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June Blundell (nee Halligan) ONZ – Inducted 2015
Friday, 30 October 2015
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Student at Marsden 1933 - 1939 (Years 6 - 11) This posthumous award recognizes June Blundell’s voluntary and charity work throughout the community both as a patron and an active supporter. The welfare of people was always a driving force in her life. “To be honest, like all volunteers, I just love doing what I do. I don’t think about how many hours or how many events I have attended over the years because it’s not about that. I get an enormous amount of joy from being involved” 1. As a diplomatic wife, and as one married to the Governor General, June was involved in charity work and later in a wide variety of organisations, particularly that of the Order of St John where she became one of 29 women worldwide to be made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order. Child Cancer was also important to June where she helped found Canteen and was its first patron. She found time for many other organisations across a wide spectrum of New Zealand society, especially the those of women and young people. Humble in her attitudes, Lady Blundell’s charitable work was nationally recognised when she became one of the original members of the Order of New Zealand in 1988. June maintained close contact with the School. She became the second female to join the Board of Governors in 1961 after leading the Old Girls’ Association from 1955-1958. She was president Emeritus of the Association from 1972 until her death in 2012. “A softly spoken woman who never sought the limelight, she worked quietly and tirelessly on behalf of many community organisations and charities” 2. 1 Sunday Star Times, 17 June 2012 2 Sir Jerry Mataparae . http://www.stuff.co.nz/national |