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Ōrewa resident Barbara Everiss had the mantle of the Order of St John, Commander placed around her shoulders at a special ceremony on July 20.
The St John honours are an independent part of the NZ honours system and are conferred annually. They are sanctioned by King Charles.
Barbara says the investiture, at St Mary’s Cathedral in Hamilton, was a great honour, not only for her but for St John on the Hibiscus Coast, which she has served for 54 years.
In that time, she has had many roles, including youth divisional manager, volunteer ambulance officer and area committee chair and treasurer, positions she holds today. She was instrumental in the establishment of the first ambulance station at Silverdale and helped fundraise for the unit’s first ambulance.
Barbara’s family’s commitment to the service spans four generations, with her youngest granddaughter, Chloe, joining the Hibiscus Coast youth division as cadet this year.
Her mother, Margaret Christie, served for around 30 years and was admitted to the Order as a Member in 2000. Son Andrew Everiss has served for more than 20 years and was invested as a Member in 2020.
He was able to place the mantle on Barbara’s shoulders at the investiture, which was performed by Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro.
