Doing it in Auckland

Nostalgic stopover for a Fergusson

By CARLY TAWHIAO - Auckland City Harbour News | 5:00AM - Wednesday, 02 June 2010

FAREWELL VISIT: George Fergusson, the outgoing British High Commissioner to New Zealand, says a final goodbye to
Old Government House, in the grounds of Auckland University. Mr Fergusson was the fourth generation of his family
to have lived there from 1962 to 1967. — JASON OXENHAM/Auckland City Harbour News.

NEGOTIATING a war vessel in pirate-infested sea waters was no easy feat for British diplomat George Fergusson.

That's because it was 1965, he was just 10 years old and his ship was the roof parapet of Old Government House in Auckland.

On his last day of a five-year posting as United Kingdom's High Commissioner to New Zealand, Samoa and governor of the Pitcairn Islands, Mr Fergusson made a fleeting visit to his childhood abode for a trip down memory lane.

The 54-year-old was the fourth generation of Fergussons to have lived in Government House as a private residence between 1962 and 1967, before it was taken over by Auckland University in 1969.

Mr Fergusson's great-grandfather, Sir James Fergusson, lived there as governor in the late 1800s, followed by his grandfather Sir Charles Fergusson, who was governor-general from 1924 to 1930.

While he was a young boy fighting off enemy ships, his father Sir Bernard Fergusson was New Zealand's governor-general.

He says the fire escapes gave him access to the balcony where he would spend many hours playing.

"I was unaware of the number and movement of people, prefaced by the fact I was an unobservant 10-year-old," he says.

"It became a ship which needed to be captained by me. It was brilliant for pretending to be captain of the ship."

The wooden building was opened in 1856 when Auckland was the capital, but by 1865 the seat of government had moved to Wellington.

Queen Elizabeth II stayed at the house during her first visit to New Zealand in 1953 but today it is used by Auckland University as a staff common room, student cafeteria and lecture theatre as well as accommodation for visiting academics.

The tour was arranged as a parting gift by the university, on request from Mr Fergusson after he sat on the lawn last year to identify what was once his bedroom.

"It's a very attractive house. The gardens are marvellous," he says.

Mr Fergusson's mother, Laura, was the patron of the Laura Fergusson Trust, which helps to provide independence for people with physical disabilities.

In 1966 he was inducted into the Ngati Raukawa tribe in Otaki and given the name Raukawa.

After completing his secondary schooling in England, he returned to New Zealand to work as a labourer before joining the British Civil Service, and then the foreign policy team.

His wife Margaret Wookey, who is also a diplomat, says the couple look forward to reuniting with their three daughters Laura Huia, Alice Marama and Elizabeth Tukino in London.

And although it was their last day in New Zealand, with strong family connections to this country, they are adamant they will be back.

"We've never been absent longer than seven years, so statistically it's very likely. We have a foot in both countries and that won't ever stop."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/auckland-city-harbour-news/3761713/Nostalgic-stopover-for-a-Fergusson