Speech
Diamond Jubilee luncheon
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E nga reo, e nga mana, rau rangatira mā e huihui mai nei, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou. Kia ora koutou katoa. Distinguished guests and leaders gathered here, I extend to you a warm greeting, and wish good health to you all.
I specifically acknowledge our special guests Your Excellencies Ms Quentin Bryce, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia and Mr Michael Bryce—tēnā korua, nau mai haere mai ki Aotearoa me Tamaki Makaurau – greetings to you both and welcome to New Zealand and Auckland.
It’s a great pleasure for Janine and me to welcome you all to Government House Auckland for this Diamond Jubilee luncheon in honour of the visit of the Australian Vice-Regal couple, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce and Michael Bryce.
Your Excellencies, yesterday we offered our personal greetings on your arrival at Whenuapai, and tomorrow you will be formally welcomed to New Zealand with a ceremonial State Welcome and State Dinner at Government House Wellington.
Today is an opportunity to welcome you to Auckland, specifically Government House Auckland, with less of the pomp and ceremony that will be accorded you tomorrow. This house was gifted to the Crown in the 1960s by the Mappin family, for use by the sovereign’s representative. Although the House underwent a major refurbishment in 2005, which included the addition of this pavilion, it has retained the warmth and the feel of a family home. So, it is in that vein that we welcome you both to the House today – with warmth and as kinfolk.
While the house may lack the grandeur of its Wellington counterpart, it is nonetheless a special place and most appropriate for the luncheon we are sharing today. The grounds are very special. It is a remnant of a time long past when this part of Auckland consisted of properties with large grounds and formal gardens. Many of the trees are more than a century old and nestled in the shadow of Mt Eden; you can find rocky outcrops that are reminders of the city’s volcanic past. For Australians, however, you should feel most at home. The property is graced with several massive Norfolk Pines and one of the oldest and largest Queensland kauri trees outside of Australia.
Your Excellencies, as I’ve mentioned, you will be formally welcomed to New Zealand tomorrow. To that end, we considered this luncheon would be an appropriate time for us to share in acknowledging the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand and Queen of Australia.
Queen Elizabeth has served both our countries as Head of State for 60 years. Only her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria, who served for nearly 64 years, has surpassed her reign.
The day Her Majesty became our Queen in 1952 coincided with the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on 6 February 1840. We have recently celebrated the 6th of February here as our national day. In 1840 when Captain William Hobson, signed the Treaty of Waitangi he did so in the name of Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
At the time, New Zealand and Australia, or more precisely New South Wales, were legally joined at the hip, by the one Crown and through the one Governor Sir George Gipps. Hobson was the Lieutenant Governor under direction of the Governor of New South Wales, until 1841.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has visited New Zealand 10 times and Australia 16 times during her reign. Her most recent visit was in October last year when she attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth. At the conclusion of that visit, she invested you, Your Excellency, with the Insignia of a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order at ceremony at Government House Canberra. On behalf of all New Zealanders I offer our congratulations to you on receiving that singular and prestigious honour.
Her Majesty continues to be held in high esteem and genuine warmth by the public of both nations for her dedication to her duties, her work in promoting the work of charities and royal patronages and as Head of the Commonwealth. I know from personal experience that Her Majesty retains a keen interest in the affairs of New Zealand and its people. I’m sure it is a view that Your Excellencies’ could confirm from an Australian perspective.
Her unreserved commitment to service, and to the values of family, friendship and community, was well made in Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee message. As she said:
In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family, friendship and good neighbourliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign and which my family and I look forward to seeing in many forms as we travel throughout the United Kingdom and the wider Commonwealth. I hope also that this Jubilee year will be a time to give thanks for the great advances that have been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with clear head and warm heart as we join together in our celebrations.
Her lifetime commitment to service can only be described as inspirational. To that end, and to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, we have brought together an inspirational group of people. They are people with connections to the Commonwealth, and to our close Anzac association in government, academia, sport and business. Like Her Majesty and yourself, all are leaders in their fields, all share an affection for principled effort in our communities. Like Her Majesty and yourself many are formidable women!
Your Excellencies again, welcome to Government House Auckland and to New Zealand, and I trust you enjoy the hospitality and company of the New Zealand branch of the family this afternoon. Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.