Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand

E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga iwi o te motu e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou.  Kia ora tātou katoa.  Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, warm greetings to you all.

I specifically acknowledge: Tony Thackery, President of the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand; and Ivor Masters, the General Manager of Stamps for New Zealand Post—tēnā korua. 

Thank you for inviting me to the Society’s President’s Night to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee. 

As a one-time stamp collector, I am privileged to be here tonight, to view these remarkable stamps and share this celebration.  As we are focusing on stamps and matters royal, I should note that the Queen is a collector of stamps, as was her grandfather George V.  Indeed some of the Queen’s stamp collection featured in an exhibition at Te Papa Tongarewa in 2005.  Alas, my stamp collection is not of the order to warrant showing, except to my 6-month-old grand-daughter!

I suspect that like many of you, I was given my first stamp album when I was a young boy.  In my case, I was 10-years-old, and while I no longer collect them as avidly as I once did, I still have that first album.  More than the individual stamps in the collection, it connects me to an important event in my life—my first visit to Auckland and my first flight in an aeroplane.  Collecting stamps also provided a window to the world.

In a different way, this fascinating collection connects us with our Queen throughout her long reign.  For most New Zealanders, they, like me, have known no other monarch as our Head of State.

As Head of the Commonwealth, the Head of State of 16 nations, and as one of the world’s most photographed personalities, it’s not surprising that she should appear on so many stamps, including many from New Zealand.

These stamps, however, not only connect us with our Queen, but also underline her links to us.  They remind us of key times in her life, her connections to New Zealand, and they also remind us of key times in our own lives.

New Zealand Post’s Diamond Jubilee stamp collection provides a fine example of these associations.  From the official 2012 portraits of the Queen and Prince Phillip wearing their New Zealand insignia, to photographs of the Queen's various visits to New Zealand, they celebrate a remarkable life, a remarkable dedication to service, and a remarkable period in world history.

Her Majesty’s reign has been during a time of dramatic global, economic, technological and social change.  It has been a time when empires have disappeared and many new nations have come into existence, others have gained their independence.  It is a time when humankind has left the confines of the Earth, men have walked on the Moon and when we have explored under the sea and the mini-micro world with greater earnest. 

Throughout these rapid and epic changes, Queen Elizabeth II has remained a constant, inspirational and unwavering advocate of family, friendship and community values.  She is admired for her dignity, her promotion of charitable organisations and royal patronages, her support for returned servicemen and women, and her dedication to her duties.

One of New Zealand’s special links with our Queen is our National Day.  While 6 February 1952 will forever be the day that she sadly learnt of the sudden death of her father, King George VI, the 6th of February - Waitangi Day – is the day New Zealanders can celebrate foresight and dedication.  It is the day that my predecessor Lt-Governor William Hobson signed the Treaty of Waitangi together with 40 Māori rangatira in the name of Queen Elizabeth’s great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria.

That sense of a special connection between New Zealand and the Queen was reinforced the following year on 2 June 1953, the eve of Her Majesty’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey.  As world leaders and royalty gathered in London for the Coronation, the first to be televised and watched by millions around the world, it was announced that New Zealander Edmund Hillary, along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, had conquered Mt Everest.  

That sense of a special connection with the Queen has remained particularly strong with Māori.  The obligations of the Treaty have long been the Government’s responsibility, yet for many Māori she, our Queen, symbolises a living connection between the Crown and Māori; and the Treaty that was signed at Waitangi 172 years ago.  

As I have mentioned, Her Majesty became our Queen in 1952.  However, she formally became Queen of New Zealand in 1974 when the Royal Titles Act was amended.  The change recognised that under the concept of the divisible Crown, Her Majesty reigns as our Queen independently of her role as Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Realms where she serves as Head of State.

The change of title in no way altered Her Majesty’s feelings towards our country.  I can speak from experience in saying that Her Majesty retains a strong interest in and affection for New Zealand and its people.  Her knowledge of New Zealand is considerable and she is incredibly well informed of current events.   Messages in both the sad times, like the Pike River Mine tragedy and the Christchurch earthquakes, and in the times of celebration, like the All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup success, have expressed a generosity of spirit, and genuine warmth and support.

Her Majesty’s knowledge of our country stems in part from her 10 visits as Queen - four of which are on the Diamond Jubilee stamps.  Her first visit in December 1953 and into January 1954 was 10 months before I was born, and so I have no first hand memories of the glorious “Royal Summer” that those, just a few years older, remember with such affection.  An estimated three out of every four New Zealanders saw the Queen and Prince Philip during that visit.  While here, Her Majesty broadcast her first Christmas message from Government House in Auckland - again pictured on another Diamond Jubilee stamp - and became our first reigning monarch to open the New Zealand Parliament. 

Queen Elizabeth II is a steadying and inspirational person, and a role model for service, whom we celebrate in this, her Diamond Jubilee year.  When Their Royal Highnesses, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, visit New Zealand to mark the Diamond Jubilee, in just two-months, we will again recall with affection her service to New Zealand. 

So as Patron of the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand, I congratulate the society for organising this tribute to our Queen.  And it seems appropriate to close with those time honoured words: “Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us – God Save The Queen!”