Kia ora,

My name is George Fergusson. I was appointed British High Commissioner to New Zealand in 2006. But I first came here in 1962 when I was seven when my father was Governor-General. I went to St Mark's School in Wellington and Hereworth School in Havelock North and was inducted into Ngati Raukawa. After leaving school in the UK, I came back to New Zealand for a while picking fruit and hops, working on the night shift at a bread factory, and as a trimmer at a freezing works - and had a great time.

After university, I worked briefly at a law office in Ayrshire, Scotland, and then joined the Civil Service working for the Northern Ireland Office in London, Belfast and Dublin. I have also worked as a diplomat in Seoul and Boston. In one of my former roles, I was in the British Government's negotiating team for the Good Friday Agreement on Northern Ireland. Before coming to New Zealand I was head of the Foreign Policy Team in the Cabinet Office in London.

Our aims in the High Commission include giving a really good service to people who need visas to come to the United Kingdom or who apply for British passports, and helping policy-makers in Britain learn from the innovative way New Zealand develops domestic policies and delivers public services.

The links between Britain and New Zealand - Aotearoa - are always changing but stay very close. The relationship has been part of my life for as long as I can remember and I am delighted to have this further chance to work within it.

George Fergusson
High Commissioner/ Te Mangai Kawanatanga