South Wairarapa District Council officially welcomed 11 new citizens and gained significant cultural enrichment at a Citizenship Ceremony (He Whakatau I Nga Kirirarau) at the Waihinga Centre in Martinborough on Thursday 24 July.

The ceremony was opened by Matua Abe Matenga with a Māori formal welcome, a pōwhiri, and a mihi whakatau.

Mayor (koromatua) Martin Connelly was the Master of Ceremonies while Wairarapa resident and former Governor General, Dame Patsy Reddy welcomed the new citizens with a speech, in which she recalled the history of the Wairarapa (whose name means ‘glistening waters’ in Te reo Māori) as the rohe—the tribal territory—of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Wairarapa.

“They lived and thrived here for hundreds of years before the arrival of Europeans in the mid 19th century.”

New Zealand is a country of immigrants with a significant proportion of its population having been born in other countries, said Dame Patsy, thanking the new citizens for choosing to make Aotearoa New Zealand their home.

“You are not only joining a modern, democratic nation – you are becoming part of a place where history and identity are deeply rooted in the land and people. The Treaty of Waitangi, the founding document of the modern nation, reminds us all of our shared responsibilities: to respect and uphold the partnership between Māori and the Crown and to build a society where everyone belongs and contributes to the spirit of Kotahitanga,” she said.

“I hope you will find belonging, community and opportunity. And I hope you will help shape the future of this beautiful region and our nation, bringing your knowledge and your dreams to weave with ours.”

Each new citizen was invited forward by South Wairarapa District Council Chief Executive Janice Smith to read an oath or affirmation, which was followed by a video message from the Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden, and Governor General, the Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro.

The new citizens came from England, Germany, Samoa, Serbia, South Africa and Thailand.

New Citizenship Ceremonies are meaningful for those who become part of a new country. To mark this moment, each new citizen was given a kōwhai tree to plant as a symbolic gesture of putting their roots down in Aotearoa New Zealand. The trees were cultivated at

He Kōtare Native Plant Nursery in Pae tu Mōkai and wrapped in ecofriendly plant mats, tied with flax with mini kiwis placed inside them, which were made by local children, helped by Ventana Art Space in Martinborough.

The ceremony closed with Mayor Connelly inviting everyone present to sing the New Zealand national anthem. Formalities were followed by paramanawa (refreshments).