Phillippe Patrick O'Shea CNZM CVO KStJ (born 23 March 1947) is a New Zealand public servant and officer of arms. He has served as the New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary since 1978, a position he was the first New Zealander to hold.
Biography
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, O'Shea was educated at St Patrick's College and later graduated from Victoria University of Wellington. He began his public service career as a librarian and numismatic advisor to the New Zealand Treasury (1967–1974), then moved to the honours section of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, where he served as advisory officer until 2004.
In 1978, the Garter Principal King of Arms appointed him New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary to Queen Elizabeth II, a role he continues to hold under King Charles III. In this capacity, he has been the principal adviser to successive governments on honours and awards, and was instrumental in designing several of New Zealand's key honours, including:
- Queen's Service Order (1975)
- Order of New Zealand (1987)
- New Zealand Order of Merit (1996)
- Various commemorative medals
He has also been involved in designing coats of arms for several Governors-General of New Zealand.
Honours and Awards
- Commander of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) – 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours
- Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) – 2014 New Year Honours
- Knight of the Order of St John (KStJ) – 1998
- Multiple jubilee medals (Silver, Diamond, Platinum) and the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal
Personal Arms
O'Shea's personal coat of arms features a kea (a native New Zealand parrot) standing within a crown, holding the baton of the New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary, along with Māori koru designs and a mānuka flower, reflecting his New Zealand heritage and heraldic office.
Bibliography
O'Shea has authored several works on numismatics, honours, and New Zealand history, including Honours, Titles, Styles, and Precedence in New Zealand (1970) and An Unknown Few (1981), a study of George Cross and Albert Medal holders associated with New Zealand.
