This morning at Government House Wellington, Dame Cindy and Dr Davies welcomed three new diplomatic heads of mission to their postings in Aotearoa New Zealand: HE Mr Sakias Tameo, High Commissioner of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea; HE Mr Makoto Osawa, Ambassador of Japan; and HE Mr Arto Haapea, Ambassador of Finland. We wish Their Excellencies all the very best in their new roles.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Force, this evening Dame Cindy and Dr Davies hosted the Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps at Government House to commemorate their annual Corps Day. This was a chance to acknowledge the role nurses have played in the New Zealand Army Ngāti Tūmatauenga, from heroic efforts in First and Second World Wars, giving life-changing medical treatment in isolated places in the Pacific, and recently, assisting with natural disaster responses both here and abroad. Dame Cindy noted throughout the Nursing Corps 109-year history, they have exemplified their ethos of protecting patient welfare in the most extreme situations.
This evening at Government House Wellington, Dame Cindy hosted a reception to acknowledge all those who have made the recent Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts such a great success. Over the past four weeks, the Festival has brought together an extraordinary array of writers, dancers, comedians, musicians and artists from around the world, for performances, talks and exhibitions across Wellington.
In her address, Dame Cindy took the opportunity to thank all those involved in organising, sponsoring and performing in the Festival, and reflected on the universal importance of the arts: 'At a time when we might feel overwhelmed by events in the world around us, the arts remain a place of comfort, and a source of wisdom and guidance – a place where we can remind ourselves of the goodness in the world and each other.'
This morning, Dame Cindy and Dr Davies were delighted to welcome the Ulu-o-Tokelau, the Honourable Alapati Tavite, and Ministers from the General Fono to Government House. The Ulu-o-Tokelau rotates annually between the elected Faipule (village leaders) of the three atolls, with the most recent election being held in 2023. This is the first visit to Aotearoa by the Ulu-o-Tokelau since 2018.
On Friday night Dame Cindy hosted a centennial dinner for members of Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, as well as supporters and funders. Dame Cindy acknowledged the role Forest and Bird has played in raising awareness about threats to New Zealand's environment, and enabling hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders to become involved in efforts to restore and protect the natural world.
Yesterday at the Canterbury Club in Christchurch, Dame Cindy and Dr Davies attended a luncheon hosted by the Christchurch Business Club. The Club was originally founded in 1931, and serves as a place for Christchurch's business leaders to build connections and share experiences and ideas.
In her speech at the luncheon, Dame Cindy commended those in attendance for their contributions to a thriving Christchurch, and took the opportunity to quote Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: ‘The context of the lives of the next generation is being set, here and now, not so much by the legacy of science or wealth or political structure that we shall leave behind us, but by the example of our attitudes and behaviour to one another, and by trying to show unselfish, loving and creative concern for those less fortunate than ourselves.’
Dame Cindy hosted a further investiture ceremony this afternoon at the Christchurch Town Hall, acknowledging the service and achievements of eleven outstanding New Zealanders. Emeritus Professor Alison Cree received the insignia of a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her outstanding career in the fields of zoology and herpetology, and particularly for her work to protect tuatara. Mr Corey Peters won gold at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics in the Men's Downhill Sitting event and was presented with the insignia of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Other recipients were acknowledged for their contributions across the fields of music, health, ju-jitsu, Māori development, sport, conservation, and dance.
You can find more images from the ceremony in the image gallery.
This morning in beautiful autumnal Christchurch, Dame Cindy hosted the first of two investiture ceremonies, presenting insignia to recipients of Royal New Zealand Honours. Among those acknowledged was Dr Vanessa Beavis, who received the insignia of a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her many years of services to anaesthesia. Dr Hafsa Ahmed was also acknowledged for her services to ethnic communities and women, including through her support of the Muslim community following the 2019 Christchurch terror attacks. Very warmest congratulations to all recipients.
You can find more images from the ceremony in the image gallery.
Last night at Government House Auckland, Dame Cindy and Dr Davies hosted a very special celebration of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's 80th birthday. Dame Kiri had an extraordinary career as one of the world's most acclaimed opera singers, and continues to give back to the next generation of opera talent through the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation. Among her many honours, Dame Kiri was made a member of the Order of New Zealand – New Zealand's highest Royal Honour – in 1995.
The evening included a moving performance by bass-baritone Samson Setu, as well as a message from His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who passed on their very best wishes and congratulations. Dame Cindy also paid tribute to this truly remarkable New Zealander: 'The fullness, intensity, and generosity with which Dame Kiri has lived her life, emanates in her performances over the years, and has cemented her status as a true New Zealand icon.'
