Canadian Post For Sir Leon Gotz

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30619, 9 December 1964, Page 20

Canadian Post For Sir Leon Gotz

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 8. Sir Leon Gotz has been appointed High Commissioner for New Zealand in Canada. This was one of two appointments of new heads of New Zealand diplomatic mission announced today by the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake).

Mr R. L. Hutchens, an assistant secretary in the Department of External Affairs, has been named as Ambassador of New Zealand in France. Announcing Sir Leon Gotz’s appointment. Mr Holyoake said Mr J. S. Reid, the present High Commissioner, had recently returned to New Zealand on sick leave. He said although Mr Reid had made good progress he did not feel his state of health would permit him to resume his appointment in Ottawa. “In the circumstances, the

Government is fortunate to have available for this post a man of Sir Leon Gotz’s ability and experience,” Mr Holyoake said.

Sir Leon Gotz will take up his appointment early in the New Year. The Prime Minister said the post of Ambassador in Paris had become vacant through the recent transfer of Mr Charles Craw to London as deputy High Commissioner.

Mr Craw’s new appointment had been announced about a month ago. Mr Holyoake said Mr Hutchens, who is the senior assistant secretary in the Department of External Affairs, had been acting deputy secretary for the last few months He was very well qualified for the appointment in Paris by virtue of his wide experience in the department both in Wellington and abroad. His last overseas appointment was as New Zealand Commissioner in Singapore from 1959 to 1962 and before that he had been Secretary to the Cabinet.

Sir Leon Gotz, was born in Auckland in 1892 and educated at Chateau de Prangins, Nyon, Switzerland, Ecole de L’ile de France, Liancourt, King’s College, Auckland, Wanganui College and Otago University. He was a planter in Malaya from 1913 to 1925 and from

1930-35 general manager of the New Zealand Reparation Estate, Western Samoa. He served in the Malay States Volunteer Rifles in World War I. Elected to Parliament in 1949, he became Minister of Internal Affairs, Civil Defence and Island Territories in 1961 and held these portfolios until the end of the last Parliament when he was defeated in the general election. Sir Leon Gotz was awarded the K.C.V.O. in 1963. Mr Hutchens was born in Hawera and educated at Wanganui Technical College and the Victoria University of Wellington, graduating B.A. and Ll.B.

He joined the Government Service in 1934, serving in the Government Statistician’s office and the original External Affairs Department (which subsequently became the Department of Island Territories). Mr Hutchens served with the 2nd N.Z.E.F. in the Middle East as a battalion commander with the rank of Lieuten-ant-Colonel. He was awarded the D.S.O. and the United States Legion of Merit. He joined the present Department of External Affairs in 1946 and from 1950 to 1953 was official secretary in the

New Zealand High Commissioner’s Office in Australia. From 1955 to 1959, Mr Hutchens was Secretary to the Cabinet, acting also as secretary to the defence and economic policy committee of the Cabinet. Since his return from Singapore in 1962, he has been assistant secretary with special responsibility for defence and Asian affairs. Mr Hutchens, who is 50, is married with two children.