31/05/2026
Congratulations to our neighbour Paul Davidson on receiving a MNZM (Member of New Zealand Order of Merit) on this special King’s Birthday. A very special day indeed! Please support his work and pop in a see him one day at the Argosy Museum.
What wonderful news. Heartfelt congratulations to Dr Paul Davidson.
Dr Paul Davidson has a talent for telling stories that touch both hearts and minds.
Creating hundreds of films, documentaries, educational films, training videos and marketing promotions for community organisations, he is proud of his achievements.
But on hearing he has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to documentary filmmaking, it is other people he is quick to pay tribute to.
“The people who really deserve an award are the many creative crew who have helped me with their skills, and indeed the hundreds of ordinary people who have featured in my films,” he says.
“Unlike Peter Jackson or similar filmmakers, I can’t engage talented and expensive actors to star in my documentaries. Instead, hundreds of ordinary people sit down in front of the camera, tell their stories and share their experiences in a raw and honest fashion, totally without reward.
“I can’t make a film without those people, they are the real stars, and I can’t thank them enough.”
A familiar name and face in Marlborough, well-known for rescuing the Argosy and giving it a permanent home, he says the honour was “totally unexpected.”
A Marlburian for 30 years, he graduated from polytechnic with photography and later graduated as a Doctor of Visual Arts from Queensland College of Art. He did a Master of Arts degree in Media Production, obtaining first-class honours from the Film School at Griffith University in Brisbane.
Gaining appreciation for his work is a special moment, he explains.
“Although I’ve spent 45 years telling stories of ordinary Kiwis doing sometimes extraordinary things, I always knew in a world of game shows and reality television that few of my films would appeal to mainstream broadcasters.
“But I also felt confident that in 50 years’ time, people would appreciate that someone had made these films of life back then. So, it’s very nice to get some appreciation of their value while I’m still around.”
While many of his films are set in other parts of the country and Australia, all his documentaries are planned scripted and edited in his Woodbourne studio.
Making films is or me the perfect combination of art and technology, he explains.
“Making documentaries has certainly been a great way of getting to know people, learning about the myriad things people do with their lives, and understanding what makes a community tick.
“I actually enjoy that anonymity, and it never interferes with the other aspects of my life here in the Marlborough community. That said, some of my Marlborough films are among my favourites, for example The Final Flight, Once Were Whalers, Hospice Story and “Making Marlborough – the Migrant Story.
Now 81-years-old, he still filming, writing songs and recently opened The Argosy Museum.
Preserving the past is important to him. This is why, as well as a desire to give back to the community where he lives, that Paul is a proud volunteer at Marlborough Museum.
As current president, protecting the region’s heritage for future generations is also a matter of pride. “I am also quite proud of the fact that I have made all these films without a single dollar from Government bodies like New Zealand on Air or the Film Commission.
“Rather they have all been paid for by charitable trusts, commercial companies, local bodies, crowd-funding or private supporters – as well as significant self-funding.”
Many of Paul’s Marlborough videos and documentaries can be seen free to view on the Youtube Channel Marlborough Video Vault.
