The Governor-Generals' Blog archive

Last night Dame Patsy and Sir David joined guests at the annual Graeme Dingle Foundation Excellence Awards to celebrate the achievements of young graduates of the Foundation's youth development programmes - and to acknowledge the mentors, volunteer

Crimestoppers had plenty to celebrate as they marked their 10th anniversary at Government House in Wellington. Displays offered an insight into exactly how much crime the anonymous tipline has had a hand in solving and their work isn't over yet.

On Tuesday in Gisborne, the Tuia 250 flotilla was enlarged with the arrival of European vessels: HMB Edeavour, R Tucker Thompson and Spirit of New Zealand. 

Yesterday the Tuia 250-Encounters commemorations commenced in Gisborne.

Dame Patsy and Sir David hosted a reception celebrating the successful conclusion of a major refurbishment of the Katherine Mansfield House and Garden.

The 2016 Kaikoura earthquake made the building that housed Defence and the Ministry of Defence uninhabitable. Today Dame Patsy and Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence, formally opened a new Defence House by unveiling the signage.

Dame Patsy hosted the final investiture ceremony of 2019 in the ballroom of Dunedin's famed Larnach Castle.

"I dub thee ... Coco!"

To date, nearly 900 New Zealanders have been Churchill Fellows, travelling overseas to further their knowledge in an incredibly diverse range of fields.

Dame Patsy received a farewell call from the Ambassador of Switzerland, HE David Vogelsanger at Government House in Wellington this morning. New Zealand was the final posting for the Ambassador who will retire from diplomatic life in six days.

Services to governance, the community, women, library information management and the arts, television and theatre, sport, woodchopping, youth, philanthropy, and the Tokelauan community.

Last call for entries to the ballot for invitations to the 2020 Waitangi Day Garden Reception.

The ballot closes at midnight on Tuesday 24 September.

Enter online here

This afternoon's honour recipients received insignia for services to Cook Islands business and tourism, people with intellectual disabilities, design, the New Zealand Kennel Club, education, rugby, gliding, Maori and Maori arts, horticulture and the art

Congratulations to the 16 New Zealanders recognised at Government House this morning for their services to local, government, the community, conservation, people with rare health disorders, the blind community, music education, wildlife conservation, th

Science, youth health, wildlife conservation and opthalmology were just some of the areas this morning's 16 honours recipients have made an impact on.

Congratulations to everybody recognised for their service at this afternoon's investiture ceremony at Government House in Wellington.

Members of the Defence Force, Police, Fire and Emergency and the Coastguard received insignia for the Queen's Birthday Honours at a ceremony at Government House this morning.

As a tribute to one of our most distinguished scientists, the late Sir Paul Callaghan, the Eureka! Young Science Leaders programme was established to encourage and recognise excellence in science communication.

The 2020 Waitangi Day Garden Reception is being held at Government House in Wellington on Thursday 6 February.

The final investiture ceremony for the week saw nine women and three men receive their insignia from Dame Patsy.

There was a strong Pasifika presence amongst the thirteen recipients at this afternoon's investiture ceremony.

12 more recipients were honoured for their services to youth and education, family violence prevention, women, engineering, domestic violence prevention and the State, rugby, victim support, seniors, the community, the Niuean community and sport.

Congratulations to New Zealand's newest theatrical knight, Sir Roger Hall and the 12 other New Zealanders who were recognised at Government House in Auckland for their contributions to ballet, health,mental health awareness and suicide prevention, photo

Congratulations to the 11 New Zealanders, recognised for their contribution to social policy, Māori, psychiatry, the New Zealand Defence Force, women, the State, woodturning, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, art and governance and Māori art at this after

Contributions to the arts and conservation was a strong theme at this morning's investiture ceremony, along with services to Maori, the community, counselling, palliative care and equestrian sports.

Yesterday Dame Patsy visited the Suffrage in Stitches exhibition at Wellington Museum.

This morning we were fortunate to have clear skies for the official welcome for new diplomatic envoys at Government House.

Children were front and centre at a reception celebrating 25 years of the Duffy Books in Homes programme.

This morning Dame Patsy and Sir David hosted Gandhi Nivas staff, counsellors, researchers and Police liaison at Government House Auckland.

Last night Dame Patsy hosted Foundation North's inaugural Tohu Autaia - Community Stars- at Government House Auckland.

This morning Dame Patsy was the first member of the SPCA's new Giving Hearts legacy programme to have the privilege of naming a rescue animal - in this case, a foxy-chihuahua cross - which she named Coco after her own dog.

Today we welcomed year 13 students from secondary schools in the Auckland region who had spent the rest of the day as guests of On Being Bold, a network of high-achieving women.