Diplomatic Charity Ball

On the evening of my good news (see previous blog) Miang and I attended the Diplomatic Charity Ball as guests of the Swiss Ambassador (it's an interesting story as to why the Swiss), but the point of this blog is to show our good friends George and Margaret Fergusson, who sadly leave New Zealand in a few days. They are a most remarkable couple, delightfully warm and generous, steeped in knowledge of New Zealand, and probably the best British High Commissioner and partner that New Zealand could ever have had.

How is this for job qualification? George spent formative years of his childhood here and went to St Mark's school in Wellington, while his father, Sir Bernard Fergusson, was Governor-General 1962-1967. If that wasn't enough, both George's grandfather, Sir Charles Fergusson, was Governor-General from 1924 to 1930. and his greatgrandfather, Sir James Fergusson, was governor from 1873 to 1874. Bernard Fergusson built a close relationship with Maori, and gave his son a Maori name (George Duncan Raukawa Fergusson). Here is George during those early days, as we older New Zealanders remember him. After leaving school in Britain, George came back to New Zealand and spent some time picking hops and fruit, working in a bakery in Wellington and as a meat trimmer at the Whakatu freezing works in Hawkes Bay (the best qualification of all in my view!)

He has had an exceptional diplomatic career, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Fergusson
In 2006 he was appointed High Commissioner to New Zealand and Samoa and Governor of the Pitcairn Islands.

I remember George's father well, pictured here with Walter Nash (Prime Minister 1957-1960). During World War II, he was quite a war hero, commanding the 16th Infantry Brigade which was converted into a Chindit formation for operations in the deep jungles of Burma miles behind Japanese lines. He became Director of Combined Operations from 1945 to 1946 and after the war he commanded the famous 1st Battalion, Black Watch.

George and Margaret are as nice a couple you could wish to meet-the very best of British, steeped in experience and knowledge which they wear lightly. They will be missed by so many New Zealanders who wish them well in their next adventure.

PS: John Key came across to our table to check out Miang during the evening. I can't blame him. She looked stunning in her cheong-sam!