The title of this recording is "Georgina Beyer taonga pōwhiri". It is described as: Audio from the pōwhiri for the taonga of Georgina Beyer. The event marked the gifting of items from Georgina Beyer. It was recorded in Rongomaraeroa Marae, Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand, Wellington on the 19th August 2024. This is a recording of an event and features the voices of Brian Morris, Courtney Johnston, Heather Henare-Coolen, Helena Henare-Coolen, Karen Morris, Malcolm Kennedy-Vaughan and Te Herekiekie Haerehuka Herewini. It also includes interviews conducted by Gareth Watkins. Their names are spelt correctly, but may appear incorrectly spelt later in the document. The duration of the recording is 42 minutes, but this may not reflect the actual length of the event. A list of correctly spelt content keywords and tags can be found at the end of this document. The content in the recording covers the 2020s decade. A brief summary of the recording is: This event honored the legacy of Georgina Beyer, a trailblazing figure known for being the world's first openly transgender mayor and member of parliament. The gathering marked the ceremonial gifting of Beyer’s personal taonga/treasures, including photographs, awards, a banner, and several dresses, to Te Papa for preservation and public display. The taonga symbolizes the personal and public facets of Georgina Beyer’s life and contributions to New Zealand's history. The recording features speeches and reflections from key individuals, including Courtney Johnston, Chief Executive and co-leader at Te Papa; Malcolm Kennedy-Vaughan, lead executor of Georgina's estate; and Karen Morris, Beyer's sister, among others. These speakers emphasize the dual nature of Beyer’s life as both a public icon and a private individual, highlighting how her legacy transcends her personal achievements to represent broader struggles and triumphs within the LGBTQ+ community. Courtney Johnston begins the recording with a heartfelt reflection on the importance of bringing Beyer's taonga into Te Papa, noting the complexity of being both a public figure and a private individual. Johnston eloquently expresses how these personal items reflect both Beyer's public role as a trailblazer and her private, tender moments shared with close friends and family. This duality is seen as emblematic of the broader experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals who navigate visibility and vulnerability in their lives. Malcolm Kennedy-Vaughan speaks about the deep sense of responsibility and honor in ensuring Beyer's wishes were fulfilled, including the safe preservation of her taonga at Te Papa. He reflects on Beyer's legacy within the LGBTQ+ community, noting her courage and conviction in making others feel safe and secure in their identities. Malcolm's words resonate with the idea that visibility, which Beyer championed throughout her life, is a crucial element in creating safety and acceptance for marginalized communities. The recording also captures the emotional weight of the event for those who were closest to Beyer. Helena and Heather Henare-Coolen, close friends and caregivers to Georgina, recount the intimate moments shared with her during her final days, emphasizing the deep love and familial bonds that characterized their relationship. This personal connection underscores the broader themes of love, care, and community that are central to Beyer’s life and legacy. In reflecting on Beyer's legacy, the speakers highlight the local, national, and international impact she had as a leader and activist. Beyer’s achievements in the Wairarapa, as the mayor of Carterton District and later as a member of parliament, are noted for their groundbreaking significance, not only in New Zealand but also on the world stage. Her participation in events like Oxford Union and her influence in global LGBTQ+ rights advocacy further underscore her status as a world icon. The event concludes with Karen and Brian Morris talking about the importance of preserving Beyer’s legacy, not just as a political figure but as a beloved member of her community and family. The taonga, now entrusted to Te Papa, serves as a lasting testament to her life, ensuring that her story will continue to inspire and educate future generations. The recording is a moving tribute to a remarkable woman whose life and work have left an indelible mark on Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond. The full transcription of the recording begins:  My name's Courtney, I'm the Chief Executive, co leader here with Arapata. Um, do you know I got up this morning and I reached into my closet and I did instinctively pull out some sequins to start off with. And I look at that frock now and I regret my decision. Um, I guess since Steph and Claire, um, started talking to Arapata and I about this opportunity to bring these pieces and symbols of Georgina's life into Te Papa, to sit alongside other icons. And to tell these stories of these strong women in Aotearoa. And then when Steph and Claire shared with us some of the taonga that you'd be bringing on with you today, I've been thinking a lot about how people can be both icons and private people. And you can be a trailblazer. Who's out there in your sequins and speaking in Parliament and dancing on Dancing with the Stars. And you are standing for yourself but all the people around you. And there is that part of an icon. And then there is the intimacy. of their life and the sides of them that maybe they don't show