Well-known Wānaka resident Ralph Feagan has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

Ralph Feagan, ONZM, JP, has volunteered in the Wānaka and West Coast communities since 1973 in a range of capacities, including 40 years with the fire service.

He told the Wānaka App he thought hard about accepting the honour before agreeing. 

“I carry it for all the people I’ve been involved with all these years,” he said.

Ralph’s motivation for community service is “the old story”, he said. “It’s the people, the people, the people.”

Ralph said while he was a rebel who didn’t listen much to his parents, his father’s message (and role modelling) that “you’ll get more pleasure from giving than taking” stuck with him.

Ralph modelling the fire brigade’s mini tractor.

Ralph volunteered with Franz Josef Volunteer Fire Brigade for 22 years, becoming chief fire officer from 1977 to 1996, and initiating the formation of a Rural Fire Party. 

He “saw the need” in the small but growing town, where the nearest fire station was “663 bends in the road” away in Fox Glacier. 

He and wife Lyn also ran the local supermarket where their staff would expand from about eight in the off-season to almost 50 during peak season.

While Ralph always planned to retire to Wānaka (he grew up in Milton and spent his summers here since he was six-years-old), Lyn wasn’t so keen. Ralph moved here first while Lyn kept running the supermarket, and - not one to sit around - Ralph took over ferrying people between Wānaka and Queenstown in a Toyota Hiace van. The service took off (becoming Wānaka Connections) and Ralph was kept busy for the next few years before the Franz Josef store sold and Lyn joined him in Wānaka.

His contribution to the tourism industry dates back to the 1970s: he was on the Westland Promotion Board for three years, and four years each with West Coast Tourism Development and West Coast Tourism Council. He was also director of the South Island Promotion Association from 1987 to 1994. 

He has also been chair of Lake Wānaka Tourism, and has served for 17 years with the Wānaka Fire Brigade. After 22 years with the Franz brigade he took a “nine year break” doing victim support before joining the Wānaka brigade.

He’s been brigade secretary since 2013, and has been involved with the United Fire Brigade Association as president of the Central Otago Fire Brigade’s sub-association from 2021 to 2023 and became senior vice president of the Otago/Southland Gold Star Association in 2023. 

Ralph has volunteered with a range of other organisations including the New Zealand Fighter Pilots’ Foundation Trust, Wānaka Airport, Upper Clutha RSA, the Wānaka A&P Show, and Food for Love.  He was a Westland District Councillor from 1989 to 1995 and a civil defence controller for Franz Josef from 1979 to 1995. 

When the Wānaka App met Ralph this weekend he was weeding the garden at the fire station, saying “If I don’t do it no other bugger will”.

“I’ll do it as long as I can. I’ll get booted out eventually,” he said.

Ralph spoke about the “absolutely bloody amazing” job done by local emergency services, who all work well together - with families as a very important part of the team.

“We have a wonderful mix with female and male members in the brigade in which all are very highly skilled in protecting our community,” he said.

The highlight of his time in Wānaka, he said, has been helping bring NASA to the airport.

“I bent a lot of number 8 wire doing it,” he said. 

Ralph’s role at Wānaka Airport began when he was employed to do 10-15 hours of maintenance a week, and ended up becoming the airport operations manager for 12 years.

Around 10 years ago NASA contacted then-Queenstown Lakes District councillor Jude Battson. Jude phoned Ralph, saying: “I’ve had a weird phone call from space.” She gave NASA Ralph's contact details, which sparked a long process to bring the space agency to Wānaka as part of its balloon programme (which provides high-altitude scientific balloon platforms for scientific and technological investigations, including fundamental scientific discoveries that contribute to our understanding of the universe).

Wānaka is now one of just seven NASA balloon launch sites in the world.

Ralph recalled an early clandestine visit from three NASA engineers who he showed around then remained in touch with. He and Lyn were also hosted by NASA on a memorable USA trip in 2019 where they were treated as VIPs. 

Ralph also acknowledged the late Sir Tim Wallis was a “great mentor” whom he always enjoyed spending time with.

“It’s been a great ride,” he said.

Ralph acknowledged the “pivotal” support from his family, saying they “always understood” his community service, despite him missing school events, meals, and more.

“Without that family support you can’t do it.”

Ralph received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal and was awarded Westland District Council Person of the Year in 1996.

This is the first time appointments have been made to the “King’s Service Order” (formerly the Queen’s Service Order), acknowledging the new sovereign.

PHOTOS: Wānaka App