Governor-General may be at Games

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33003, 24 August 1972, Page 14

Governor-General may be at Games

He hoped “protocol will be waived sufficiently” to let himself and Lady Porritt return to Christchurch in 1974 for the Commonwealth Games, the Governor-General (Sir Arthur Porritt) said in Christchurch last evening.

He hoped this because of his great love both for the Commonwealth Games and for Christchurch, Sir Arthur Porritt told more than 400 civic dignitaries, members of the judiciary, local body representatives, and community leaders at a civic farewell for himself and Lady Porritt. "After all. I am now Prince Philip’s vice-president of the games,” he said. The civic farewell ended a busy afternoon for their Excellencies. They arrived by air about noon, with their son, Mr Jeremy Porritt, and started their activities with a tree-planting ceremony at 2 pm. Before a crowd of about 50, Sir Arthur Porritt planted a magnolia in the Armstrong lawn, near the main gate to the Botanic Gardens. As small children crowded around the table, he and Lady Porritt signed the city’s commemorative tree book before leaving for the Town Hall. At the gardens, the Vice-

Regal couple had been met by the Mayor (Mr N. G. Pickering) and the city’s director of reserves (Mr H. G. Gilpin). During the 45-minute tour of the Town Hall, they were accompanied by the Mayor, the Town Clerk (Mr M. B. Hayes), the chairman of the Town Hall Committee (Mr H. G. Hay), and members of the committee, one of the Town Hall architects, Mr Miles Warren. Both Sir Arthur and Lady Porritt asked numerous questions about the building, and were visibly impressed by it. But Sir Arthur Porritt clearly found the large abstract mural difficult to appreciate: “It makes me wish that I was just a bit younger,” he said. At the site of the games complex. Queen Elizabeth II Park, the Vice-Regal party studied plans, then donned safety helmets for a tour through the skeleton of the pools building. Their Excellencies then returned to their city hotel where they received senior members of the armed services, and their wives, before going to the official farewell function. The functions included the presentation, to the Vice-

Regal couple, on behalf of the city, of a cocktail cabinet. Sir Arthur Porritt thanked the city for the gift (“I trust it will be daily used”) and “for the even greater gift of your friendship.” The sadness of the Gover-nor-General’s departure would be softened by a sense of accomplishment and a job well done, Mr Pickering said. Sir Arthur Porritt had been the first New Zealand-born Governor-General of New Zealand, and he was sure many would share the hope that future Governors-Gen-eral would be New Zealanders. Sir Arthur Porritt had said he wanted to visit as many places as possible, and this he had done. The interest both he and Lady Porritt had shown in the New Zealand way of life had endeared them to all. There would be a great feeling of regret that Sir Arthur and Lady Porritt would not be able to officiate at the opening of the Town Hall, Mr Pickering said. He asked Sir Arthur Porritt to convey Christchurch’s greetings to the Queen, and said there was no city with stronger bonds between the people and the Crown. Sir Arthur Porritt and Lady Porritt had reminded New Zealanders of their two-fold cultural background: the strong links with Britain, and their links with Polynesia, said the Bishop of Christchurch (the Right Rev. W. A. Pyatt). Some ties with Britain—economic and military—were going, but the sentiment, and affection felt through the Governor-General for the Queen, would remain. New Zealand needed to take up its responsibility as a nation in the Pacific, and Sir Arthur Porritt had reminded the country of this, Bishop Pyatt said. “We are grateful for all you have done.”

During the last few months he had found it very difficult to avoid being sentimental and emotional, and to express the sadness he and Lady Porritt felt at the approach of their departure from a country and a people they had come to love, and know so intimately. Sir Arthur Porritt said.