The parents of one of the heroes of the Christchurch Earthquake have accepted a rare bravery award on behalf of the city's residents.
The Royal Humane Society of New Zealand's Gold Medal was awarded to the people of Christchurch in recognition of the community-wide response to last February's devastating earthquake.
Joe Pohio's parents accepted the award after their son died helping a woman injured in the quake's aftermath. He was a design draughtsman with the city council and had worked in Civil Defence for years.
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The award has not been presented since the Wahine disaster.
Pohio was also one of 136 recipients of a Christchurch Earthquake Award which were handed out at a ceremony in Hagley Park this afternoon.
The awards went to people and organisations nominated by the public for their heroism and service to the community.
"The first responder in any emergency event like this is not necessarily the Civil Defence organisation," Mayor Bob Parker said.
"It's the person you're standing next to, or your neighbour down the street."
Murray Straight was one of those singled out for an award.
He was on Hereford street in the central city when the quake struck and used whatever he could find to help 15 people trapped in nearby buildings.
"I found a ladder, got them to throw up some tools which were the knives and forks from the coffee shop below, and I managed to pull out the rubber from around the window," he said.
Straight climbed up the side of the damaged building and once the window was removed, made sure everyone inside made it back down safely.
Just up the road, Erwin Polczak was rushing to free four people
buried when the OK Gift Shop collapsed.
He used a crowbar, brooms and any other tools he could find to help
the people to safety as aftershock after aftershock threatened to
bury him under the rubble too.
"I could hear people screaming and I wanted to help," he said.
He rescued a young man and three women from the rubble on the day, and in the weeks following the earthquake, delivered food supplies into the Red Zone.
Christchurch Earthquake Awards winners:
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand - for service
- Alison Gallant - for service
- Allison Partridge - for service
- Amo Perelini - for service
- Lucas Perelini - for service
- Andrea Cummings- for service
- Andrea Robinson - for service
- Andrew Anderson - for service
- Anja Hansen - for service
- Ashley M Vickers - for heroism
- Bev Salter - for service
- Blair Corkran - for service
- Bruce Harrington - for heroism
- Burwood Pegasus Community Watch - for service
- Campbell J Watt - for service
- Canterbury District Health Board - for service
- Charles Wynyard de Moulin Cook - for service
- Charlie Hobbs - for service
- Mary Hobbs - for service
- Chris Cole - for service
- Helen Cole - for service
- Chris Crowe - for service
- Christchurch Area Citizens Advice Bureau - for service
- Christchurch City Mission - for service
- Christchurch Methodist Mission - for service
- Christchurch Migrants' Centre Trust Te Whare Te Wahi - for service
- Christchurch Victim Support - for service
- Christopher A Nutsford - for heroism
- Citizens of Christchurch - for service
- Coastguard Canterbury Inc - for service
- Coastguard Canterbury Air Patrol - for service
- Coastgaurd Kaikoura Inc - for service
- Coastguard Waimakariri Ashley Lifeboat Inc - for service
- Courtney P Brown - for service
- Craig R Adair - for service
- Catherine M Adair - for service
- Craig D Thompson - for heroism
- Dan Perry - for service
- Danny Johanson -for heroism
- David G Close - for service
- David L Kingsley - for kindness
- David Millar - for service
- David W F Wilding - for heroism
- Deborah S Kelland - for service
- Discovery One School - for service
- Donna Galloway - for service
- Doug A Watt - for service
- Doug Haselden - for heroism
- Dr Bryce Curran - for heroism
- Dr David L Jardine - for service
- Dr David Richards - for service
- Dr Hamish A Jamieson - for service
- Dr Jan Bone- for service
- Dr Jennifer M Butler - for service
- Dr Lydia J Putra - for heroism
- Edward F Rodden - for service
- Elastomer Products Limited - for service
- Erwin R Polczak - for heroism
- Evan McLellan - for heroism
- Evan Smith - for service
- Fletcher Stanton - for service
- Fred Haering - for heroism
- Genevieve Togiaso - for service
- George Clark - for service
- George Piper - for heroism
- Glen L Moore - for service
- Grace Vineyard Christian Fellowship - for service
- Graceworks Demolition and Recycling Ltd - for service
- James Askew - for service
- James D Ridpath - for service
- Jamie J Baker - for service
- Jay Foraker - for service
- Joe Pohio (the late) - for heroism
- John H Mallinson - for service
- John Leonard - for service
- Jun Ma - for service
- Karin Hofmans - for service
- Ken Edwards - for service
- Kent N Huxford - for heroism
- Korean Society of Christchurch - for service
- Lee Burnett - for service
- Lesley N Millen - for service
- Lev Zhuravsky - for service
- Lynne Ball - for service
- Maire Parewaiterangi Kipa - for service
- Malvern Community Help - for service
- Marc Lydiard - for heroism
- Margaret Krauss - for service
- Mark Buckley - for service
- Mark Read - for heroism
- Mark W Skelton - for service
- Marnie Kent - for service
- Melanie Hillier - for service
- Michael A Cairns - for service
- Michael Peters and Addington Action - for service
- Mike Yardley - for service
- Mohamed Abdi Jama - for service
- Murray T Straight - for heroism
- Nasreen A Khanam - for service
- Moazzem Hossain - for service
- New World Supermarket - for service
- Paddy Arnold - for service
- Pamela Kiesanowski - for service
- Paul D Johannsen - for service
- Paula Robinson - for service
- Paulo Filoialii - for service
- Pete Riley - for heroism
- Peter Fenton - for heroism
- Peter J Brown - for service
- Petersgate Counselling Centre - for service
- Plymouth Brethren Christian Church - for service
- Raewyn Clearwater - for service
- Rangiora Express - for service
- Raymond Clayton - for service
- Rongo Clayton - for service
- Richard Foot - for service
- Robert MacFarlane Morris - for service
- Ross Becker - for service
- Ross M Anderson - for service
- Rotary District 9970 - for service
- Scott Shadbolt - for heroism
- Shane L Palmer - for service
- Stephen B Manson - for service
- Stepping Stone Trust - for service
- Sumner Lifeboat Inc - for service
- Tahu Huriwai - for service
- Terry Glyde - for service
- Tom Davies - for service
- Tony Tamakehu - for heroism
- Trevor Hurley - for service
- Jane Hurley - for service
- Trevor Holder - for service
- Unlimited School - for service
- Van Asch Deaf Education Centre - for service
- Wade B Golding - for service
- Wayne Turner - for service
- Windsor House Retirement Complex - for service
- Yeming (Clark) Xu - for service
- Yvette Pomeroy - for kindness
- Zhihong Lu - for service