describes as the Pacific family. 

Over the years, she has done a bit of everything. She played a major role in catering for culture group feasts and functions, helped make costumes for yearly performances, and served voluntarily on the executive committee as secretary and treasurer. 

But Wendy’s contribution has extended well beyond the culture group. 

Together with her husband, she opened her home to new families while they settled into Ōamaru. 

They helped people apply for jobs and visas, find somewhere to live, enrol children in school, access health care, and navigate banking and tax numbers. 

Their home became somewhere families could stay while they adjusted to life in New Zealand and got the practical things in place to build a life of their own. 

For Wendy, one of the greatest rewards has been watching those families flourish. 

Many have chosen to stay in Ōamaru, raising children who are excelling at school, continuing into higher education or finding work, while also supporting family back in the Islands. 

Wendy’s involvement has also deepened her understanding of cultures from across the Pacific. Now her grandchildren are involved too, continuing the family connection with the culture group. 

Despite everything she has contributed, Wendy is happiest working quietly in the background. 

For her many years of voluntary service, her practical support for families making Ōamaru their home, and her contribution to the cultural and community life of our district, Wendy Havea is a deserving recipient of a Waitaki Citizens’ Award. 

When Silou Temoana and her family moved to Ōamaru in 2008, there were very few Tuvaluan families in the area. 

With young children of their own, Silou and her family wanted them to grow up connected to their culture, heritage and community. 

That desire led to Silou becoming involved with the Ōamaru Pacific Island Community Inc, initially as a way to help preserve cultural identity, build relationships and create opportunities for young people to celebrate their roots. 

Over time, that involvement grew into years of service and leadership, including serving as president. 

For Silou, taking on greater responsibility was about giving back to a community that had become an important part of her family’s life. 

Behind the celebrations and cultural events was plenty of work — planning, meetings, working with committee members and kaumātua, supporting families, resolving issues and listening to the needs of the community. 

One of the achievements Silou is most proud of is helping make the Pacific Hub a reality. 

For her, it is much more than a building. It is a welcoming place where Pacific people and families can find support, access information and services, connect with others and share their cultures and experiences. 

Silou has watched Ōamaru’s Pacific community grow considerably since her family arrived. 

She has seen more families make Ōamaru home, smaller island communities grow, and greater opportunities develop for people to share their languages, traditions and cultures. 

But some of the most meaningful moments have been much closer to home. 

Silou’s sons grew up helping at community events and gatherings. Through those experiences, they built strong connections, learned the value of service and developed pride in their Pacific identity. 

That, for Silou, reflects why the work matters. 

The Ōamaru Pacific Island Community gives new families a sense of connection and belonging, while helping younger generations stay connected to their heritage. 

Receiving a Citizens’ Award is something Silou describes as both special and humbling. 

She sees it not only as recognition of her own contribution, but of the journey the Pacific community has taken together. 

For her years of service, leadership and commitment to helping Pacific families feel supported, connected and at home in Ōamaru, Silou Temoana is a deserving recipient of a Waitaki Citizens’ Award.