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On Sunday, Dame Patsy cut the ribbon to officially open a restored piece of Wairarapa’s agricultural history. The exact date the Donald Woolshed was constructed is not known, but estimates date it from around 1850-1870. It is constructed from totora wood…

Tonight Dame Patsy and Sir David hosted a dinner for the Judges of the Supreme Court and Heads of Bench at Government House in Wellington. Heads of Bench are the senior judges of the Court of Appeal, District Court, Family Court, Youth Court, Employment…

This morning Dame Patsy and Sir David hosted a morning tea for the Aspen Institute New Zealand, which was recently established as an affiliate of the Aspen Institute in the United States. Co-patrons Sir Don McKinnon and former Prime Minister the Rt Hon…

Rau rangatira mā, e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi nui ki a koutou. Kia ora tātou katoa. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, warm greetings to you all. Thank you all for coming here today. I am delighted to host the first  Wellington gathering of the…

While working with her charity KidsCan, Julie Chapman discovered that over half of people facing domestic violence, they delay leaving for fear of what might happen to their pets. She decided to do something about this worrying statistic and along with…

Actor Sam Neill, author Joy Cowley and artist and educator Dr Sandy Adsetts' long and inspirational careers were acknowledged at Government House this evening, with the presentation of the Arts Foundation's Whakamana Hiranga Icon Awards. Limited to a…

E aku hoa i te ara o te whai, Kia kotahi tā tātou takahi i te kō, ko tōku whiwhi kei tō koutou tautoko mai. Ko tāku ki a koutou, hei whakapiki manawa mōku. He horomata rangatira te mahi, e rite ai te whiwhinga a te ringatuku, me te ringakape ake, i ōna…

This afternoon Hon Sir William Young, Chair of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on the Christchurch Mosques, and Jacqui Caine, Commissioner, presented the Commission's report to the Governor-General.

Rain may have curtailed some of the normal ceremonial flourishes but there was still plenty of colour at this morning's 53rd State Opening of Parliament in Wellington. Dame Patsy delivered the Speech from the Throne to the assembled Members of the House…

The first task of a newly elected Parliament is to elect a Speaker. Today, after the Rt Hon Trevor Mallard was elected by his colleagues, he came to Government House to have his election confirmed by the Governor-General. The Speaker is third in the order…

This afternoon Dame Patsy hosted a reception for New Zealand Festival of the Arts and Wellington Jazz Festival patrons, partners and artists at Government House in Wellington. Both events faced challenges due to the pandemic but planning is underway for…

Te Arawa ki te rangi, Te Arawa ki te whenua, Te Arawa waka, Te Arawa tangata Karanga mai ki a mātou, kua pae mai, ki te po Tohu Ahuwhenua Nōku te maringa te haere mai, i runga i te reo a Apirana Ngata ki te whakanui te kaupapa No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā…

On Friday 20 November Dame Patsy and Sir David attended the 2020 Ahuwhenua Awards dinner in Rotorua. Until this year, the awards have recognised excellence in sheep, beef or dairy farming. This year marked the first time in the Awards history that…

The sun shone for the New Zealand's Olympic Family as Dame Patsy hosted a lunch at Government House in Auckland to thank the people and organisations who play a role in getting the New Zealand Olympic team to the games, and in keeping support for our…

A very special evening at Government House in Auckland tonight as nine members of Global Women were presented with honorary lifetime memberships. Global Women's objective is to increase diversity in leadership by facilitating the development of women…

As part of Paralympics New Zealand’s Celebration Project, this evening 18 Paralympians were presented with their Paralympian number pins at Government House Wellington. They are part of the group of 209 Paralympians who have represented New Zealand at the…

Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa is a national weavers' committee, whose mission is to develop and extend the skills of weaving across Aotearoa. Today the committee members presented Dame Patsy with Hine Maioha, an exquisite example of a tarapouahi (flax…

This evening at Government House, Dame Patsy hosted a celebration for the 25th Anniversary of Zealandia. 25 years ago, Jim Lynch’s plan for an urban eco sanctuary nestled in the hills of Karori began, it would be a pest-free environment where Aotearoa’s…

The ballroom at Government House transformed into a theatre this evening with a performance of Kate JasonSmith's one woman play "I'll Tell You This For Nothing - My Mother the War Hero". Kate took the audience on a journey through her Mother's life, from…