MNZM FOR BROOKE

Congratulations to Robert Brooke – one of the marine industry’s dominant figureheads for classic yachts – on being appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the New Year’s Honours.

Brooke has helped preserve New Zealand’s wooden boatbuilding heritage and continues to contribute to and advise pro bono on boatbuilding and restoration. He pioneered and was pivotal in the integration of the ‘Design-and-build’ mode of teaching and learning into the national curriculum of Workshop Technology.

Where previously students copied existing designs or components, under Design-andBuild students conceive the design and see it through to completion. This principle has become the mainstay of technology education and is flourishing under the NCEA environment.

He was an advisor in technical subjects for the then Department of Education from 1987 to 1990 and was the National Moderator of the Northern Region appointed to assess National Standards.

He has been National Examiner for Ship, Yacht and Boatbuilding and has been a member of the Ship, Yacht and Boatbuilding Advisory Committee for Unitec. He has moderated Ship, Yacht and Boatbuilding Trade and Advanced Trade examinations. He has been General Manager of the Boating Industry Training Organisation.

He was commissioned from 2003 to 2005 to design and set up the Boatbuilding Training and Apprenticeship Scheme for the Nova Scotia Boatbuilders’ Association in Canada. Brooke was a leading figure in the establishment of the Auckland Traditional Boatbuilding School.