The Governor-Generals' Blog archive

Last night Dame Patsy and Sir David hosted a magnificent performance of Eglantyne, written and performed by Anne Chamberlain.

Full coverage of Dame Patsy's Waitangi Day address at Government House in Auckland. Thanks to One News/ TVNZ for the footage.

The annual Waitangi Day Bledisloe Reception was held at Government House Auckland this year. Dame Patsy and Sir David were joined by 750 guests, including the Prime Minister and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

The Bledisloe Garden Reception 2018 takes place at Government House in Auckland on Waitangi Day.

Don't forget to bring your invitation (it's going to be sunny) and wear a hat and apply sunscreen.

Bledisloe Garden Reception info sheet

In 1858, a ceremony was held at Maiki Hill to celebrate a new flagstaff, erected by Northern Maori as a gesture of goodwill and reconciliation, 12 years after the war between British forces and allied Northern tribes.

This morning Dame Patsy and Sir David visited the New Zealand Portrait Gallery in Wellington to see an impressive exhibition of portraits by Frances Hodgkins (1869-1947), one of New Zealand's  foremost artists.

Dame Patsy and Sir David wish all New Zealanders a safe and happy New Year.

Here is Dame Patsy's message for 2018, a year in which we mark a very special anniversary.

Congratulations to all the outstanding New Zealanders acknowledged with New Year's Honours. We look forward to hosting them and their families at investiture ceremonies at Government House Wellington and Government House Auckland in May.

On Monday, Dame Patsy and Sir David welcomed the Queen's Baton to Queenstown at the Airport, on its final leg of a journey around Commonwealth countries and territories before the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

This afternoon, Israeli Ambassador Dr Itzhak Gerberg and wife Shifra called on Dame Patsy and Sir David to present a commemorative album of photos taken during the recent visit to Israel for the Beersheba commemorations.

Dame Patsy and Sir David visited Te Papa on Tuesday 12 December for a sneak peek at their revamped gallery space Toi Art, which is due to open in March next year.

On 6 December, day one of Dame Patsy's State Visit to Malaysia she attended a Welcoming Ceremony in Parliament Square in Kuala Lumpur, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited  the Islamic Arts Museum and Masjed Jamek m

On 7 December, Dame Patsy visited Cheras Cemetery, where she paid her respects at the graves of New Zealand service personnel. In the afternoon, she visited KYS School, met the Governor of Melaka and toured the historic district of Melaka.

On the final day of her visit, 8 December, Dame Patsy addressed a Women in Leadership Forum, paid a courtesy call on the Sultan of Perak, and lunched with Malaysian alumni of New Zealand universities.

Speech transcript

Last night Dame Patsy and Sir David hosted a reception for the donors, volunteers and partner organisations of Kaibosh, Wellington's food-rescue service, which redistributes 20 tonnes of food a month to people in need.

Speech transcript

As Dame Patsy is on a State Visit to Malaysia, Cabinet Secretary Michael Webster hosted a reception for the Prince's Trust, welcoming Dame Martina Milburn, Group Chief Executive of the Trust.

On Saturday, Dame Patsy travelled to Amberley in Canterbury to open a Chinese Reflection Garden established in memory of Rewi Alley, a New Zealander who spent most of his life in China, promoting training and education as a way to lift people out of pov

Last Friday, Dame Patsy presented another 3 outstanding Auckland students with scholarships from the Sir George Elliot Trust.

On Monday 20 November, Sir David hosted the launch of the New Zealand Film Heritage Trust at Government House.

In Christchurch, Dame Patsy and Sir David attended the opening of the Christchurch City Mission's Women's Night Shelter and also visited the Christchurch Art Gallery to see the Len Lye Exhibition.

Speech transcript

Image gallery

Dame Patsy and Sir David hosted one of the finale events for the WakaNZ: Navigating a Post-Treaty Settlement Future 2017 Workshop.

Today Dame Patsy hosted credentials ceremonies for the new envoys from Nepal, Tanzania, Georgia, Cyprus, Nigeria and Latvia.

On Friday 17 November, Dame Patsy and Sir David visited Al-Madinah School in Auckland. Al-Madinah School gives its students a typical Kiwi education as well as a solid grounding in Islam.

This afternoon Dame Patsy and Sir David hosted covenanters of the QEII National Trust, which collectively holds protected in perpetuity an area of privately-owned land equal to the size of Stewart Island.

It was a highly convivial evening at Government House as Dame Patsy and Sir David hosted a reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps.

Photos of the reception

Dame Patsy and Sir David received a farewell call from the Ambassador of China, HE Wang Lutong and his wife Yang Pengbo at Government House in Wellington

The itinerary of the recent official visit of Dame Patsy and Sir David to Israel included Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum); lunch with HE Mr Reuven Rivlin, President of the State of Israel; a call on HE Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of

Dame Patsy and Sir David hosted a farewell for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Team at Government House in Auckland. Para alpine skiers Aaron Williams, Corey Peters and Adam Hall (and fourth team member, Para snowboarder Carl Murphy who w

This morning Dame Patsy and Sir David welcomed HE Mr Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Ms Elke Budenbender at a State Welcome at Government House.

Image Gallery

Dame Patsy speaking at the New Zealand National Commemorative Service marking the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Beersheba. 

The Governor-General, Dame Patsy Reddy officiated at the swearing-in ceremony for new ministers at Government House in Wellington on Thursday 26 October, 2017

Images of the swearing-in

Today the Administrator, Dame Sian Elias, standing in for Dame Patsy, hosted a state welcome and luncheon for the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, HE Dragan Ćović.

State welcome images