Craig Osman

Citation Speech for Craig Osman

Known as the father figure of Hīmatangi Beach, Craig Osman has made a name for himself as a tireless and respected leader of the community. Craig’s volunteering spans two decades, all whilst working full time at Fisher Windows in Palmerston North for nearly 35 years.

Craig has got to know the Hīmatangi Beach community inside and out, kickstarted when him and his wife Leonie ran the local dairy in Hīmatangi Beach from 2005 to 2010. They often supported local events through fundraising, time and effort.

As a young man growing up in Feilding, Craig discovered karate under the guidance of his Sensei, Peter Flintoff. Peter’s teaching instilled not only a love for karate, but also the deeper lessons of resilience, tradition, and self-defence. In 2005, Craig shared his passion, as he founded the Hīmatangi Beach Traditional Shotokan Karate Club. The free club saw Craig training approximately 20 students ranging in ages from 5 well into their 80s on Mondays and Wednesdays with students travelling from Bulls, Marton and Foxton to attend.

Craig volunteered two decades of his life to creating a warm inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and abilities, helping students develop discipline, confidence, resilience and sense of belonging. His efforts often exceeded instruction, funding uniforms, covering travel and grading expenses, and coordinating karate competition trips in New Zealand and Australia.

Being rescued from a rip by a lifeguard in Whanganui during his youth was a wakeup call Craig tackled head on. Determined to become more confident in the water and raise awareness about water safety, he joined the Palmerston North Surf Life Saving Club in 2011 and became a qualified lifeguard in 2015.

He supported young lifeguards with training and confidence, often generously driving them from Hīmatangi to Palmerston North so they could attend lessons alongside him.

Dedicated to driving continuous improvement in his community, Craig served on the Hīmatangi Beach Community Trust for a decade, from 2006 to 2016. He’s been a visionary in the redevelopment of the village square, building the new surf lifesaving clubhouse, expanding the library, updating the community hall, and readministering the medical centre. His efforts with the redevelopment of the community hall kitchen into a commercial facility have seen an increase in the hall’s use and united the community through events.

Craig helps the community not for recognition, but to pay it forward. He never hesitates to pull over and help when he sees someone stuck on the beach, bringing out his tractor or 4x4 to help. Expecting nothing in return but hopes that if his own family were ever in the that situation, someone would do the same for them.

He lovingly credits the unwavering support of his wife, Leonie, and together they look forward to celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary next year. His children, and his grandchildren light up his life, alongside his passion for working on his classic cars. In his retirement, he hopes to pull out the Contiki more and get out in the community. No doubt his calendar will remain just as full!

Craig is motivated by the continuous improvement of the community and supporting those around him. In the interview, he reiterated his deep beliefs in supporting people and developing our youth into resilient, community driven people. The numerous testimonials we received described Craig as an example of humility, generosity, and aroha. We hope you feel the appreciation in the room for you tonight, Craig. Congratulations and thank you for all that you have given and continue to add to Hīmatangi and the Manawatū District.