to everyone and the stories that not everyone will know that haven't been in the Women's Weekly or on Radio New Zealand. And I think the great gift of what you brought on with you today, is that in this simple group of items from a person's life, it tells both of those stories of someone who was iconic and a public feature, a person who opened doors and opened minds in this country, and took all the heat that came with that as well, because sometimes I think of sequins as being armour in their own way. Um, and a person who, I am guessing, was also soft and tender in their own ways and had their privacy and their things that they shared with those who were close to them. And that you come on with her today and that speaks of your closeness and your care. Right through her life. And I always think when someone comes into Te Papa, their life goes on in that way. Um, to care for someone means to care for them forever and ever. Amine. Love does not stop. Death is a door we walk through and love goes on. You bring these taonga today with love to us and we accept them, I hope, with that same love and that promise to be both joyous and diligent. in our care of what you have entrusted to us to walk alongside you and telling Georgina's stories and all the stories of the people who she stands for. And I speak for all of my colleagues here and our commitment to walking that path. with you while Georgina shines over us and watches what we do together. So thank you for the trust that you're placing in us and for the doors that you're continuing. To open for people here in Aotearoa. Part of the Pōwhiri process, you would have heard a lot of te reo Māori being spoken and so I've just decided to translate some of the important points that were offered during the Pōwhiri and so our Kaihautu, um, Dr. Arapata Hakiwai, um, in his kōrero, he talked about how Georgina's memory will never be forgotten. And so this is part of that important process of remembering people of importance to our nation. And in Brian's kōrero, Georgina's brother in law, he talked about although Georgina had been born biologically male, in her essence she was female. And so Brian also acknowledged that they had taken Georgina's ashes to Mount Victoria and they had presented them to the heavens. And so I, I just wanted to, um, capture that for us, because I know, um, there are people that don't speak Maori and I just wanted to make sure that you understood what was being spoken. Um, and I want to, um, invite Malcolm to come and do a, a presentation. offer a few words, as many words as you like. Malcolm is an icon of the gay community, gay, lesbian, transgender community in Wellington. And, um, he's had many places that offered safe spaces for people to share. So, kia ora, Haruma. Oh, wow. Uh, kia ora koutou katoa. It's an absolute honour for us to be handing over the taonga here today for our dear friend Georgina Beyer. It's important for our rainbow community to acknowledge her lifelong achievements in life and in the minds of our people. The treasures we koha, um, I give them with the deepest aroha. And the deepest respect that will be the kaitiaki of you people. Nga mihi. Please come to the table. So I'm Courtney Johnston, I'm the Chief Executive, the co leader here at Te Papa, and we've just gathered on Rongomaraeroa this afternoon, uh, to receive a donation of, uh, photographs. awards, a banner, a couple of frocks, and other pieces from the life of Georgina Beyer. And, uh, Malcolm Vaughn, and, uh, I was, uh, one of the, well, the chief executive for Georgina Beyer's estate, and, um, we're so pleased that we're handing this, this, uh, uh, taonga over to Te Papa, um, for the safe katiaki, um, of her belongings, knowing that it'll be kept in the mines. Georgina will never be forgotten. Why is it significant for Georgina's collection to be here at Te Papa? Well, I just think it's really, really important that, uh, her taonga comes here, so that she is remembered for the achievements she made in life. Um, a lot of stuff has gone to the archives, um, but it's her personal stuff, which is like the photos, the awards, the things like that, the banner, um, that people can view, perhaps in the future, and remember who she was, and keep up to date with the inroads that she made in life, that she made, um, other people feel comfortable for. So it's really important that it comes here. So it's going to be looked after for eternity. And I think we, we think about Georgina and her place as a New Zealander and as a public figure and as a trailblazer and as a member of the community, um, for whom visibility is so important because visibility, if I've learned anything working with the gay and queer community, it's that visibility creates safety. Um, and I think that's something I've, I've learnt in this role and think about a lot when it comes to working with communities who have at times, or continue to experience forms of discrimination or hatred or, or of a, you know, A repression of their identity. And then I think for Georgina as well, as a strong woman leader in New Zealand, and to sit alongside other pieces of people's lives that we have in our collection, like Chrissie Witako, and like Carmen, and to, You know, museums are here, we, we bring things together to tell stories, to tell a rich and dynamic story of a community and of life in New Zealand. One of the stunning things for me about Georgina is not only the, the local impact, she's had the national impact, but also the international impact. I