Royal Humane Society of New Zealand Bravery Awards

  • <span class="title">Medal recipients</span><br/>On the steps of Government House Auckland after receiving their bravery awards were (back row from left): Joesph Harding; Ted Collins; Joe Nunufolau; Shane Robinson; and (front from left): Anthony Church, Donna Kitchener; and Amy Tavita (with the medal awarded to her father, John Tavita, who was unable to attend).
  • <span class="title">Joseph Harding</span><br/>Joseph Harding (Ngaruawahia), along with Anthony Church (Hamilton), received silver medals for rescuing the driver of a burning fuel tanker involved in a collision on SH1 near Hamilton on 30 October 2007. Soon after the rescue the tanker was engulfed in flames.
  • <span class="title">Anthony Church</span><br/>Anthony Church (Hamilton) along with Joseph Harding (Ngaruawahia) received silver medals for rescuing the driver of a burning fuel tanker involved in a collision on SH1 near Hamilton on 30 October 2007. Soon after the rescue the tanker was engulfed in flames.
  • <span class="title">Ted Collins</span><br/>Albert Collins (Hamilton) received a bronze medal for rescuing the driver of the truck involved in the collision with a fuel tanker on 30 October 2007 on SH1 near Hamilton.
  • <span class="title">Shane Robinson</span><br/>Shane Robinson (Waiuku), along with Joe Nunufolau (Apia) and John Tavita (Mangere) received silver medals for saving four people trapped in a van which was on fire after a collision with a car on SH22 on 8 June 2008. Soon after the rescue, the van was engulfed in flames. (A further silver medal was earlier this year presented to Karl Hogan, who lives overseas, for his role in this rescue).
  • <span class="title">John Tavita</span><br/>John Tavita (Mangere) along with Joe Nunufolau (Apia) and Shane Robinson (Waiuku) received silver medals for saving four people trapped in a van which was on fire after a collision with a car on SH22 on 8 June 2008. Soon after the rescue, the van was engulfed in flames.   Mr Tavita was unable to attend the ceremony and his medal was received by his daughter Amy Tavita.
  • <span class="title">Joe Nunufolau</span><br/>Joe Nunufolau (Apia) along with John Tavita (Mangere) and Shane Robinson (Waiuku) received silver medals for saving four people trapped in a van which was on fire after a collision with a car on SH22 on 8 June 2008. Soon after the rescue, the van was engulfed in flames. (A further silver medal was earlier this year presented to Karl Hogan, who lives overseas, for his role in this rescue).
  • <span class="title">Donna Kitchener</span><br/><p> Donna Kitchener (Titirangi), received a silver medal for swimming out and saving a boy caught in the Manukau Harbour mudflats at Green Bay as the tide was rising on 30 January 2006. The boy's father, who also went to his son's aid, tragically died in the rescue attempt. </p>

The Governor-General, Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, as Patron of the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand, presented seven bravery medals at Government House in Auckland on 3 June 2009.