Tony Quinn comments following his listing in the annual New Zealand New Years honours for services to Motorsport and the Community, where he was appointed as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
“It is a privilege to be recognised in this way by a country that has given so much to me and my family.
I’m a boy from Scotland who came to New Zealand, spent years in Australia and have been all around the world, but New Zealand is the one place that most feels like home to me.
We moved to New Zealand in 1984 and I’ve proudly been a citizen since 1993. My family initially spent nine years here, first in Dargville and then in Whangaeri as we built businesses, but even though work has taken me around the world I always come back.
My life in Business and in motorsport have been very good to me, so creating a legacy in the country I love and the sport I love has always felt very natural to me.
It is a privilege to give back personally and via the circuits to local New Zealand communities and make a real difference; saving lives on the road with the Street Smart program and supporting the youth in local communities and in their mental health.
I’ll tell anyone in the world how good it is here. From Hampton Downs in the Waikato, Taupo a little further South or to Highlands in the stunning Central Otago, I get no end of joy when people come to our facilities and enjoy them and the country around them.
Highlands, in particular, wasn’t about investment; it was about a legacy and as a bonus we were able to create something that could showcase everything special about Cromwell and the Central Otago region.
I am extremely proud that it has become a tourism hub for the region and has helped bring new businesses to Cromwell, a town that once lived in the shadow of Queenstown and Wanaka.
When I pop my clogs and pass on to the great race track in the sky, my wish is for my ashes to be scattered around Highlands. That’s how much the place means to me. In the future, when people ask ‘who the hell built this place’ they’ll be able to tell the story of a crazy Scotsman who created a little slice of heaven in Cromwell, Central Otago.
I am privileged to be in the company of people who have contributed so much to New Zealand in their lives and I am honoured to accept this very special appointment, which I have to say is one the highlights of my life and very unexpected.
My special thanks to those who have been on the journey with me, I couldn’t have done it without them and this honour, it’s fair to say, belongs to all of us.”
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