To mark the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth, Dame Cindy was joined by members of the Diplomatic Corps, the Royal Commonwealth Society, and members of the Interfaith Community for the annual Commonwealth Day celebrations at Parliament. Dame Cindy read a message from His Majesty King Charles III, where His Majesty noted that the diversity of the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries continues to be its greatest strength. This evening's celebrations also featured a stunning performance from the Wellington East Girls College Polynesian Group.
The Commonwealth of Nations consist of around one third of the world’s population – about 2.5 billion people – working towards shared goals of prosperity, democracy, and peace.
Today Dame Cindy chose to celebrate International Women's Day with women who are involved in food rescue work in Tamaki Makaurau. Dame Cindy honoured staff, supporters, suppliers and funders of Fair Food, which recovers surplus fresh food from growers, manufacturers and supermarkets and works with partner organisations to get food to people who cannot afford to feed themselves and their families. Through their intervention, two tons of food per day are diverted from landfills, and thousands of Auckland people receive the sustenance they need.
2024 commemorates the 80th anniversary of D-Day, where 156,000 allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy and liberated German-occupied France, which was one of the major turning points in WWII. To remember the New Zealand Merchant Navy’s role in the landings, Dr Davies joined New Zealand Defence Force, Merchant Navy, and Diplomatic Corps representatives for a memorial at Ōtaki College, led by Principal Andy Fraser and his students. They were also joined by members of the Arctic Convoy Club, who are WWII veterans that served at sea. While no Royal New Zealand Naval ships were present at the D-Day landings, the Monowai and Aorangi from the New Zealand Merchant Navy were part of this historic armada. They transported troops and equipment to support the effort, and ferried back casualties to England. Ōtaki College has a strong connection to the SS Ōtaki, a Merchant Navy ship that was sunk in WWI.
As we mark Caregiver Awareness Week, Dame Cindy had the pleasure of hosting the 2024 Caring Families Aotearoa Excellence in Foster Care Awards this afternoon at Government House Wellington. These awards recognise those who go above and beyond to care for vulnerable children – giving them a safe, supportive, and loving home environment.
Among those recognised were Verna and George Kite, who have been fostering children for 56 years. Now in their 80s, they are still active in the caring community and share their knowledge with new foster parents. Also recognised was Te Ahuru Ruri, who has been a specialist caregiver with Kia Puāwai for 16 years, and was praised for his kindness and compassion – particularly when caring for children from difficult backgrounds.
You can find more images from the event here and Dame Cindy speech here. Very warmest congratulations to all recipients of the Excellence in Foster Care Awards.
This morning, Dame Cindy and Dr Davies visited Wellington’s iconic Newtown Festival, with Dame Cindy officially opening the event. The Newtown Festival is an annual street celebration bringing around 100,000 people to Newtown to enjoy stalls, kai, and live performances. As today is also Children’s Day, the talented Te Kapa Haka o Te Kura o Ngā Puna from Newtown School performed the haka whakatau to begin the day’s festivities.
For the past 50 years, youth training ships the Spirit of Adventure, and later the Spirit of New Zealand, have been providing Aotearoa’s rangatahi a unique space to challenge themselves at sea. As patron of the Spirit of Adventure Trust, Dame Cindy was welcomed aboard the Spirit of New Zealand in Wellington Harbour to help celebrate 50 years of voyages in New Zealand. Time sailing on the Spirit sees young people working together as a crew while building confidence, resilience and leadership skills - and of course, learning a thing or two about tall ships. Since that first voyage, almost 100,000 young people have taken part.
Yesterday afternoon Dr Davies welcomed members of the Diplomatic Corps Spouses Association for an afternoon tea at Government House. It was a chance to acknowledge their role in supporting their partners who are heads or deputy heads of diplomatic missions in New Zealand. Dr Davies also thanked the Association for the work they do on behalf of foreign nationals in Aotearoa, facilitating cultural events and offering support and advice in times of need.
