Lyall Ashley Bailey, Winton
Services to community and local government
Lyall Bailey avoids the limelight so shining a spotlight on him as a recipient of the Queen’s Service Medal has been both "humbling and uncomfortable".
"I’m aware that there are many others in the community who have given generously of their time," he said.
He was a member of the Rotary club in Winton for 50 years, and was chairman of the Winton Community Board from 1989 to 2001. As chairman, he led a major project to redevelop Winton’s main street.
"We had a vision for the main street and I was just lucky that we had a great community board," he said.
Under Mr Bailey’s leadership, the Southland District Council won an excellence award for best practice in infrastructure management in 2016.
Born in Winton in 1945, the proud local ran the Royal Mail service for 43 years while tending to his 62-hectare sheep farm.
He credits his wife Lenore for helping him manage the postal service and for her support while he worked as a councillor.
In 2001 he was elected as a councillor to Southland District Council and served until 2016.
He chaired several of the council’s committees and was involved in upgrading Winton’s swimming pool, skatepark and memorial hall.
"It was important to have a hub for the community" and after the hall was given a facelift, "people flocked back to using it", he recalled.
He chaired the Central Southland Hospital Charitable Trust from 2013 to 2020.
Securing funding for Winton’s medical centre and maternity hospital meant "new mothers had somewhere to stay and a good start to motherhood".
Mr Bailey was a justice of the peace from 2005 until retiring last year.
David Alan Burnett, Invercargill
Services to multisport
Invercargill dairy farmer David "Ginge" Burnett does not know who nominated him for the Queen’s Service Medal and thought the reward was meant for "somebody else".
Being recognised for his services to multisport was a "surprise" and he thought "a mistake had been made".
His dedication to the multisport world included being a member of the Southland Triathlon and Multisport Club Committee for 24 years and president of the club from 2005 to 2019.
Mr Burnett spearheaded events including the Southland Summer Challenge, Southland Schools’ Triathlon Championships, Ascot Park Triathlon, Riverton to Zookeepers Race, and the Total Life Kids’ TRYathlon.
The multisport enthusiast was motivated to do his bit for Invercargill because it was about "giving back to the community".
"It’s important for children and adults to help themselves. When you see the satisfaction on their faces it makes it all worthwhile."
Cycling 3015km of the Te Araroa Trail to help raise funds for the sensory playground at Waihopai School’s Park Unit was a highlight and life goal.
Mr Burnett has coached the Woodlands Schoolboy Rugby Club throughout the 2000s and was president of the Southland BMX Club from 2009 to 2018.
He was a trustee on the Sport Southland board of trustees from 2008 to 2013 and on the Southland Indoor Leisure Pursuit Centre board of trustees from 2015 to 2018.
Reconnecting with a child he coached "back in Woodlands", who was now 21 and remembered him as "Ginge", made his voluntary work "all worth it".
Brian Campbell McCandless, Te Anau
Services to the community
Personal loss became the catalyst for a life of community service for Irish-born Brian McCandless.
The ex-air force buddy he met at a funeral recognised his former air vice-marshal was in trouble.
The friend said, "you look awful, I’ve got just the thing for you".
"He got me involved in his disabled sailing operation and I became a different human being.
"I discovered the joy of seeing a smile on someone else’s face because of something you’ve done.
"Working for money is something we all have to do, but working for the good of the community gives you a much better feeling at the end of the day."
The decision to immigrate to New Zealand was made in 2004, but he and his wife Yvonne spent six years splitting their time six months in the United Kingdom and Te Anau before receiving permanent residency in 2010.
"We came here to retire and to enjoy ourselves and part of the enjoyment has been getting involved with the local people."
Te Anau was a welcoming and supportive community.
"We simply did the same," Mr McCandless said.
His community service included leading the Fiordland Retirement Housing Trust, which established the Murchison Villas retirement village; raising funds for a disabled sailor’s hoist; leading change at the local bridge club; founding member of Fiordland Probus; teaching children to sail, and spearheading installing all-weather turf at the local bowling club.
As the recipient of previous civic honours, he was still "thrilled" to receive the unexpected 2024 Queen’s Service Medal.
But he was most proud of establishing the Murchison Villas where locals could remain near family.
