Whakatane's Olga Stancliff is one of many to be named on the Queen's Birthday honours list this year.

Olga is being honoured for her more than 50 years contribution to music.

Olga Stancliff has been in the music industry for more than 50 years.

She has been a full-time piano teacher in Whakatane training a large number of children and adults in performance piano and music theory.

She has mentored many teachers and students who have gone on to successful musical careers, including the New Zealand National Band and the National Youth Orchestra.

Since the 19080s, she has been accompanist to the Edgecumbe Choir since the 1980s and since the 1970s to the Eastern Bay of Plenty Brass Band, with whom she has performed in provincial and National Championships and an Australian Brass Band Championship.

She has been a teacher and player at the Whakatane Music Society since 1973, has played a prominent part in Whakatane Little Theatre Orchestra and the Whakatane Community Orchestra and accompanied soloists and ensembles at Whakatane's Trident High School including at NCEA rehearsals and assessments, Country Women's Institute groups as well as musicians in Rotorua and Tauranga.

She served as the Whakatane representative for the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music for more than 30 years.

Olga is also a volunteer for the SPCA.

KINGI, Mr Mauriora, JP

For services to Maori:

Mr Mauriora Kingi has held cultural support, advisory and interpreter roles with a range of Parliamentary and Ministerial Services, serving Governors-General, Prime Ministers and various Ministers of the Crown. Mr Kingi has been Kaupapa Maori Director for the Rotorua District Council since 2001. He is currently a member of the Advisory Board of Te Puia, New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. He is a member of the Maori Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Rights New Zealand and the Nga Kaituhono Advisory Board. He has been Chair of the National Standing Body and Whakaruruhau for Te Reo, Tikanga and Performing Arts.

He has been involved with Maori performing arts and speech competitions as a tutor and a judge of Kapahaka since the 1980s at local, regional and national secondary school and senior levels. He is the longest serving Judge at Te Matatini Whakataetae a motu National Kapahaka competitions. He has been involved with private training establishments as a founding member of He Kainga mo te reo, a volunteer for Arahia Academy and the Masters and Diploma degree in Social Work based at the Waiariki Institute of Technology.

He has been a member of the Ture Whenua Act review panel for Te Puni Kokiri. Mr Kingi is the senior spokesperson for Te Pakira Marae – Whakarewarewa Rotorua and a recognised spokesperson for Te Arawa.

RUMBLE, Mr Allan Martin

For services to education:

Mr Allan Rumble has more than 40 years' experience as a secondary school teacher and principal in the Bay of Plenty region. In 2004 Mr Rumble retired as co-Principal of Western Heights High School, the largest secondary school in Rotorua. He led the school to perform academically well above other schools of a similar decile.

He also raised achievement levels of Maori students for NCEA levels 1 and 2 well above those of Maori students nationally. Following retirement, he was engaged by the Ministry of Education to act as an interim Principal at a number of ‘at risk' schools. This role requires a combination of expertise in education with a skilful understanding of local context to ensure the school is acting appropriately to address problems and rebuild community trust.

Mr Rumble has demonstrated a lifelong commitment and passion for education achievement in New Zealand.

SHELDRAKE, Mr Terrence Maxwell (Terry)

For services to sport:

Mr Terry Sheldrake has contributed to sport, especially triathlon for more than 30 years. In 1983, Mr Sheldrake helped establish the Eastland Triathlon Club in Gisborne and made a significant contribution to developing the rules for Triathlon in New Zealand.

He was founder and event director in 1989 of the Eastland Duathlon event to support the Eastland Rescue Helicopter Trust. He was the founding CEO of Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti.

He has been the Race Director of more than 120 Weet-Bix kids Tryathlons in New Zealand and the Pacific. He is the Patron of the Weet-Bix Tryathlon Foundation.

He has directed cycling and mountain bike races and helped bring national and international triathlon events to New Zealand.

As an elected member of the International Triathlon Union he has mentored many federations to embrace higher standards of excellence in their production standards, partnered with smaller and less developed national federations in Oceania and the Pacific to achieve at an international level, and has mentored Technical Officials.

He was the competition manager for the 2003 Queenstown and 2012 Auckland ITU Triathlon World Championships and has officiated at both the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games.

Mr Sheldrake has organised fundraising events for Life Education Community Trust Gisborne.

BROWN, Mrs Paku Jane

For services to Maori:

Mrs Paku Brown has promoted Maori language and culture through a range of organisations in the Gisborne area. Mrs Brown continues to work full time as a Kai arahi reo Maori language expert at Te Kura Kuapapa Maori o Nga Uri a Maui in Gisborne. She has taught Te Reo Maori since 1986, having begun her career as Kaiako at Manutuke Te Kohanga Reo.

She has provided cultural training to a variety of groups at Whakato Marae in Manutuke.

