Honours and awards for Lincoln alumni on both sides of the Tasman

Lincoln University congratulates its alumni and associate alumni on awards made in the 2025 New Zealand Honours List at New Year, and across the Tasman on Australia Day, 26 January.

Heading the New Zealand group is a former staff member, Honorary Professor Peter Skelton, now elevated from Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (awarded in 2001) to Knight Companion of the order, for services to Environmental Law.

The new knight, a past Judge of the Environment Court, was Honorary Professor of Environmental Law at Lincoln University 2000-2008, and received an honorary Doctor of Natural Resources degree from Lincoln in 2016.

Sir Peter’s contributions to teaching, research, writing and other activities at Lincoln put the university at the forefront of Environmental Management education.

Rugby ‘great’ Sam Whitelock, the most capped All Black of all time, has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, ONZM, for services to his sport and the community.  Sam, a BSc graduate in Plant Science (2014), achieved many pinnacles in his rugby career including being named New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year (2017), captaining the All Blacks in 18 Tests, and representing New Zealand in four Rugby World Cups (helping to win two of them).

Sam is married to Lincoln alumna Hannah Lawton and farms in Hawke’s Bay. His brother George Whitelock is a Lincoln alumnus and former All Black too. Sam’s autobiography, View From the Second Row, was launched at Lincoln University in July last year.

Appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to farming and governance, is Dawn Sangster (nee Aitken) of Ranfurly, BCom (Ag) 1985. Dawn has been active in governance for over 25 years, offering particular support and encouragement for women in governance. She was appointed to the Maniototo Community Trust in 2009 and became its first woman Chair in its 41-year history. In 2011, she was the third woman to ever be elected to The Alliance Group Board of Directors and served until 2023. She is a current Director of Farmlands Ltd, the Maniototo Irrigation Co, her family farming businesses GlenAyr Ltd, a sheep and beef property in Maniototo, and Nottingham Dairy Ltd, North Otago.

In probably a unique award among Lincoln University alumni,  Alastair Fastier of Glenorchy (BP&RM 1992) has been awarded the New Zealand Antarctic Medal, for services to Antarctic heritage and conservation.

Alastair was the Conservation Programme Manager for the Antarctic Heritage Trust from 2006 to 2023 and a Conservation Advisor from 2023 to 2024. He had overall responsibility for planning and directing the Trust’s programme of conservation projects, leading teams in isolated places for preservation and conservation work on huts used by Antarctic explorers Scott,  Shackelton, Borchgrevink and Hillary, and the artefacts (more than 20,000) they contained.

His contributions have helped position New Zealand as a leader in cold-climate heritage conservation, and the Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project has become an internationally recognised model for how to undertake major multi-season conservation projects in remote areas.

Alastair’s mentoring and leadership of more than 80 heritage experts has produced an extensive and valuable network of conservation alumni.

In addition to Peter Skelton, Sam Whitelock, Dawn Sangster and Alastair Fastier, three graduates of the Lincoln University-based Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme received awards Robert Campbell of Invercargill, ONZM, for services to farming and governance; Bryan Guy of Feilding, King’s Service Medal (KSM), for services to the community; Grahame Roy Perry Webber of Cambridge, KSM, for services to local government and farming.

Across the Tasman on Australia Day, 26 January, Lincoln alumnus David Botting, BAgrSc 1958, of Millicent, South Australia, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to agriculture and the community.

David is both a Lincoln graduate and a former staff member.  He was Manager of the mixed cropping farm 1960-1964 and lectured and tutored diploma classes. He also coached the  Under-20’s rugby team. He moved to Australia in 1967 and became one of South Australia’s most respected agricultural advisors. He is married to Lincoln alumna Wendy Meyers, BHortSc student 1960.

Image: Sir Peter Skelton at Lincoln University 2011 State of the Nation's Environment Address