mean, she has such mana overseas. Yeah. I think, um. That's the beautiful part of it for us, is being able to work with a person's life and legacy and find more and more ways to share it and keep it alive over time as well. I think that's what bringing a museum in to help with minding the legacy and to share some of the load of caring for a person like that. I'm so conscious that so much falls on the estate of somebody who is loved in many different ways and many people have an interest in as well. I think that's a way that we can help to, in a very pragmatic way, as well as caring for the collections, we can help care for some of that interest that exists in a person as well. It's just been over a year since Georgina passed, and it's a bit hard to talk about what kind of legacy is that, that kind of close to her passing, but what do you think Georgina's legacy is going to be? Um, I just think it's just the power that she had. She was afraid of nobody. She stood up. She had the guts and conviction. And I think she was, um, instrumental in making a lot of people feel safe and secure about their sexuality. Um, bringing a lot of people into their own environment and making them feel safe. And I think that's one of the things that she's going to be remembered for. Yeah, no, I, I agree entirely to be bravely yourself, but bravely yourself in, in the effort to uplift those around you as well. And just finally, Mal, um, what's it been like for you today to, to bring Georgina's taonga here? It's really important for me, actually, and for Scotty and Helena and Heather. It's one of those things that we made promises to Georgie, she was our dearest friend, and we were going to make sure that whatever she wanted done, we were going to do. And we've done that, and today is the end of that, that final end piece of doing all the things she wanted. And getting her possessions here to Te Papa is the final straw. So it's quite good to be quite honest. It's, um, it's been a long drawn out process, but we've achieved everything that Georgina wanted, and I think that's really the most important thing. It's the, um, getting to our place phenomena, I think. You can be at destination and yeah, the pulling, pulling up on the final day is a big deal. Kia ora, my name's Helena Hinare Colin. Um, we're here, um, passing over the taonga for Georgie. And it's, it is, it's such a privilege and it's so important because they're going to be the kaitiaki going forward. They're going to be the guardians and they need to look after these treasures. So, um, you know, so people from right across the world are going to, uh, you know, experience and understand and learn about, um, What a wonderful, amazing woman she was. And all the different facets of her, you know, because there's so many different facets to her. Can we just have a look at some of the taonga that have been brought in today, and can you describe for me what we've got here? So, uh, we've got the Dancing with the Stars, um, portrait of her and her, um, co dancer, um, which she was very proud of. Um, and then we've got, um, many photos of different icons in our community, but also, um, You know, there's a picture of, uh, Howard Morrison and Georgie and various people who have now passed over who, um, Georgie treasured that, those relationships and those people that she, and Carmen, of course, um, and there's, um, some of her dresses, um, and, um, some of the awards that she won, and then there's, um, um, numerous, um, albums of her life and her journey. Um, as you can imagine the, um, the treasures for Georgie were, were vast, um, and we think that, um, she belongs here and the, and her, um, this whole ceremony today has been, um, such a credit. To Papa and the fact that it's been so well received and so fully participated in that, um, that it's a, it's a, it's a final journey for us in terms of the executive, um, but it's, it's lovely to share it with people who are going to take her on her next stage of her journey. And, um, and the chief executive recognized them, um, the many, um, personalities of Georgie, who she represented and I guess what, um, for Helena and I, Georgie, um, was a friend. She was a auntie to our moko, um, and we had a very personal relationship with her in that way and the fact that we cared for her at the hospital in her final stages and we, We treasured, um, being given that role by her, um, to be so close to her at her, the end of her journey. And to, to, um, then bring her to the next stage of her journey going forward. Um, cause she's not just a New Zealand icon, she's She's a world icon and having her here means that those people that know her across the world are going to be able to come here and see her and, and be able to pay respect to her, um, like, um, yeah. I think the most important thing is the last part of her journey, we were in the hospice and we, we slept beside her, um, for the last period of her life. And she, she said, um, to the nurses in there that she felt safe. For me, that was the greatest thing I could have heard. Um, because she wasn't afraid. Um, she made the decision. Um, and it was really important to us to honour her as our whānau. Many years ago she invited us, well six years ago, she invited us as her whānau party over to Oxford Union. Um, where she spoke and it was amazing, it was such a privilege. And yeah, we stood behind her and we believed in her and most importantly we loved her. We loved her as a part of our family and our moko miss her like crazy today. Um, I