As Patron of the Halberg Foundation, Dame Cindy had the pleasure to present the Supreme Award to Dame Lisa Carrington at last night’s ISPS Handa Halberg Awards. Dame Lisa has now won the Supreme Award three times, reflecting her truly outstanding career in canoe racing. Among the other recipients was Julian David, a 19-year-old speed climber who won the emerging talent award. Julian is the U20 youth world speed climbing champion, winning New Zealand’s first gold medal at a world championship level event. The New Zealand Warriors were voted New Zealand’s favourite sporting moment after their incredibly successful year. Last night’s awards recognised sporting excellence in Aotearoa, and are in support of the Halberg Foundation. Since 1963, the Halberg Foundation has been helping young people with physical disabilities have greater access to sports in New Zealand. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners.
Yesterday, Dame Cindy visited the University of Auckland’s Ngā Ara Whetū/Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society, to award the winner of the Centre’s ‘Reimagine our World' competition. The winning entry by Marco de Krester, imagined a world in 2050 where instead of halting climate change today, we bioengineered the ocean to assist marine life’s survival – noting how it’s critical to act now rather than find costly fixes when it’s almost too late.
The climate, climate change, biodiversity and societal transformation present complex issues. Established in 2022, Ngā Ara Whetū enables transdisciplinary collaboration to find solutions to these issues, and the ones our planet is predicted to face in the future. They work alongside iwi and other stakeholders, using their different areas of expertise to help people and the planet thrive.
This morning the Speaker of the House came to Government House to present the Address in Reply to the Governor-General. The Address in Reply is the House of Representatives' thanks to the Governor-General for delivering the Speech from the Throne, which outlines the Government's legislative and policy programme for the 54th Parliament.
In Dame Cindy's final Waitangi Day engagement for this year, Her Excellency hosted the Diplomatic Corps for a very special luncheon in the Tahuaroa Function Centre on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. The luncheon included moving reflections on the past week at Waitangi, the sharing of kai, and, of course, waiata.
Dame Cindy took the opportunity at the luncheon to deliver her Waitangi Day Address, in which she reflected on the words of Sir Paul Reeves: '"Unity is not oneness. Unity encompasses difference. The search for unity is an invitation not to fear, but to explore what is not familiar." It is my hope that such kotahitanga, such unity, as Sir Paul conceived it, can be our guiding principle as we navigate these times – and it was in that spirit of kotahitanga that my own ancestors signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi, here, on these grounds, 184 years ago.'
This morning, as dawn broke over the beautiful Bay of Islands, Dame Cindy and Dr Davies joined the thousands in attendance at Te Whare Rūnanga for the Waitangi Day Dawn Service. Attendees joined together in song, contemplation and prayer, as Aotearoa New Zealand marks 184 years since the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
During the service, Dame Cindy read from He Waiata Whakamoemiti:
Nō reira mātou ka tāpae ki a koe
I a mātou whakamoemiti.
Mō Ranginui i runga nei, mō Papa-Tūānuku e takoto iho nei.
Mō ngā maunga whakahī, mō ngā puke-kōrero
Mō ngā tai-mihi-tāngata, mō ngā moana e hora nei.
Kia whakapaingia a te Karaiti,
Mō ngā tūpuna, mātua, mō te hunga tapu.
Ngā tōtara whakamarumaru, ngā toka tūmoana,
Ngā kākā wahanui, ngā puna roimata.
Kia tīaho te māramatanga ki a rātou,
Kia au tā rātou moe.
So now we offer our thanks
for the beauty of these islands;
for the wild places and the bush,
for the mountains, the coast and the sea.
Our thanks for marae and the cities we have built;
Following Beat Retreat, Dame Cindy joined the Waitangi National Trust for their Commemoration Dinner. The Waitangi National Trust act as guardians of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, and Her Excellency was pleased to acknowledge the trust and staff for their outstanding work and service in support of this special place for all New Zealanders.
Dame Cindy reflected in her speech on the importance of the Treaty Grounds for continuing to inform our understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi: 'As Governor-General, it is my hope that we can always keep hold of the essential goodness and unity at the heart of the Treaty – urging us to be generous and courageous in our words and actions, as we continue to build our future together.'
This evening Dame Cindy reviewed a hundred-person Royal Guard of Honour at the RNZN Beat Retreat and Sunset Ceremony at Waitangi's Treaty Grounds. Beat Retreat has been a long-standing tradition at the annual commemorations at Waitangi. The lowering of the White Ensign at the end of the ceremony symbolises the end of a military working day. The crowd on the Treaty Grounds enjoyed the spectacle of precision marching displays and virtuoso band performances from musicians drawn from the NZDF, the Royal Marines and Canada.
