The former Manawatū police area commander says he is surprised and humbled to become an Officer of the Order of Merit.
By Bill Hickman of RNZ
Inspector Ross Grantham, who retired this year, was awarded the honour for services to police after nearly 48 years on the force.
Early in his career Grantham was deployed on the police frontline at nearly every match during the controversial 1981 Springbok tour.
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Soon after his arrival in Wellington's Criminal Investigation Branch in 1984, he was part of the team investigating the still unsolved bombing of the Wellington Trades Hall, which claimed the life of the building's caretaker, Ernie Abbott.
Grantham was a pivotal figure in the 1999 investigation of the death of terminally ill woman Joy Patricia Martin.
Her daughter, Lesley Martin, was jailed for attempted murder after publishing her book Die Like a Dog, in which she detailed her account of her mother's final days, including giving her mother a 60mg dose of morphine and attempting to suffocate her with a pillow.
Grantham interviewed Martin early in the case and while police were unable to charge her at the time, he warned her that publishing her story would likely lead to her arrest.
Martin would go on to become a prominent euthanasia campaigner and founded the group Exit NZ.
Grantham also headed the investigation into the deaths of Christine and Amber Lundy in 2000, resulting in Mark Lundy's conviction for his wife and daughter's murder.
The case gripped the country for more than 20 years as Lundy was retried and again found guilty after a Privy Council ruling quashing his convictions in 2013.
Lundy was released on parole in May last year.
Grantham was also involved in writing doctrine and training packages for investigative interviewing, alongside Senior Sergeant Nina Westera and Julia Penney. Their work would later be applied in training practices for all the force's non-commissioned officers.
On receiving today's honour, Grantham said he had "achieved nothing by myself" and his wife and family were crucial in their support.
"I think I've experienced a story for every occasion. Sad, funny and interesting but all with a life lesson.
"I think I've learned three things over the time of my career. Positivity - you start every day with positivity because it's infectious. Respect - you've gotta show respect to everybody, no matter what you know or think you know about them. And kindness - if we all just practise a little more kindness each day, we would experience better relationships and better outcomes."
He said he was looking forward when the award became public to telling his children and extended family and catching up with colleagues.
"I never expected this. We go about our jobs just trying to do the best we can for the people we work with and the people who employ us, which is the public of course."
Grantham said it was a privilege to be considered for the Order of Merit and to be among the other recipients of the holiday honours.
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