Wānaka resident Arthur Sutherland has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to outdoor education in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List.

“This award is an exciting but humbling experience,” he said. 

“I’m honoured to be singled out.”

Arthur has dedicated 45 years to outdoor education in New Zealand since his initial involvement with the Ministry of Education in 1975.

Since his teenage years he has enjoyed the challenges of the outdoors and in 1978 he helped establish the Boyle River Outdoor Education Centre, in Lewis Pass. Arthur has served on its governing trust, the North Canterbury Alpine Trust, for 45 years and is its current secretary.

“Outdoor education provides students and adults with the opportunity to learn about themselves; teamwork; decision making; leadership; risk management; [and] the natural and cultural environments that they live and move in…,” he said.

As a teacher at Kaiapoi High school in the mid-1970s Arthur led the delivery of the school camp programme, including the first camps held at the Boyle River centre, and held the position of director of the Adventure School, during which time the school was awarded the national title for outstanding Outdoor Education programme in 2003. 

Arthur was awarded a Rotary International Foundation Study Award which resulted in nine months study at Eastern Washington University, in the United States. 

His studies led to the development of the industry Risk Management Scheme and the delivery of professional development courses for teachers, as well as the (then) Department of Education’s draft booklet for the Risk Management Scheme for education outside the classroom (EOTC). 

He was a member of the Ministry of Education’s steering group which produced the EOTC guidelines ‘Bringing the Curriculum Alive’ in 2009 and also served as an executive member of  Education Outdoor New Zealand between 2004 and 2010, when he received the Supreme Award for contribution to Outdoor Recreation and was made Life Member in 2003. 

Arthur received the Outdoor New Zealand’s Special Executive Award in 2016 for his service and the Peter Allen Award from the Boyle Outdoor Education Centre in 2018.

“I’m fortunate to have been actively engaged in contributing to the education of the young and the not so young and to have been supported by my wife Robyn (Sutherland).”

As a young adult, Arthur spent many holidays exploring Mt Aspiring’s high country wilderness and later returned to Wānaka with his family who learned to ski at Treble Cone and the Snow Farm.

“Robyn and I enjoy our day trips to ski and/or snowshoe. The road, the facilities, the open space and the quietness are all outstanding features. It is so great to see the many school groups using the Snow Farm.”

Reconnecting with friends in Otago and Southland brought Arthur and Robyn back to Wānaka and they retired to live here permanently three years ago. 

Arthur is also the secretary for the Hāwea Bowling Club and volunteers his services to Challenge Wānaka.

PHOTO: Robyn Sutherland