This morning, Dame Cindy was welcomed back onto the Waitangi Treaty Grounds with a very special mihi whakatau in the presence of Te Whare Rūnanga. Dame Cindy was supported by her kaumātua Mr Joe Harawira, who spoke beautifully on Her Excellency's behalf, and kuia Mrs Rānui Ngārimu – as well as the Chief of Navy Rear Admiral David Proctor.
The Governor-General spoke in her address of her hope for the future of New Zealand: ‘The possibilities are here to broaden and strengthen kotahitanga across Aotearoa. The ability to realise those possibilities rests within us all – in our hearts, heads, and hands.’
This evening Dame Cindy shared korero, waiata and kai with representatives of the National Iwi Chairs Forum at Waitangi's historic Treaty Grounds. It was a time for Dame Cindy to catch up with Iwi leaders from across Aotearoa, and hear about their plans for the year ahead.
This morning at Government House Auckland, four new diplomatic heads of mission presented their credentials to Dame Cindy. Welcome to HE Mr George Azer Saleeb Tadros, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt; HE Mr Lawrence Meredith, Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union; HE Mr Luis Ernesto Morejón Rodríguez, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba; and HE Mr Samuel Yao Kumah, High Commissioner of the Republic of Ghana.
A VIP (Very Important Pup) was welcomed to Government House this morning – Kiro, the guide dog in training. In June last year, Dame Cindy and Dr Davies visited the Blind Low Vision NZ’s breeding and training centre in Auckland, where Dame Cindy lent her name to a puppy in a new litter of potential guide dogs. Today, eight-month old Labrador Kiro and his Puppy Raisers, the Walkinshaw family, came to Government House to give an update on his progress.
Blind Low Vision NZ breeds around 100 potential guide dogs a year, with about 40 graduating as guide dogs to assist people living with blindness, low vision and those who are deafblind. Along with Kiro, the Walkinshaws have become Puppy Raisers for four pups, helping them on their important journey towards becoming service dogs for those in need. To learn more about Blind Low Vision NZ’s Guide Dog Service, head to their website: Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dog Services.
Last night at Government House, Dame Cindy hosted a festive reception for Samaritans Wellington. Samaritans provides confidential, non-judgmental, non-religious support to those in our communities experiencing loneliness, depression, and other mental health issues. The charity operates a 24/7 crisis helpline and phones are operated by volunteers from the community. Nationally, Samaritans took over 20,000 calls in the financial year ending 31 March 2023, with over 10,000 calls in Wellington.
This afternoon, on a beautiful day in Waiouru, Dame Cindy and Dr Davies attended the graduation of this year's New Zealand Officer Cadet Commissioning Course. This hugely challenging 11-month course aims to develop the leadership, character, and skill of personnel, in order to prepare them for leadership roles in the New Zealand Army, as well as other armed forces from across the Asia-Pacific region.
As Dame Cindy said in her speech: 'We live in challenging and uncertain times – of continuing conflict overseas, and where the effects of climate change are being seen and felt more and more clearly. You will each have a role to play in how we respond to these challenges of our time.'
Very warmest congratulations to all of today's graduates.
Today marked the State Opening of Aotearoa New Zealand’s 54th Parliament, which began with a haka pōwhiri and a guard of honour for Dame Cindy and Dr Davies as they arrived on Parliament's forecourt.
In an important aspect of the day’s formalities, Dame Cindy delivered the Speech from the Throne in Parliament’s Legislative Chamber. This speech, written by the new Government, outlines their priorities for the coming three years – and is delivered to all members of the House of Representatives, as well as a number of former Governors-General, Prime Ministers, and distinguished guests. This was the first time in New Zealand that the Speech from the Throne has been delivered on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III.
Following the speech, Dame Cindy and Dr Davies met with members of the diplomatic corps, before attending a reception in celebration of the new Parliamentary term.
Following the Commission Opening of Parliament this morning, Dame Cindy has confirmed the Rt Hon Gerry Brownlee as the 32nd Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Confirmation of the Speaker Ceremony was conducted in both English and te reo Māori, and was attended by representatives from across parties in New Zealand’s Parliament. The Rt Hon Gerry Brownlee was elected to Parliament in 1996, making him the longest continuously serving Member of Parliament.
Congratulations to the recipients of this year's scholarships from the Sir George Elliot Charitable Trust: John Taylor, Kate Chandulal-Dee and Shana Singh-Anderson.
Dame Cindy presented their certificates at Government House Auckland this morning. The scholarships provide $25,000 to each recipient to assist them with their tertiary studies. Their schools also receive a $500 donation towards their libraries and learning resources.