was just talking about the very last memory of the kids standing on the windows so waving goodbye to her as she got in the ambulance at home and um, And they were like, oh, Aunty Georgie's so lucky, she's getting a ride in the ambulance. You know, it was amazing. So for us it's, yes, she's a lot of things, but most importantly she was our family. And that's what we miss the most. We miss her. Her as a beautiful woman. Yeah. One of the beautiful things about a lot of these photographs that we're looking at now is that, um, she's really part of the community. It's not just solo Georgie. And I, you know, I reflect on, on what Georgie was able to do in terms of like a real fighter, real activist, but it was all about bringing other people through, bringing other people with her. It wasn't about Georgie. Yeah, absolutely. And I think, She said something to me once, and that was, um, you know, she had been elected, um, her position in parliament, and she was there representing the people, and she said, even if I don't fundamentally agree with them, that's, my role is to represent them. You know, I've been put there to represent their views, so, and she held that really close, and I respected that so much. Because, you know, often there was polarizing views on, on things, and so, yeah, um, you talk to people over there, and yeah, she was a huge icon in the, in the Waitarapa community. I mean, she really put the Waitarapa on the map, really. Yeah, internationally as well. You know, like, that's what was so strong. Um, and it was so brilliant that her last public performance was to do the speech for the Pride Parade. Yeah, And she actually got to hear that, Louisa. Louisa Wall, the last day before she, um, well she came home with us for one night and then went into the hospital and then went to hospice. But Louisa Wall had rung her and she said, oh my gosh Georgie, you're a total hit. And like, like Georgie, it was amazing. And that was the point at which Georgie said, You know, actually I've got some news and I'm not great and, um, but it was so significant. Her last public event was that postcard from Aotearoa. It was wonderful. Yeah. It was stunning and, um, and you know, she had her sense of humour right up till the end. I remember, um, um, what's his name from, um, From, um, Oh, Ron Mark? No, no, no, no, no. She was talking to, um, Oh! Yeah, he was an MP. Um, he was the minister for, um, Ministry of Justice, the courts department for many years, um, his name will come to me probably about three o'clock in the morning, but he had just passed anyway, and she said, well, I'm doing much better than he is, and that was just such a Georgie comment where we all laughed, and we thought, you know, here she is on her last deathbed, but she's still got that passion to crack a joke, and it was kind of funny, because a number of times we thought, oh, she's about to take her last breath, and then she'd go, Can you take me for a cigarette , and to we'd wheel her, wheel her up to the door and light her a fag. And Yeah. Um, yeah. And it was a beautiful time for her. She, like I say, she wasn't frightened. No. Um, she, she made her own choices Yeah. In her life. And, and it was our role to honor, you know, those choices. Um, yeah. So we, we felt very humbled. Um, to be able to, to take that journey with her, yeah. One of the sad things I remember, oh, when she was first, uh, went public around about the, about the kidney, and, and it was looking quite, quite, um, you know, imminent that she might pass. And I got the sense that she didn't know how much people admired her, how much people loved her. Absolutely. How was she in the end? I mean, did, did she, did she know that, that she was such an icon? Um. Yeah, I think so, but you know, She felt passed over. Yeah, there was times I guess when she left Parliament, you know, there was a bunch of people, you know, that when she was in, She was all that, but, you know, let's be honest, um, you know, we set up a Givealittle, and I was really disappointed that people didn't respond. Um, I'm not talking necessarily about our community, but, you know, like, she achieved some significant stuff for, for New Zealand, you know, on the world stage. And I do have an expectation that, um, especially Parliament should have Put their hand up a lot more than they did. She was a highly intelligent person. Like, her ability to manage and to be, to run things as, like, completely above board. And, I mean, she had every receipt from her parliamentarian days. The whole thing, you know, like she, She, she ran a very tight ship and she, she should have been given a posting of some significance that recognised, A, her skills, her ability to, um, practice diplomacy when she needed to, when she, and to, um, be able to get up and do a speech off the cuff. You know, she never ever wrote a speech. She never wrote it down. Every single speech she ever did was. Straight from her heart. And those skills weren't recognised and she was bypassed and she felt, and she was abandoned, you know. She had no money, she was in a little housing New Zealand flat. Um, and she had those people, you know, the few that were around her that were there with her on her final journey. Um, We cared for her, you know, we, we took her food, you know, and that was not, I felt that was really degrading for her, you know, I felt like that she shouldn't have been, that shouldn't have been how her life ended up. Yes, she might not have always made the right decisions, but