He Toa Taumata Rau: the place of many brave deeds

The officers, civilians and dog featured in these pages are those who have received the highest bravery awards between 1951 and 2019 in New Zealand.

He Toa Taumata Rau: the place of many brave deeds

Translate into Te Reo


Bravery defined:
(of a person) willing to do things that are difficult, dangerous, or painful; not afraid.
(of an action) requiring or showing courage.

Courage defined:
The ability to do something dangerous, or to face pain or opposition, without showing fear.

Hard things are put in our way not to stop us but to bring out our courage and strength. Every day, every night, throughout New Zealand, Police staff face difficult and dangerous situations while serving their communities.

Sometimes, these events begin innocently enough, but change for the worse in the blink of an eye. In these situations, the decisions and actions of these men and women can mean the difference between life and death for the people they’re engaging with, and indeed their own lives.

He Toa Taumata Rau acknowledges Police staff and a number of civilians who have gone out of their way and over and above the call of duty. While these brave and courageous people have been formally recognised for their actions, there are many other Police staff and members of the public who have carried out acts of bravery for which they receive no formal recognition. These people too are heroic.

The officers, civilians and dogs featured in these pages are those who have received the highest bravery awards between 1951 and 2019 in New Zealand. Other bravery award recipients will be added to these pages over time.

He Toa Taumata Rau: the place of many brave deeds

Translate into Te Reo


Bravery defined:
(of a person) willing to do things that are difficult, dangerous, or painful; not afraid.
(of an action) requiring or showing courage.

Courage defined:
The ability to do something dangerous, or to face pain or opposition, without showing fear.

Hard things are put in our way not to stop us but to bring out our courage and strength. Every day, every night, throughout New Zealand, Police staff face difficult and dangerous situations while serving their communities.

Sometimes, these events begin innocently enough, but change for the worse in the blink of an eye. In these situations, the decisions and actions of these men and women can mean the difference between life and death for the people they’re engaging with, and indeed their own lives.

He Toa Taumata Rau acknowledges Police staff and a number of civilians who have gone out of their way and over and above the call of duty. While these brave and courageous people have been formally recognised for their actions, there are many other Police staff and members of the public who have carried out acts of bravery for which they receive no formal recognition. These people too are heroic.

The officers, civilians and dogs featured in these pages are those who have received the highest bravery awards between 1951 and 2019 in New Zealand. Other bravery award recipients will be added to these pages over time.

The Bravery Medals

The George Cross (GC)

The George Cross medal, The George Cross, The Queen’s Gallantry Medal, The Queen’s Commendation for Bravery, The New Zealand Cross, The New Zealand Bravery Star, The New Zealand Bravery Decoration, The New Zealand Bravery Medal, PDSA Gold Medal ... More

1951 - Sergeant William Shore Hughes

Sergeant William Shore Hughes

A man with a loaded double-barrelled shotgun and a family in grave danger, Ōtaki, 27 May 1951 ... More

1952 - Detective Bruce Christoffersen - GM

Detective Bruce Christoffersen

Youths with high calibre firearms and violent intent, Palmerston North, 20 November 1952. ... More

1969 - Detective Inspector E Graham Perry - GM

Detective Inspector E Graham Perry

The baby’s life mattered most, Whangarei, 11 July 1969. ... More

1978 - Murder at Miramar

Photo of Inspector Melroy Huggard

Around 7.40pm on 2 April 1978, a 22-year-old man left his Miramar home with a .308 BRNO rifle and a .303 calibre rifle and ammunition for both. ... More

1985 - Constable Stephen Linney - QGM and Charles Upham Award

Photo of Constable Stephen Linney

Fighting for your life, Port Levy Banks Peninsula, 22 June 1985. ... More

1986 - Traffic Officer Robin Dudding - GM

Robin Dudding

A Traffic Officer faced with an armed and violent offender, Rotorua, 7 April 1986 ... More

1986 - Civilian Rescue Helicopter Pilot Peter Button - QGM

Photo of Peter Button with his son Clive

He bravely flew into the storm, Wellington Harbour, 2 July 1986. ... More

1990 - Senior Constable Peter Umbers - GM

Senior Constable Peter Umbers

On 27 May 1990, an armed robbery occurred at the Poolburn Hotel near Ranfurly. ... More

1990 - Operation Aramoana - mass murder

NZP logo

At approximately 8pm on 13 November 1990, at the seaside town of Aramoana (near Dunedin), a 33-year-old resident went on a murderous rampage. He killed 13 people. ... More

1993 - Sergeant Allan Cantley - NZBM

Sergeant Allan Cantley

On 29 July 1993, a mentally unwell man entered the Morrinsville Police Station with a number of explosive devices strapped to his body. ... More

