HMNZS CANTERBURY Charter Parade

Monday 21 March 2005

Good afternoon. There are few times in the normal round of Mayoral duties where you feel the hand of history on your shoulders. Events like this today are one of those rare times.

It's been during events that have involved meeting, greeting and farewelling various arms of the military services that you get a profound sense of continuity with history. It is impossible not to feel the solemn history that goes with such events.

New Zealand is a very young nation compared to much of the world. We are also a nation that has earned great mana as a peacekeeper because the world has already learnt that we are historically ready to make the supreme sacrifice for what we feel is right. The many war memorials that stand in every city and town throughout New Zealand are a lasting reminder of that fact.

I have taken part in enough official farewells over the years to have felt vividly the grim awareness that these sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, and partners are potentially facing life and death situations. It is a humbling sensation.

It is one that, more than just about any other official duty, provides me with a sense of connection and continuity with previous Christchurch mayors.

You can't help but wonder how it must have felt to have been part of such events when the destination was one of the major wars of last century. It is one sensation I devoutly hope to never experience.

Today with this event we would appear to be severing our official moorings to HMNZS Canterbury. It is a connection that has been long, historic and one of generally mutual affection between the vessel and this province.

I say generally because I note that although this vessel has had the great good fortune to sail through the most benign military climate in our history, the first official contacts were not without some controversy.

During the first official visit in 1972, the guests at the champagne ball in the Horticultural Hall were the subject of an unwelcome ceremony from various protesters. That included some of today's near-pensioners, then in the Progressive Youth Movement, also known as the Pimply Youth Movement, who threw eggs and yelled unkind words.

After that, in the first Charter Parade in 1973, everyone was better behaved and the first charter buffet lunch apparently went off without incident.

Who would have thought then that the Canterbury would spend much of her service life as a front row warrior for peace.

In 1973 while the egg-throwers stayed ashore, the Canterbury was busy monitoring the French atom bomb tests at Murorora. She also served as an escort vessel to two visits from the Royal Yacht.

In 1984 she was a witness to history when she took part in the last joint exercises with the US Navy. A few years later she was on standby to extract our nationals out of Fiji during the first coup there.

In the dying years of last century, in 1996, the Canterbury was part of the international interceptions fleet in the Arabian Gulf. She was also a player in the recent run of Pacific peace-making operations in Bougainville, East Timor and the Solomon Islands.

It has been an active life that none of us could have predicted when she was first commissioned in 1971. It has been a life of honour and service that we should all recognise here today. It has been a long and strong association with Christchurch and Canterbury.

We are all sad to see her go.