Auckland’s Northern Club hosted the Annual New Zealand Livery Dinner on Thursday 5 May 2022. The dinner is organised each year by Paul Kennerley RD VR DL FRICS (Parish Clerks’ Past Master and a Coachmaker) and usually attracts New Zealand based Liverymen from a dozen or so Livery Companies. 

Paul Kennerley introduced the evening acknowledging each of the Livery Companies present and offered Grace before the dinner. New Zealand High Commissioners to the United Kingdom are customarily granted Honorary Freedom of the Worshipful Company of Butchers and former High Commissioner John Collinge was in attendance. Paul informed those present that Dame Kiri Te Kanawa ONZ CH DBE AC has recently become a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers. While this could be an unexpected career change from opera singing, we look forward to welcoming Dame Kiri into the fold in the future.

This year the focus of the event was the recently established affiliation between the Worshipful Company of World Traders and HMNZS Canterbury. This is the first Livery Company affiliation with a non-British Armed Forces unit. Addresses were made by World Trader Liveryman, Honorary Captain (Navy) Bevan Killick, the Commanding Officer of HMNZS Canterbury Commander Bronwyn Heslop RNZN and former Commanding Officer of HMNZS Wellington Commander Tim Hall RNZN.

Bevan Killick is the World Traders Liaison Officer for the HMNZS Canterbury affiliation. An annual grant has been established to the Ship’s Welfare Fund and a trophy and cash prize will be awarded to an enlisted sailor who has promoted or protected world trade. Commander Heslop outlined the ship’s capabilities and recent and upcoming movements. HMNZS Canterbury is a multi-purpose sea lift vessel routinely engaged in humanitarian efforts throughout the Pacific.

As a former Commanding Officer of HMNZS Wellington, Commander Hall provided an update on his former ship. HMNZS Wellington is the successor ship to the former HMS Wellington, now moored in the Thames as HQS Wellington, the Livery Hall for the Honourable Company of Master Mariners.  Perhaps another affiliation awaits!

The World Traders must be the livery company with the greatest global reach. It was a wonderful evening celebrating the promotion and protection of World Trade: “Commerce and Honest Friendship with All!” – wherever they may be!