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Kiwi of the Week

Bernard Freyberg

A First World War hero and commander of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Bernard Freyberg was British-born but New Zealand-raised. He proved to be a charismatic and popular military leader who would later serve a term as Governor-General

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Today in History

4 April

2001 Sylvia Cartwright becomes Governor General

The swearing in of Dame Sylvia Cartwright as Governor General represented a remarkable clean-sweep of the country's most powerful political and legal positions by women.

Also present at her swearing in were Prime Minister Helen Clark, Opposition leader Jenny Shipley, Chief Justice Sian Elias and Attorney General Margaret Wilson.

The first woman Governor General of New Zealand was the former Mayor of Auckland, Dame Catherine Tizard, who held the post between 1990 and 1996.

The 18th Governor General of New Zealand, Dame Silvia came to prominence when she headed an inquiry into the treatment of women with cervical cancer at National Women’s Hospital. In 1993 she became New Zealand's first female High Court judge. Her term as Governor General ended in 2006 when she was succeeded by Anand Satyanand.