O-R

A list of the University’s most decorated alumni, including Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, inductees to New Zealand’s Royal Honours system, and other notable achievements where available.

Names are ordered alphabetically by surname, from O-R.

O

Robin Moncrieff Oliver MNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2009: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Department of Inland Revenue

Dr Claudia Josepha Orange OBE DCNZM – BA, MA, PhD

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 1997
  • New Year Honours 2009: Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to historical research

Associate Professor John Andrew Ormiston ONZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2011: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to medicine

Dr Maris O'Rourke – BA, MA, PhD

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2007

P

Michael Parmenter MNZM – MCPA with Honours

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2010
  • Directed the Commotion Company from 1990–2008
  • Choreographed works for the Footnote Dance Company and the Royal New Zealand Ballet
  • Recipient of numerous prestigious awards, a renowned teacher, and public speaker

Professor Gareth J Parry MNZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to neurology

Professor Ronald James Paterson ONZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2011: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to health

The Most Reverend John Paterson – BA, LTh with Honours

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2004

Andrew Patterson – BArch (1984)

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2013
  • Awarded New Zealand’s highest award in architecture on five separate occasions
  • Founded Patterson Associates Ltd, a firm responsible for some of the most exciting buildings produced in New Zealand

Brian Peace – BSc, MPhil

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2001

Dame Teuila Percival DNZM, QSO

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2010: Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services to the Pacific Islands community
  • King's Birthday Honours 2023: For services to health and the Pacific community

Emeritus Professor Bryan Perry ONZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to colorectal surgery

William Pike

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2019

Bruce Plested CA – DipTchg (1961)

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2015
  • Founder and Executive Chairman of Mainfreight
  • Conservationist and supporter of education initiatives
  • Founded the Books in Homes project

Professor David Ian Pool CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2013: For services to demography

Tony Pope MNZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education

The Honourable Justice Dame Judith Marjorie Potter CBE DNZM – LLB

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 1997
  • New Year’s Honours 2013: For services to the judiciary

Dr Mark Prebble CNZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for public services, lately as State Services Commissioner

Annette Presley ONZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and women

Kevin Prime MBE ONZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to conservation and Māori

Dame Wendy Edith Pye MBE DNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2013: For services to business and education

Q

Marie Quinn MNZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014

Cathy Quinn ONZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the law and women

R

Dr William Randall MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2017: Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to museum governance

Malcolm Rands MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2016: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business, conservation, and philanthropy

The Hon Mike Rann CNZM MNZM – BA (1974), MA (1976)

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2011
  • New Year Honours 2009: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to New Zealand–Australia relations
  • South Australia’s 44th Premier from 2002-2011
  • Served as the Minister for Economic Development, Social Inclusion, the Arts, Sustainability, and Climate Change

Dame Paula Rebstock DNZM CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2016: Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the State
  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2009: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for public services, lately as Chair of the Commerce Commission

Emeritus Professor Sir Tamati Muturangi Reedy KNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2011: Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education

Dr Gillian Reid QSM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2010: Queen's Service Medal for services to the community

Lisa Reihana MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2018: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to art

Trevor Richards – MA

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 1996

Timothy Richardson MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2012: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rowing

Geoffrey Thomas Ricketts CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2013: For services to education, the arts and business

Dr Penelope Ridings MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2015

Bruce Ritchie MNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Max Ritchie CNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Dame Diane Robertson DNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Dr William Alexander Robertson ONZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to surveying

Sir Julian Robertson KNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2010: Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services as a Judge of the High Court of New Zealand and the Court of Appeal of New Zealand

Associate Professor Bridget Anne Robinson ONZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to medicine

Distinguished Professor Viviane Robinson ONZ

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014

Jean Rockel QSM

  • New Year’s Honours 2015

Thomas Louis Rogerson ONZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the visually impaired

Shae Ronald ONZM

  • King's Birthday Honours 2023: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to youth

Paul Rose CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2017: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to ophthalmology and optometry

Turoa Kiniwe Royal QSO ED CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2013: For services to education

Professor Elaine Rush MNZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014