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The Treaty of Waitangi, which was signed on the 6th February 1840, has been said to represent "the establishment of a unique and permanent partnership between the races with agreement on equality and justice for all; the development of the twin concepts…

The Honourable Duncan MacIntyre; The Right Honourable Mr Rowling; The Right Honourable Michael Somare; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; Sir James Henare; Sir Hepi te Heu Heu; the Reverend Browning; Ministers of the Crown and Members of…

Mrs Westrate, Ladies and Gentlemen: My wife and I are honoured to be with you at this reception. Tonight we have here representatives of the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Royal Overseas League, The Navy League, The Victoria League and the English-…

Mr Martin, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am honoured to be with you tonight at this dinner which, marks the opening of your biennial conference. And this is your Diamond Jubilee year, which makes it an even more auspicious occasion. I am honoured to be your…

I have been privileged to take part at these celebrations on other occasions over the years - as Prime Minister and as Leader of the Opposition - and now I speak to you today as your Governor-General and as Chairman of the Waitangi National Trust Board.…

Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I think it very good of you to come along on a night like this to listen to whatever I have to say. I must say I am a little shattered to find so many of my distinguished former colleagues in the law here, each of whom…

The One Priceless Asset Not long ago I found myself engaged in mild controversy with some junior members of my family over the relative merits of the Viennese Waltz and Rock-'n'-Roll. You will probably guess that, in favouring the former, I found myself…

The Love of Good Letters English literature is a subject so vast in scope that in attempting to talk upon it one feels like a man putting to sea in a rowing boat to cross the Atlantic. There is, moreover, no subject upon which it is more dangerous to be…

Commonwealth Example There are few subjects in the world upon which it is easier to become platitudinous than that of the British Commonwealth. The phrases trip so easily off the tongue - "freedom-loving people," "traditions of justice and fair play," "a…

To be asked to give the Thomas Cawthron Memorial Lecture is a great honour, but it is an honour fraught with almost paralysing responsibility for its recipient. Before he has been in the country of his adoption for many months, a Governor-General becomes…

You may well feel justifiably aggrieved at having to listen to a speech from your guest, but for this you will have to lay the blame at the door of your principal. I myself think that it borders on a confidence trick that, under the pretext of accepting…

Happiness Lies in Work Most citizens of most countries of the world grumble today about the mass of regulations and laws which annually multiply themselves to their discomfort; but I myself would welcome just one more - just one. And that would be one…

We Set our Course by the Stars It is always a pleasure to attend a meeting of school boards so long as one isn't the chairman. As was once said of Arthur Balfour, one can view events with the detachment of a choirboy at a funeral service. The trouble is,…

The Juncture of the Streams We have gathered this afternoon for a good purpose, which is to ensure the preservation of Te Kooti's last stronghold. When one reads the story of the Mori Wars of last century, one cannot but be struck by the close resemblance…

This is, for my wife and me, a most momentous occasion, for it is the first time that we have been privileged to attend these celebrations - celebrations which mark one of the most significant stages in the long and coloured pageant of English colonial…

Commonwealth Example There are few subjects in the world upon which it is easier to become platitudinous than that of the British Commonwealth. The phrases trip so easily off the tongue - "freedom-loving people," "traditions of justice and fair play," "a…

The Larger Loyalties Sherlock Holmes once said that "the language of Bradshaw was nervous and terse, but limited." Exactly the same remark applies to the speeches of Governors-General. For such a one a speech is an intellectual exercise, akin to the…

The raising and opening of a new War Memorial hall is an occasion upon which we can, for a few minutes, compose ourselves for some quiet and purposeful reflection. The raising of this large sum - 80,000 has already been given by the people of Wanganui,…

First, I must thank you, Mr Prime Minister, on behalf of myself and my family for the warmth of your welcome to us on our arrival in New Zealand. For us, your gracious speech is the culmination of many expressions of good will which reached us from New…

The Proper Function of an Art Gallery and Museum It affords me infinite satisfaction to comply with your request that I perform today this epoch-making function. New Zealand is unquestionably ripe for a great advance in the general cultural progress of…

A House of Commemoration Before responding to the friendly greetings of the Maori tribes here assembled and to the invitation which has been extended to me in such felicitous terms by Mr Tau Henare, M.P., in the name of the Ngapuhi Tribe, to perform the…

E te iwi tena ra koutou. I am deeply impressed and much touched by the loyal and enthusiastically cordial welcome (expressed in speech and gesture, song and dance) which this great assemblage of Natives and Europeans has extended to us both here to-day on…

I cannot but be reminded on visiting this school that it is named after that eminent Apostle of Christianity, Samuel Marsden; that it was founded fifty-five years ago in the year following the establishment in this country by Act of Parliament of free,…

Our nearest neighbours both in Wellington and in Auckland are important scholastic institutions. The propinquity of these two centres of higher education is a constant reminder to me, as the nominal head of your National Executive, that the training of…