A magical evening!
Excited laughter and chatter from groups of dancers led us to the ballroom in Government House for a special evening on 30 June 2012 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll; the Wellington Region Diamond Jubilee Ball.
Hosted by the then Governor General Lt. Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae and Lady Janine, the 150 attendees had received printed tickets and programmes (featuring the official New Zealand Diamond Jubilee logo) in the mail which allowed us entry into Government House.
As Elaine Laidlaw, the then President of the RSCDS Wellington Region and MC, welcomed us to the Ball, the golden glow from the huge chandeliers accentuated the fabulous colours of the ballgowns and the tartans of the kilts. It was going to be a memorable night!
I had offered to take photos of the evening for the Region so had a birds’-eye view of the dancers as they took to the floor for the first dance Maxwell’s Rant, dancing to wonderful music from Peter Elmes, John Smith, Lynne Scott and Aileen Logie.
Sir Jerry Mateparae and Lady Janine arrived early in the evening. In his address to us, Sir Jerry shared he had actually done some Scottish Country Dancing when he was attached to the Scots Guards! His Excellency then proposed the toast to her Majesty the Queen.
To our delight, Sir Jerry and Lady Janine said they’d like to join the dancing. With the then RSCDS NZ Branch President Fiona Bullivant partnering His Excellency and Vice-President David Williamson partnering Lady Janine they danced the Kellaholm Jig. They then joined other sets for more dancing.
Government House had recently been refurbished. During supper, we were able to wander along the long hall with its glorious red carpet and explore the beautiful rooms on the ground floor including the Blundell Room and the adjoining Bledisloe Conservatory.
Halfway along the hall, the magnificent staircase to the upper floors was an ideal spot for me to arrange groups of friends and clubs and take their photographs, providing historical memories of the occasion. There were attendees from every club in the Wellington Region, including current and former members of Johnsonville Club, along with around forty dancers from around New Zealand.
Dancers who were members of Johnsonville at the time included Désirée and John Patterson, Shirley Kalogeropoulos, Elizabeth Ngan and Bob Monks.
This special evening of dancing proved a grand celebration of the Diamond Jubilee. The smiles of the dancers, their laughter and the fun had by all made photographing the event an enjoyable activity.
This personal reflection from a dancer says it all:
I felt like Cinderella; the surroundings were majestic, the dancers were glamorous, the band was inspired, the supper was unbelievable and the memories are everlasting.
Fiona Bullivant, RSCDS NZ Branch President
At the time of the Ball, I was Editor of Harbour City Happenings. It was easy to fill the pages of a Diamond Jubilee Special issue with articles and photos: Volume 15 No. 2 August 2012. This was the first issue ever printed in colour, forming an eye-catching record of this spectacular celebration.
Download the issue below to enjoy more about the magical evening from:
- Region President’s column from Elaine Laidlaw: A summary of the whole event including Sir Jerry Mateparae and Lady Janine taking part in the dancing
- The Spurtle-wielder: A focus on the magnificence of the evening including the elegance of the dancers’ clothes and the refurbishment of Government House
- Bev Whitelaw, Convener, Diamond Jubilee Ball: About organising the event along with Edith Campbell, Charlotte Williams, Elaine Lethbridge and Shirley Kalogeropoulos and her magical memories of this wonderful occasion.
from Loralee Hyde
27 May 2020
