The Order of New Zealand is the highest honour in the New Zealand Honours System. It was instituted by Royal Warrant, dated February 6, 1987, "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity."
The Order is made up of sovereign, ordinary, additional and honorary members. The sovereign member being held by the current British monarch. The ordinary membership is limited to twenty persons living at any time.
Current Members
(name followed by date of appointment)
Ordinary Members
- Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, DBE (February 6, 1987)
- Sonja Davies, JP (February 6, 1987)
- Sir Edmund Hillary, KG, KBE (February 6, 1987)
- June Daphne, Lady Blundell, QSO (February 6, 1987)
- Dame Miriam Dell, DBE, JP (February 6, 1993)
- Margaret Mahy (February 6, 1993)
- The Honourable (Mrs) Tini Whetu Marama Tirikatene-Sullivan (February 6, 1993)
- Sir Roy McKenzie, KBE (June 17, 1995)
- Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, DBE, AC (June 17, 1995)
- Sir (Frederick) Miles Warren, KBE (June 17, 1995)
- Sir James Fletcher (June 2, 1997)
- Dr Ivan Lichter (June 2, 1997)
- The Right Honourable James Bolger (December 31, 1997)
- Ken Douglas (December 31, 1998)
- Dr Clifford Whiting (December 31, 1998)
- The Right Honourable Mike Moore (December 31, 1999)
- His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Williams (June 5, 2000)
- Professor Alan MacDiarmid (December 31, 2001)
- The Right Honourable David Lange, CH (June 2, 2003)
Additional Members
- The Honourable Michael Duffy (Australia) (February 6, 1990)
- Arthur Lydiard, OBE (February 6, 1990)
- The Right Honourable Sir Robin Cooke, The Lord Cooke of Thorndon, KBE, PC (June 3, 2002)
- Professor Sir (Ian) Hugh Kawharu (June 3, 2002)
- Dame Catherine Tizard, GCMG, GCVO, DBE, QSO (June 3, 2002)
Deceased Members
(name followed by date of appointment and date of death)
Ordinary Members
- The Honourable Sir Arnold Nordmeyer, KCMG (February 6, 1987) (d. February 2, 1989)
- Walter Knox (February 6, 1988) (d. December 1, 1991)
- Dame Whina Cooper, DBE, JP (June 15, 1991) (d. March 26, 1994)
- Frederick Turnovsky, OBE (February 6, 1988) (d. December 12, 1994)
- Professor Richard Matthews (February 6, 1988) (d. February 19, 1995)
- Henry Lang, CB (February 6, 1989) (d. April 17, 1997)
- Dr Clarence Beeby, CMG (February , 1987) (d. March 10, 1998)
- The Very Reverend Dr John Somerville, CMG, MC (June 15, 1991) (d. October 5, 1999)
- The Right Honourable Sir Thaddeus McCarthy, KBE (February 6, 1994) (d. April 11, 2001)
- Emeritus Professor Douglas Lilburn (February 6, 1988) (d. June 6, 2001)
- The Right Reverend Manuhuia Bennett, CMG (February 6, 1989) (d. December 20, 2001)
- Dr Thomas Curnow, CBE (February 6, 1990) (d. September 23, 2001)
Additional Members
- Sir Guy Powles , KBE, CMG, ED (February 6, 1990) (d. October 24, 1994)
- Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (UK) (February 6, 1990) (d. March 30, 2002)
- Janet Frame, CBE (February 6, 1990) (d. January 29, 2004)
- Dame (Reubina) Ann Ballin, DBE (June 3, 2002) (d. 2.9.2003)
