CHANGING THE GUARD AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE

Tu Tangata, Issue 31, 1 August 1986, Page 52

CHANGING THE GUARD AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE

For 50 or so soldiers from Trentham Camp the 1986 Royal Tour proved to be the highlight of their careers, from a ceremonial point of view anyway.

The men, selected from Base Area Wellington, the Ist Base Supply Battalion and the Ist Base Workshop, mounted a Royal Guard at Government House in Wellington while Her Majesty The Queen was in residence.

Under the able tuition of WOl Pairere Terewi, who was involved with Royal Guard duties in 1981, special training was conducted in Trentham Camp for a week prior to the visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip to Wellington.

The soldiers carried unloaded rifles with fixed bayonets.

Two Royal Guards were formed and alternated duties at the gates of Government House.

As each Guard started its duty, it was led through the streets around the Basin Reserve by the New Zealand Army Bank.

The formal changing the Guard ceremonies took place during the Royal stay in the capital.

Each morning two sentries were mounted on the gates at ‘Reveille’. Daily guard duties ended at 11 p.m. each night or later, depending upon what time the Royal couple arrived back at Government House.

The complete Guard turned out whenever the Queen and Prince Phillip arrived or departed.

Standards of dress and drill were high. In fact they so impressed the Ser-

geant Major of the Army, WOl David Hayward, that he awarded the soldiers a 9.5 score out of ten for their efforts - the highest mark he has given any Army ceremonial effort to date.