She has delivered training on the art of karanga at local marae and with organisations in the community, such as Gisborne Hospital. From 2000 to 2012 she was the Kaumatua for the Tairawhiti Police and assisted with a number of powhiri and official functions for the Gisborne Police. She has provided guidance for the proper processes involving Maori tikanga and kawa, and provided cultural advice for the establishment and opening of a new Gisborne Police building in 2008.

Mrs Brown has been Kaumatua of the Tairawhiti Maori Netball teams since 1998 and provided training and assistance in tikanga practices when the teams have travelled to marae in other tribal areas. AWARDS Kohanga Foundation Award, 2008 Aotearoa Māori Netball service award, 2004

HALL, Mrs Valmai Jeanne (Val)

For services for senior citizens and people with disibilities:

Mrs Val Hall established the Sunshine Service in Gisborne in 1982 to provide transport services for the elderly and disabled. Mrs Hall has worked tirelessly to keep Sunshine Service running and has been Chairperson since 1994.

She has been instrumental in raising funds to purchase nine vans for the service since it began.

The service receives no government funding and relies solely on donations and fundraising.

Organisations such as rest homes, Stroke Support and the Blind Foundation rely on the service to transport client groups and individuals.

There are approximately 1,500 clients using the service. She has conducted induction courses for all new drivers and assistants to ensure they can give quality care while transporting clients. She arranged for guest speakers from blind, Alzheimer's and stroke groups to present to the volunteers so that they may better understand the care needs of passengers.

She has also been involved with the National Executive Council of the Girls Brigade, the Aged Peoples Welfare Council, as a Parish Clerk of the Gisborne Presbyterian Parish, coordinator of Bible-in-Schools at Kaiti School for 15 years, and was the Manager of Dunblane Elder Care Complex for 18 years.

Mrs Hall led fundraising efforts to rebuild the St Andrews Church after it was damaged in the 2007 earthquake.

MACPHERSON, Mrs Ethel Taihaere

For services to Maori and education:

Mrs Ethel Macpherson was a teacher on the East Coast and in Gisborne for 51 years and is dedicated to the revitalisation of Te Reo Maori. Mrs Macpherson is regarded as an expert of the tribal dialects of the reo of the Ngati Porou people.

She has provided translations for Learning Media for the Ministry of Education, including ‘Te Takenga Mai o Te Kumara Ki Aotearoa' (How the Kumara Came to New Zealand).

She was involved in a group called Te Ropu Haukiwi, which was set up to contribute stories of interest to young students of Te Reo Maori, and a number of their books were published by the Ministry of Education.

She was involved in the Manukura Project between 2006 and 2008, which provided mentoring and advice to the students at Gisborne Girls High School. She is an accomplished translator and in 2009 was a Kai panui (Reader) of the Nga Tamatoa Translation Project. In 2010 she translated two stories which encouraged whanau to be safe around water.

Mrs Macpherson is a Life Member of the Maori Women's Welfare League.

MITAI-NGATAI, Mr Minarapa

For services to Maori and the community:

Mr Minarapa Mitai-Ngatai has been involved with hockey as a coach and player in Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty since 1944, and as a referee and manager since 1948. Mr Mitai-Ngatai has coached Bay of Plenty Under 11 Development Squads and most recently was coach of the Selwyn Primary School Maxi Team in 2013.

He is a saxophonist and has performed at a variety of events, including at funeral processions for close to 40 years.

He has performed at Hinemoa Point Marae for events and fundraisers and has performed at Anzac Day ceremonies. He has performed in New Zealand and Australia with the Maureen Haira Maori and Pacific Island Group. He worked for Radio Te Arawa and recorded local artists to play on the station.

Mr Mitai-Ngatai has contributed to carvings for the Kahumatamoemoe Marae and Hongoeka Marae and carved the baptism font for St Michaels Church in Rotorua.

WHATA, Mr Te Uru O Te Whetu Frederick

For services to Maori:

Mr Te Uru O Te Whetu Frederick Whata has spent more than 50 years as a Trustee of various Māori Land Trusts and Incorporations, serving as Chairman on a number of Trusts. Mr Whata was Chairman of Te Karaka Inc for more than 20 years and was Chairman of Ngati Pikiao Environmental Protection Society from 2011 to 2014. He has been Chairman of Te Takinga Marae Trust for more than 20 years.

He has worked towards bridging the cultural gap between iwi and non-Maori, hosting many non-Maori groups on the Te Takinga Marae and improving bicultural relationships with councils and government agencies.

He has been an iwi spokesperson on environmental issues, succeeding in engaging councils with local iwi to find solutions for pollution issues and the protection of the environment. He has been a member of the Okere Scenic Board for a number of years.

He has been a Court Attendant and Kaumatua of the Rotorua Courts for 25 years, acting as a mentor for Maori staff and installing protocols for the protection of Maori taonga used in violent cases. Mr Whata has been Kaumatua for Rotorua Boys High School for 14 years.