For Trevor Goudie more than 30 years of service to the Alexandra community and local theatre “didn’t feel like work – just fun”.

The 83-year-old retired accountant, who’s thrown his talents and skills into numerous community organisations, was awarded a KSM for that service in the New Years Honours list yesterday (December 31). New Year Honours 2026 - the full list

While it’s all “quite nice really”, Trevor’s quick to point out that he couldn’t have achieved all that he has without the support of his wife, Claire, and others.

“I’m very fortunate. It’s a reflection of what others think of what you’ve been doing,” he says.

And he’s been doing a lot.

Since moving to Alexandra in 1989 where he began 20 years of service as accountant at the newly amalgamated Central Otago District Council, Trevor’s been a jack of all trades sporting an impressive lineup of volunteer roles.

“I’ve served multiple terms as president, been production manager, stage manager, stage crew and I’m currently treasurer for the Alexandra Musical Society. The only role I’ve not held is secretary,” he grins. “But it’s been a cooperative effort with Claire.”

Trevor says they first got involved with the Musical Society when two of their three sons were youngsters.

In 2002 sons Simon and Nicholas, and Trevor were all on stage taking part in ‘A Little of What You Fancy’. Simon is now programme leader for the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art in Christchurch and Nicholas works for a theatre company in Melbourne.

Fame on the local stage hasn’t always come easy for Trevor. “One year in the early days I was ‘Rattlesnake’ in Calamity Jane and each night I had to literally fall through the bat-wing doors from the bar off the stage to be realistic, landing on my shoulder,” he chuckles. “That was a bit painful.” Typically, Trevor gives everything 100%.

He was made a Life Member of the Society for his efforts in 2017, also a Life Member of Alexandra Men’s Shed, which he’s been involved with for more than 10 years, starting as an early volunteer, now treasurer and trustee.

“That’s been an opportunity to gain skills I didn’t have, like recently learning to turn on a metal lathe – my long-term objective,” he says.

“That was quite satisfying.” Trevor was right there amongst it helping fundraise for this initiative and the blokes recently made seven large, luxurious two-storey dog kennels for the Otago Hunt Club.

Trevor was an original trustee and is now a life member too of the Dunedin Light Rail Trust, something he’s passionate about having grown up in the city enjoying the Mornington cable car. From 2015 he fundraised for the reestablishment of the historic cable car line and built a display shed, lending his finance skills to a feasibility study for that project as well.

“As kids we used the cable cars regularly,” he says. “At primary school age six of us would move one of the trailers across the holding track from where the lines went down on High Street to the cake shop, movingit back and forwards for fun.”

A former joint county treasurer split between the Tuapeka and Clutha County Councils prior to the 1989 amalgamation, Trevor says it was “a no brainer” when he was offered the choice of accounting roles at either Alexandra or Balclutha. Serving on the Alexandra Community Arts Council for almost 12 years, Trevor’s been involved with distributing grant funding from creative communities and the Central Lakes Trust for the Arts Council of which he’s a past treasurer.

With eldest son Logan severely affected by autism Trevor has been a firm supporter and volunteer for the local IHC, an organistion dear to his heart. He’s also been involved locally with Scouts and served on school boards of trustees when his sons were younger. However, even at 83 Trevor hasn’t got time to play bowls like other retirees.

“Heck no! I’m far too busy! We live on a 5-acre block.”

Although he does get a kick out of singing for the RSA Gentleman Singers, performing at rest homes around Alexandra.