Speech
Official Opening of the Cantonese Opera Society of New Zealand Family Garden at Waitakere Hospital
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E kui mā, e koro mā, e huihui nei,tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou. Kia ora tātou katoa. Ladies and gentlemen I extend warm greetings to you all. Distinguished guests, staff of Waitakere Hospital, members of the Cantonese Opera Society of New Zealand, “Gung hei fatt coi – felicitations and I wish you prosperity in this New Year”.
I specifically acknowledge: Audrey Chan, President of the Cantonese Opera Society of New Zealand and your husband Peter Chan, Chairman of the Society’s Fundraising Committee; Dr Lester Levy, Chairman of the Waitemata District Health Board; HE Niu Qingbao, Consul General for the People’s Republic of China; and HE Yil-ho Pak, Consul General for the Republic of Korea.
It is a great pleasure for me to join you all here today on the second day of the New Year and in celebration of a wonderful gift. Given that in some parts of China it is traditional for married daughters to visit their birth parents on the second day of the new year, it is perhaps a wonderful coincidence that the garden is located in the Maternity Ward of this hospital.
Accordingly, as Patron of the Cantonese Opera Society of New Zealand, it is my privilege to be called upon to officially open this Garden, gifted by the Society for the enjoyment of maternity patients.
I will carry out that important task in a short time. However, before doing so, I want to speak briefly on the Society and the significance of its contributions to the community and more specifically to Waitakere Hospital.
When the Cantonese Opera Society was formed more than twelve years ago to showcase art, culture and traditions through the ancient art-form of Cantonese Opera it opened a cultural window. It offered all New Zealanders the opportunity to learn about, enjoy, and participate in this special art-form through its membership and the staging of concerts, which raise money for a variety of worthy causes.
Those causes have included organisations such as the Leukaemia and Blood Foundation and the Kerikeri Surf Life Saving Club, and the Society has made donations for disasters such as the Christchurch earthquake.
Today we celebrate the continued and substantial fundraising efforts of the Society which have led to the creation of this beautiful garden, and new equipment for the Hospital. The $70,000 that was raised is no easy feat, and I congratulate all of those present who played a part in that.
As Governor-General and representative of all New Zealanders, I want to thank the Cantonese Opera Society of New Zealand for your dedication and generosity. This garden will be enjoyed by many patients and their support teams who will appreciate such a relaxing setting for what can be a fairly intense time for all concerned! It seems to me that this is a place of tranquillity that enables patients and visitors to escape the confines of wards and corridors to enjoy fresh air and the beauty of this space.