Like a bolt out of the blue

That's how Joan Harnett-Kindley has described her Queen's Birthday honour.

The former Silver Fern has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to netball and the real estate industry.

Harnett-Kindley played in over 100 matches for New Zealand between 1963 and 1974, and was dubbed the player of the century in 1999.

She says having retired from the game so long ago, it's a bit of a surprise.