District Court judges spouses luncheon

To : Margaret Johnson, and fellow spouses of District Court Judges, Greetings, Kia Ora,  Kia Orana,  Fakalofa Lahi Atu,  Taloha Ni (sign ‘good afternoon').  These are the languages of the Realm of New Zealand.

Thank you for inviting me to speak to this gathering today.

As the wife of a former District Court Judge, I am pleased to see many familiar faces from the 12 years that Anand was on the bench. I look forward to reconnecting with those of you who are already friends, and hope to meet some of the newer members of this group.

I'm sure we share many experiences and insights as the spouses of New Zealand's Judges. Many of these served me well when Anand became an Ombudsman fourteen years ago, and more recently, Governor-General.

Like many newly appointed judges, Anand started in an area of the country where he had not practised law.  He became the sole Judge in Palmerston North and in those days the area included Fielding, Dannevirke and sometimes, later, Wanganui for Jury Trials. 

Soon after we arrived, I learned that I would need a smart hat and gloves to honour a specific local event.  Every year the Army, which had a base nearby at Linton, was officially given the keys to the City, and took the opportunity for a parade.  My role involved standing on a dais in the Square with the Mayor and Mayoress, Sir Brian and Lady Elwood.  As a young mother struggling to settle our children in school and kindy, and to empty packing boxes and arrange a necessary baby-sitter, finding an appropriate hat in a new city was a real challenge.  Then, on the day, a low altitude fly-past nearly put paid to the brand new hat!

Initially, some made a fuss of us, which was hard to get used to, as many of you will have experienced. But we soon found our place in the community, and really enjoyed our time there.  Palmerston North is more than a provincial city servicing the rural hinterland.  It is a university city and so includes a diverse group.  Our children were sometimes treated as the subject of interest at school, which I was not always happy about, but other than that, life as the wife of a new judge was very rewarding.

We returned to the relative anonymity of Auckland in 1985.  The Auckland years were settled and for me revolved around the children and learning to teach.  The Auckland common room was a convivial place and with Ron and Viv Gilbert living nearby and highlights like a trip on the McElrea 'Jersey Lilly'..  I taught part time at Remuera Intermediate for a relatively short period and had my most satisfying garden on the slopes of the Orakei Basin before we came to Wellington.

The Wellington common room was always welcoming and Anand is thrilled to be entitled to retain the title of Judge because of such a happy career in the Judiciary.

The last two-and-a-half years since Anand has been the Governor-General have been busy with functions, occasions, meetings, investitures and paperwork.  This first half of the term has also included international travel representing New Zealand and New Zealand interests abroad.

The friendly visits to the Pacific-Niue, Tokelau, Samoa, Tonga and Australia-contrast with the solemnity of the 90th Passhendaele commemorations in Belgium.  There have also been firsts.  The first State Visits by a New Zealand Governor-General to Canada, India and Mongolia and we supported the New Zealand team in Beijing.  I was very proud of our small nation when Anand received the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award at the United Nations in New York on behalf of the disabled community in our country.  On that visit we also met the Secretary-General, Mr Ban, and his wife, and got a flavour of the Organisation which deals with so many facets of our modern world.

Of course, there was a meeting with Queen Elizabeth, Queen of New Zealand, and Prince Philip just before Anand took up his office.  We were nervous, but they soon put us at ease and we certainly enjoyed the occasion.

A highlight for me has been to attend the investiture ceremonies at Government House in Auckland and Wellington. They are an opportunity to meet the many who have achieved in commerce, the community, public service or sport and they give an insight into the qualities that make New Zealand what it is.

Key ceremonial duties include attendance at Waitangi Day and Anzac Day commemorations as well as accepting the credentials of new ambassadors and welcoming visiting Heads of State to New Zealand.  The ceremonies are held in either the Wellington or Auckland Government House.

We have also travelled within New Zealand, allowing us to meet a variety of people involved in community activities and to have a sense of the distinctive character of the different regions as they are today.

Staff at Government House have earned our admiration for the overall gold standard, as we call it, in all that they do.  No other buildings that I know are so well looked after and presented in a day-to-day sense, and every occasion that is hosted by the Governor General of New Zealand that I have attended is perfect and detailed.

In October last year, the Wellington House closed for a major conservation project.  Since then we were based at the Auckland House and have now moved into Government House Vogel in Lower Hutt while in Wellington.

Government House in Auckland, while it has been refurbished and extended, has a homely feel, but both properties feature special gardens.  In Auckland there is a sub-tropical feel to the garden and the House sits on the side of Mount Eden, with all its volcanic drama, evidenced in rocky outcrops, looking over the lawns into the treetops of old trees.  The Wellington site was once called Mount View, a fact now largely forgotten, and the House sits on a large flat area on the side of the Mount Victoria ridge with land above and below.  The garden was developed in its modern form by Sir Michael Hardie Boys and features many natives and fewer flowers except on the northern side and around the northern lawn.  At night from our apartment on the second floor, we thought of New York as we looked over park-like gardens to the city lights.

The year ahead promises significant change for both of us. Now travel is an important aspect of the Role whereas once overseas trips were infrequent for Governors-General, except in the Pacific.

I have outlined the Governor-General's key constitutional, ceremonial and community leadership roles.  Barring a constitutional crisis, which thankfully no New Zealand Governor-General has ever had to deal with, we have together experienced everything required by the Role.  The appointing of a Prime Minister, swearing in of a government and opening a new Parliament were the last things to learn from.

At the outset, Anand set several key themes for his term as Governor-General.  These include:

• promoting excellence,
• promoting understanding of New Zealand's cultural diversity,
• civics education and
• community engagement by which he means, in part, volunteering.

I have supported him in everything, but have also sought to emphasise the cause of children and families and so am honoured to be Patron of several organisations, some jointly with Anand, including Barnardos, Save the Children, the Girl Guides, Girls' Brigade, and the YWCA.

It is often not an easy role and the great challenge is never to be jaded.  Every day is different and, despite being half way through, we continue to find each demanding.  The recent births, in the last eight weeks, of our first two grandchildren have been a real blessing.

In the end it's the people that matter in this unsurpassed country.

No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.