Hamilton Girls' High School Arts and Cultural Centre

Rau rangatira mā, me nga kotiro o tēnei kura, e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.   Distinguished guests and girls of the school, warm greetings to you all.

I specifically acknowledge: Andrew McRae, Chairperson of the Board and your Trustees; Mary Ann Baxter, Principal of Hamilton Girls’ High School and your staff; Your Worship Julie Hardaker, Mayor of Hamilton; and Members of Parliament.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very pleased to be here and to have the honour of opening this new Arts and Cultural Centre - Nga Puawaitanga.

As Governor-General, I have the distinct privilege of being asked to open facilities across the length and breadth of the country.  Each occasion is unique and gives me a wonderful insight into communities and organisations and schools.

By the end of today, I will have been involved in three events that each have a strong connection to the arts and culture.

This morning I visited Hamilton West School, where I unveiled an artwork representing the Schools’ link with the Second World War.  Part of the school was used as a military hospital during that war, and the artwork pays tribute to that link.

Immediately before joining you here, I officiated at a ceremony to rename Marlborough Place to Sapper Moore-Jones Place.  Sapper Moore-Jones was a topographical war artist who served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and was responsible for sketching landscapes, particularly in the Gallipolli campaign in 1915.  Those were the days when photography was in its early years and the idea of a digital camera, let alone a smartphone, wasn’t even a twinkle in someone’s eye!

Moore-Jones returned to Hamilton and died a hero.  Having easily escaped a fire in the Hamilton Hotel in 1922, he went back into the inferno and helped to rescue others.  He died from the extensive burns he received.  
Sapper Moore-Jones is the artist responsible for the famous “Man and his donkey” watercolour painting – a very special piece of Australasian art.

And I now, continuing that theme, have the great privilege of being here at Hamilton Girls’ High School, to open a Centre which will provide wonderful opportunities for students to enhance their education in the performing arts and culture.

I am Patron of a number of arts and cultural organisations throughout New Zealand.  These range from regional to national in focus and include the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the New Zealand Festival of the Arts, the New Zealand Film Festival Trust, New Zealand Opera, New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council, New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir, the Wellington Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.

Artistic and cultural endeavour is an important part of our national identity.  A topical example of the high calibre of New Zealand’s artistic talent is a certain World Premiere that I attended two days ago – The Hobbit.  Having a centre like this one at Hamilton Girls’ increases the likelihood that a girl from here will go on to make her name in the performing arts world. 

And there are many examples of our country’s arts and cultural success, including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, and the Flight of the Conchords duo!  Bret McKenzie received the Insignia of an Officer of the Order of New Zealand at an investiture ceremony at Government House.

I understand that local hapu Ngāti Wairere and Ngāti Mahanga gifted the name Nga Puawaitanga – the blossoming - to this Centre.  It seems to me that that name reflects the process of learning and discovery that this Centre will encourage.

To quote the 1st century Roman Philosopher, Seneca, “As the soil, however rich it may be, cannot be productive without cultivation, so the mind without culture can never produce good fruit.”

Congratulations to the many that were involved in the planning, preparation, and production of this Centre. You can be very proud of such a useful and valuable addition to the School and I encourage all students to make good use of this fantastic facility.

As Governor-General, it gives me great pleasure to announce this Hamilton Girls’ High School Arts and Cultural Centre, Nga Puawaitanga, officially open.

Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.