1993 - Senior Constable Dean Pleydell and Constable Patrick Rice - NZBM

Constable Patrick Rice

On 23 September 1993, Constables Dean Pleydell and Patrick Rice pursued a man in a vehicle who had committed an armed robbery of an Auckland City bank. ... More

1994 - Senior Constable Peter Broughton and Constable Floyd Pratt - NZBM

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On the evening of 11 October 1994, Senior Constable Broughton and Constable Pratt were among four police officers, including a handler and dog, pursuing a man who had just been seen lurking in the vicinity of houses and who had assaulted one of the constables. ... More

1996 - Constable Warren Sloss - NZBD

Constable Warren Sloss

On 12 October 1996, Constable Sloss responded to a call from a woman who was worried about her ex-boyfriend waiting at her home. ... More

2001 - Constable Geoffrey Knight - NZBD

Constable Geoffrey Knight

Shortly after midnight on 4 June 2001, Constable Knight attended a violent family harm incident near Tapanui (West Otago). ... More

2002 - Operation Green - Detective Sergeant Jeanette Park- NZBS and Detective Constable Duncan Taylor - NZBM

Operation Green

At about 1pm on 5 July 2002, Detectives Jeanette Park and Detective Constable Duncan Taylor went to an address in Taipo Road, Rongotea. ... More

2003 - Sergeant David Templeton - NZBD

Sergeant David Templeton

On 21 January 2003, following the violent mutilation of two women in the Thames area, the offender fled to South Auckland. ... More

2005 - Sergeant Ngakina Bertrand and Sergeant George White - NZBD

Sergeant George White

During January 2005, an industrial dispute involving striking workers and protestors caused riots at Yandina in the Solomon Islands. ... More

2005 - Constable Craig Bennett - NZBD

Constable Craig Bennett

On 7 May 2005 at 7.15am, Constable Bennett was driving past 36 Cooper Street in Dunedin when he noticed the house was on fire. ... More

2005 - Constable Robert Gibson and Constable Karl Pennington - NZBD

Constable Karl Pennington

On 5 June 2005, at 9:20 am, a man drove into the St Luke’s Mall carpark after being pursued by Police for driving dangerously through inner-city Auckland. ... More

2007 - Senior Sergeant Eric Tibbott and Constable Allister Rose

Senior Sergeant Eric Tibbott and Constable Allister Rose

An armed offender on a rampage, Wainuiomata, 6 January 2007 ... More

2007 - Constable James Muir - NZBD

Constable James Muir

At 3am on 23 June 2007, a stolen vehicle was observed coming into Mount Maunganui. ... More

2009 - Inspector Michael O'Leary - NZBD, Civilians Conor O'Leary and Peter Booth - NZBM

Inspector Michael O'Leary

At 3.55pm on 24 April 2009, Inspector Michael O’Leary was off duty and driving with his family along State Highway One some 17km north of Taupō. ... More

2009 - Operation Stingray - NZBS, NZBD and NZBM

Senior Constable Len Snee

On 7 May 2009, Senior Constables Len Snee, Bruce Miller and Grant Diver visited the Chaucer Road home of a former territorial soldier to execute a routine cannabis search warrant. ... More

2009 - Operation Buckingham - NZBM

Operation Buckingham

Shortly before 4 am on 22 December 2009, Police Constable Jeremy Snow was shot four times, suffering life-threatening injuries at a residence in Papatoetoe. ... More

2010 - Constable Michael Wardle - NZBD and Police Dog Gage (posthumous) - PDSA Gold Medal

Senior Constable Bruce Lamb and Police Dog Gage

On 13 July 2010, during the course of an arrest at a private property, an armed offender opened a bedroom door and shot Police Dog Handler Senior Constable Bruce Lamb in the face. ... More

2011 - Canterbury Earthquake - NZBM and NZBD

Canterbury Earthquake

Sergeant Michael Brooklands was on duty in central Christchurch when the 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck on 22 February, 2011. ... More

2014 - Sergeant Ryan Lilleby and Constable Christopher McDowell - NZBM

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On 27 July 2014, Sergeant Ryan Lilleby, Constable Chris McDowell and another officer attended a family harm callout in the Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe. ... More

2014 - Senior Constable Blair Spalding and Constable Benjamin Turner - NZBD

Senior Constable Blair Spalding

In Hamilton on 25 August 2014, a van was stolen by an offender with a history of violent crime and methamphetamine use. ... More

2019 - Operation Deans Targeted Terrorist Attacks, Christchurch, 15 March

Op Deans - 51

Shortly before 1.40pm on Friday 15 March 2019, a lone gunman launched an attack, unprecedented in New Zealand's history, targeting two mosques in Christchurch: Al Noor Mosque on Deans Avenue and The Linwood Islamic Centre on Linwood Avenue. ... More