Recognition for work honouring war heroes
PASSIONATE Southlander Ann Robbie has dedicated most of her life to honouring the South’s war heroes.
The Queen’s Service Medal was awarded to Mrs Robbie for services to historical research at a special ceremony attended by around 100 invited guests at the Winton Memorial Hall last week.
Southland District Mayor Gary Tong presented the medal on behalf of the newly accended King Charles III, on his first day of reign on the British throne.
Government officials could not confirm whether she was the first person in the Commonwealth to be given a medal under the new king or whether it was still awarded by the late monarch.
Mr Tong said Mrs Robbie’s work had saved an incredible amount of history which should never be forgotten.
“It has taken a quite remarkable investment of her own time, tenacity and money to ensure these significant community artefacts have been preserved so that future generations will not forget the sacrifices of those brave Southlanders who served in wartime,” he said.
During the past 30 years, Mrs Robbie has devoted countless hours and her own resources to the discovery and restoration of more than 400 war memorials throughout the province, ranging from large public cenotaphs to gates to small memorial boards.
Without her efforts, many would have been lost forever. Instead, each has been catalogued into Southland’s Kia Mate Toa database to ensure their preservation for future generations.
For more than 45 years, Mrs Robbie also provided her services as a bagpiper at Anzac Day services and funerals throughout Southland.
She has tutored young pipers in the City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band and played with the Winton and Districts and Waimatuku pipe bands.
Last December, Mrs Robbie received two awards for many years of service to Southland communities — the inaugural Our Southlander Award and a Community Service Award from the Wallace Takitimu Community Board.