Bill O’Leary appointed NZDA National Patron, Sir Mark Dunajtschik KNZM Delivers Powerful Retirement Speech at NZDA’s 78th Conference.
The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association is pleased to announce the appointment of William “Bill” O’Leary, of the Nelson Branch, as our new National Patron.
The appointment was confirmed to resounding applause at the NZDA National Conference in Lower Hutt on Saturday, 25 July 2026.
Bill succeeds Sir Mark, who stood aside after eight years of distinguished service as National Patron. Sir Mark was elected a National Life Member in 1999 and served as National Patron from 2018 to 2026. At Conference, Sir Mark personally nominated Bill as his successor and expressed his wholehearted support for the appointment.
NZDA sincerely thanks Sir Mark for his longstanding service, leadership and contribution to the Association. His commitment to recreational hunting, our members and the protection and advancement of hunting rights has been deeply valued.
Bill is a National Life Member since 2007, Past National President (2014 to 2018) and longstanding member of the Nelson Branch. He has an extensive history of volunteering for NZDA and supporting the Association’s governance, including serving as National President and in several other important national roles.
Bill is a HUNTS Instructor and Assessor and also served as NZDA’s National Volunteer HUNTS Coordinator, so he has been instrumental in championing hunter training and education, with a particular focus on firearms safety and responsible hunting practices. Bill has also trained hundreds of our members as NZDA Range Officers.
Bill founded and established both the HUNTS Trust and the Backcountry Trust, which have grown into nationally important organisations supporting hunters and other recreational users of New Zealand’s backcountry. He has also contributed significant time and expertise through his service on Fish & Game councils. His contribution extends well beyond NZDA, and is more than written down here.
Bill’s lifetime of leadership, volunteering and advocacy makes him an outstanding choice to serve as National Patron.
We congratulate Bill on his appointment and look forward to his continued guidance and support of NZDA, our branches and New Zealand’s hunting community as our National Patron.
Sir Mark’s Full Speech is shared here:
“Good morning delegates.
For 8 years I have had the privilege and great honour of holding the position of National Patron of the New Zealand Deestalkers Association.
Hunting and deer stalking has been an active passion of mine for many, many years, and indeed was one of the reasons I emigrated to New Zealand in 1958.
I have enjoyed immensely my time pursuing animals around the hills and mountains of NZ and the world including New Caledonia and Mongolia, and have made many lifelong friends through deer stalking.
I have enjoyed being an active contributor to both my Wellington branch and to the Association at a National level, however, as with all good things in life it must eventually come to an end.
I am now in my 91st year, I am hard of hearing, and it is simply a fact of life that I am slowing down and that I can no longer actively participate and contribute at the level that I would like too.
I have decided therefore that the time is right to stand aside as the National Patron so that someone else can enjoy the privilege of serving the association in that capacity.
I, of course, will be staying on as a life member and will be watching with great interest the progress of the organisation and the retention and advancement of our hunting rights in these changing and uncertain times.
I understand that Bill O’Leary is prepared to stand for the position of National Patron, and that is a nomination that I would like to make now. I wholeheartedly support Bill and urge delegates to vote in favour of his nomination.
Thank you all for the support you have given me over the years, and I wish my successor, the Board, and the Association all the best for the future.
Thank you.”
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