The 1990 Special Honours in New Zealand were three special honours lists: the first was dated 6 February 1990 and made appointments to the Order of New Zealand and the Queen's Service Order;^[1] the second was dated 17 May 1990 made awards of the Polar Medal;^[2] and the third was dated 27 November 1990, to recognise the incoming governor-general, Dame Catherine Tizard.^[3][4]

Order of New Zealand (ONZ)

Additional member

• Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
• Dr Thomas Allen Monro Curnow CBE.
• The Honourable Michael John Duffy MP.
• Nene Janet Paterson Clutha (Janet Frame) CBE.
• Arthur Leslie Lydiard OBE.
• Sir Guy Richardson Powles KBE CMG ED.

Honorary member

• Sir Shridath Surendranath Ramphal (Sonny Ramphal) OE AC CMG QC.

• 
  Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
• 
  Michael Duffy
• 
  Janet Frame
• 
  Arthur Lydiard
• 
  Sir Sonny Ramphal

Order of St Michael and St George

Dame Grand Cross (GCMG)

• Dame Catherine Anne Tizard DBE – Governor-General Designate of New Zealand.

• 
  Dame Catherine Tizard

Companion of the Queen's Service Order (QSO)

For community service

Extra companion

• Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal GCVO.

Additional companion

• Beverley Gwendolen, Lady Reeves.

• 
  Anne, Princess Royal
• 
  Beverley, Lady Reeves

For public services

Additional companion

• The Most Reverend Sir Paul Alfred Reeves GCMG GCVO – Principal Companion of the Queen's Service Order and Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over New Zealand since 1985.

Ordinary companion

• The Right Honourable Sir William (Frederick Payne) Heseltine GCVO AC KCB – private secretary to The Queen since 1986.

• 
  Sir Paul Reeves

Polar Medal

With clasp "Antarctic 1978–88"

• Alexander Richard Pyne – of Wellington. For good services as a member of New Zealand expeditions to Antarctica in recent years.
• Garth Edwin Varcoe – of Christchurch. For good services as a member of New Zealand expeditions to Antarctica in recent years.

• 
  Alex Pyne