Auckland Plunket Centenary Family Day

May I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.  Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni - and as it is afternoon [sign].

May I specifically greet you: Carol Becker, national president of Plunket; Paul Baigent, CEO of Plunket; Samantha Newby-Whybrow, Plunket New Zealand Councillor for Auckland City, and Stephanie Sheehan, Plunket's Auckland City Operations Manager; Distinguished Guests otherwise, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls.

My wife Susan and I are delighted to welcome you to Government House this afternoon for Auckland Plunket's family day to celebrate the organisation's 100 years in the region.

The Royal New Zealand Plunket Society is one of quite a large number of organisations that I am patron of as  Governor General.

But it is one of just a handful with which I have a particularly strong personal association.

I was a Plunket baby as many New Zealanders are to this day.

While Susan was not a Plunket baby, as she was born in Australia, she more than made for this when we had our three children. They were all Plunket babies, and Susan became the president of the Rose Road Branch of Plunket and Vice-President of Auckland Plunket.

As well, my father was a doctor in Ponsonby and Glen Innes and my mother was a Karitane nurse.

So everyone in our family is very aware of the work of Plunket and the enormous contribution it has made to the health of New Zealand's babies, and to the confidence and happiness of their mothers.

Plunket has been operating in New Zealand for a little more than a century - and in Auckland for a century.  Indeed, history records that the organisation was named in honour of Lady Victoria Plunket, wife of my predecessor, Governor Lord Plunket, who was an ardent supporter of Dr Truby King's work.

In 1936, journalist James Cowan profiled Sir Truby as he was by then, a year before he died, and noted:  "The world-famous system of the Plunket Society, with which the name of King of Karitane is associated, has saved many thousands of infant lives, and it will save many thousands more. It has given an enormous stimulus to better health for the young, it has educated the community in parenthood; its influence is widespread in the building up of strong and healthy men and women, wisely nourished and protected against disease."

Through that time while Plunket has been flexible, adapting as society has changed, but those key goals have never changed.

Next week Susan and I will be going to Christchurch for the opening of the new Canterbury Plunket Centre - which is a great example of this constant adapation to changing circumstances.

The Canterbury Plunket Centre will be a 'one stop shop,' with the Family Centre, Car Seat rental scheme, Plunket clinic and parenting education rooms all in the one facility.

I note that nowadays Plunket plays a major advocacy role for the needs of children, particularly in their first five years, and that it is increasingly working with other organisations towards better parenting and family education in general.

One of the major challenges for Plunket, and I think for all of us, is to spread throughout the community an understanding of the importance of looking after our children well.

And this means not only helping them to realise their potential but also to take responsibility and contribute to the community so that in their turn, they become good role models as parents themselves.

So I would like to welcome you all here today - staff and volunteers both past and present - and to invite you to make yourselves at home and have a good look around the house and its gardens after the formalities are over.

And on that note, I will close in New Zealand's first language Maori, by offering everyone greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in their endeavours.  No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.