Diane Menzies

Diane Helen Menzies (née Bright) is a New Zealand landscape architect. She is a former Environment Court commissioner, and served as president of the International Federation of Landscape Architects from 2006 to 2010. In 2008, she was invested as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the environment.

Early life and family Menzies was born Diane Helen Bright, the only daughter of Hazel Margaret Bright (née Kinder) and Trevor Norman Bright. Her father later became professor of banking at Massey University. In 1971, she became engaged to William Humphrey Menzies; and completed a Diploma in Landscape Architecture at the same institution in 1973, A contemporary of Di Lucas, She later completed a PhD in resource management, also through Lincoln, titled Clean and green? Environmental quality on the New Zealand dairy farm, supervised by Simon Swaffield and Neil Gow.

Menzies spent the first part of her career at the Wellington City Council but she has also worked at the Ministry for the Environment and lectured at Unitec Institute of Technology. She wrote the introduction to Carolyn Hill's book on Māori relationships with whenua (land) and landscape, Kia Whakanuia te Whenua. She served as world president of the International Federation of Landscape Architects from 2006 to 2010. She is a former commissioner of the Environment Court of New Zealand, being first appointed in 2001.

Honours and awards Menzies is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects, and in 2005 was made a life member. In the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the environment. In 2015, Menzies was elected an honorary member of IFLA. In 2018, Menzies was the first woman to be accorded Kāhui Whetū status by Ngā Aho, the network of Māori design professionals, for "her contribution both nationally and internationally, of understanding the unique cultural values of the heritage of Māori and Pasifika design". Menzies said that this award means the most to her, as "it shows you can be respected in both Māori and New Zealand culture, so it’s a cultural affirmation".