So why did this reserved young woman want to take on a tough, public-facing job? Forty-five years later and newly retired from a lifetime career in Police, Cathy says there was a certain inevitability about her choice.

Born in Waiouru and raised as an “army brat”, she always appreciated the discipline and camaraderie of that environment. And, with her eldest brother in the army, another in the navy and one in Police, “I knew I wanted to be in one of the forces”. After a ride-along with her police officer brother, Cathy was hooked.

One of 125 recruits in Wing 69, she was so naive, she says, “I didn’t get the significance of the number ‘69’, but soon learnt and was quickly brought out of my shell”.

Her real-world education continued at Ōtāhuhu Police Station in South Auckland, walking the beat alone in her black tunic, skirt and recently introduced blue shirt, complete with Police-issue handbag.

During a time of significant public order events, Cathy was on duty at Waitangi Day celebrations when police were called to control rioting and she assisted during the evictions of Māori protesters from Bastion Point in May 1978.

In 1979, she worked as part of Operation Overdue at the Auckland mortuary, where human remains were brought in from the Mt Erebus plane crash. Just over 27 years later, she received a Special Service Medal for her contribution and was the last woman involved in that operation to still be working for Police.

In 1980, she moved to Papakura Police Station after fellow policewoman Norma Browne paved the way for her, despite objections from the OC who said he didn’t want sworn women working at his station. Cathy found a niche she enjoyed in the watch house, but in 1981 was called on for Springbok tour duty, travelling the country in an air force Hercules to stand outside the rugby games at the heart of the protests.

“I have never been more terrified than at the Eden Park game. There was literally a thin blue line of us guarding an exit point when a huge crowd of protesters came towards us carrying wooden shields, sticks and bats. They threw eggs and other things at us. All we had was small, wooden batons. We were rescued by some of the specially trained squads. I found out years later that some of them were as terrified as I was.”

It was during this turbulent time that Cathy met and married David Ahuriri, a naval rating based at Devonport.

In the 1980s, Cathy was a member of Te Reo Pirihimana (Voice of Police kapa haka group), which performed throughout the country during the 1986 Police Centennial year. As someone with an enduring interest in Māori culture and singing, and “the whitest wāhine in the group”, she says it was a highlight of her time in Police.