UPDATED 8.37am: An Auckland City Missioner has been honoured by being called a dame.

Newly-named Dame Diane Robertson trained as a teacher, later re-trained a counsellor and therapist and then moved up into becoming Auckland's City Missioner in 1998.

Now she's been honoured by the Queen.

Dame Diane has been involved with numerous initiatives in her nearly 20 years as Missioner, helping those who've considered themselves helpless.

She's worked on the creation of New Zealand's only hospice for people with HIV or AIDS, and founded the Auckland Homeless Steering Group.

Dame Diane says she's hugely proud of the City Mission's work, and what she's been able to achieve as Missioner.

"To develop services that are unique, services that meet peoples' needs in a way that I possibly couldn't have had if I had worked anywhere else."

Dame Diane says something she's hugely proud of is the Mission's work in opening New Zealand's only hospice for people with HIV or AIDS.

"Worked with a group of people who were really excluded and who needed help - and we were there and proud to be there."