Investiture of Ralph Hotere ONZ

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E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga iwi o nga hau e wha, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou.  Kia ora tātou katoa.  Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I extend a warm greeting to you all.

I specifically acknowledge: Hon Peter Dunne, Minister of the Crown - tēnā koe; Rebecca Kitteridge, Secretary and Registrar of the Order of New Zealand - tēnā koe; The Most Rev. Bishop Colin Campbell, Catholic Bishop of Dunedin - tēnā koe.

It is a great pleasure for Janine and me to welcome you all to this special investiture in Dunedin.  We don’t often hold these ceremonies outside of Wellington or Auckland.  The last time an investiture ceremony was held in Dunedin was September 2009.

What makes today particularly special, both for Janine and me, and for everyone gathered here, is that the occasion and venue for this investiture reflect social and cultural enrichment in our country.

Ladies and gentlemen, as Governor-General, I have the authority and privilege, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen of New Zealand, to hold an Investiture for her and to confer the honour of a Member of the Order of New Zealand on Hone Papita Raukura (Ralph) Hotere of Dunedin. 

Mr Hotere, you have rendered outstanding service to the people of New Zealand and the Crown, and it is appropriate that your contributions are recognised with New Zealand’s highest honour.

Ladies and gentlemen, as Mr Hotere is honoured, may I invite you to join me in thanking and congratulating him for his exceptional service to our country.

Concluding remarks
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, this is the first time I have conferred New Zealand’s highest honour, the Order of New Zealand.  The accolade that Mr Hotere has received is the only one granted in the Order’s 25th year.

The Order of New Zealand was instituted by Royal Warrant on 6 February 1987, and was created to fill a need for a first level non-titular honour.  Since its foundation, many distinguished New Zealanders have been invested with the Order’s membership.  The Order is limited to twenty ordinary members living at any one time.

Membership in the Order affirms many things.  It speaks of service, merit, endeavour, perseverance, commitment, excellence and, above all, mana.

Mr Hotere, you join 17 other remarkable living New Zealanders who have each made a significant contribution to our country, and its people. Their stories are as varied as your own.  The common link you all share is exemplary service to your endeavours or professions, and your passion and pride in sustaining our heritage.

The Order of New Zealand is New Zealand’s highest honour.  It has the distinction that the insignia of the Order must be returned upon the holder’s passing.  In this way a whakapapa is being established as the “medal” is passed from one to another.  The medal you now wear has been worn by two outstanding New Zealanders before you and that lineage is of great significance.  Its inaugural recipient, appointed in 1989, was the Rt Rev Manuhuia Bennett, the Anglican Bishop of Aotearoa from 1968 to 1981.  Throughout his working life and in his retirement Manu Bennett made a significant contribution to Māoridom, particularly as a Member of the Waitangi Tribunal.

The second and most recent holder of this particular medal was Sir Paul Reeves.  Sir Paul was appointed as an Additional Member on Waitangi Day 2007, to mark the 20th Anniversary of the institution of the Order.
Sir Paul made an outstanding contribution to the Anglican Church and the community throughout his life and his extraordinary legacy will forever be part of our country’s history. 

With that said, I could think of no better phrase to sum up the quality of your character Mr Hotere, than the words of the late Sir Edmund Hillary who was a foundation Member of the Order of New Zealand. He said:
“If the going is tough and the pressure is on; if reserves of strength have been drained and the summit still not in sight, then the quality to see in a person is neither great strength nor quickness of hand, but rather a resolute mind firmly set on its purpose that refuses to let its body slacken or rest.”

Mr Hotere, your resolute character and commitment to your work as a painter, sculptor and collaborative artist is what has brought us together today.  Your contribution has been to enrich the cultural and social fabric of Aotearoa-New Zealand.

I congratulate you, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen of New Zealand, and on behalf of all New Zealanders, on your achievement.  Your story is now embedded in the Order of New Zealand’s heritage, and part of your medal’s mana.

Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.  Again, greetings to all.