we, we don't all make the right decisions. Um, and, and, and probably as a community we should have fought for her more. But there was a lot of disappointment about the way in which, and I think she knew that she was loved. And the fact that she was loved by, she, you know, she went every Monday to Mallin Scotty. She came to us every other weekend, you know, she had Lou. She had, you know, people around her and, and we were her people to whom, loved her as family. But she felt bypassed by, by, by those people. The government by, you know, they rolled her in when they wanted her to manage the hard stories or be there to be the person who they can take photos of and, but then they didn't bother the rest of the time, and they should have bothered, they really should have bothered, you know, because she, she was, you know, if she can be, if she was a world icon, and we were still treating her like that. You know, it wasn't okay. Yeah, and I think at the memorial, you know, like, you heard from Peter, uh, people like, um, you know, Sir Ian McKellen, like, Georgie stayed with Sir Ian when, um, when she went over to speak at Oxford Union. She spoke out at Cambridge as well. And like, um, They had huge respect. People like him had enormous respect, because he's also been an incredible fighter for, you know, our rainbow rights over the years, and, you know, he, he acknowledged her, and so there was, there was a lot of people who loved her, and a lot of people who respected her, but I think, um, yeah, there was, at the end, I, I do think she felt a Uh, bypassed, yeah, yeah, definitely. She knew she was loved, and she knew she had great skills, great abilities, um, highly intelligent, very capable, but she felt that those skills weren't recognised or picked up by this country, and that she, in the end, became the token person. Um, and that wasn't acceptable. You know, it wasn't acceptable. I mean, we used to manage, I don't know why we ended up managing her diary a lot of the time, but we ended up managing her diary half the time, and I'd be like crazy busy, and there'd be someone saying, well, we need Georgie to be, and I'd say, well, what do you mean you need, so what does that mean? Like, what does that mean in terms of, is there a koha, are you going to send a taxi for her, are you going to make sure she gets home in a taxi, um, you know, like, is, is she going to be cared for, she can't be standing up for a long period of time, like, who's looking after her, all of that kind of stuff, because people just used to take the piss, you know, and she'd be getting in a little car, driving all the way to Hastings to do something, you know, and she'd have no money, you know, um, and probably a classic example is on, um, that last, Show, TV show she was on. The Masked Singer. Like, we were horrified. She was so, so unwell. And she was struggling to get that, the mask or helmet thing. I was screaming at the TV, I was fucking hoping for that mask or thing, because it was so You know? And, you know, why, why didn't she have somebody alongside her to care for her? She was so, so unwell. But, do you know what? She would roll herself out, and she would paint on a smile, and she would Do things. And she did so much for nothing, like, especially for our community. People used to ask her all the time, and this is what Heather was saying, like, you know, people didn't understand. She didn't have the money for even the bus at times. You know, so people assumed, oh, well, we'll get Georgina by. How the heck is she going to get there, you know? So, what I think, there's a lesson in it for us. I think for our community, you know, we We need to look after the kaumatua in our community and the kuia, you know, and we need to, like, wrap that, you know, that love, that, that, you know, whakawhanaungatanga, that manaakitanga around them. And, like, as our, you know, a lot of our key people are getting older, we need to be looking after them. And so that's my plea to our community is Don't just hold them up when it's important to show them as, you know, what they've achieved and fly the flag. Like, get in behind them, like, and truly support and love them. Yeah. Oh, Kilda. My name's Karen Morris and I've been privileged to attend a special function here at Tepa, um, where we have handed over, um, Georgina Buyers Treasures and Photos and Special Tonga, um, to be entrusted by, to Tepa, and it's been wonderful to be a part of this day. And Brian, you were speaking at the Pouwhiri, could you just give me a sense of what you said? Um, well, the first thing about the Pouwhiri is that it's really quite, there are formalities. And so, In speaking on behalf of the group that came, it's just really being aware of what those formalities are. So one, to acknowledge, first of all, what's already been said, the words of welcome from the Te Papa speaker. And then secondly, to be able to acknowledge also the group that has brought those personal effects of Georginas because I'm really agreeing to speak on their behalf as well. And so, I guess in essence, what I talked about was, there were a couple of things. One, to the main speaker, Te Papa, he and I are related by whakapapa. So, part of it was also to, reply to him, but also to let him know our connection to Georgina because he may not have known. And so one is to acknowledge that. Also, also to talk about the first time when we actually met Georgina, which was probably 40 years ago now. And I, what I said there that Georgina, um, prior to meeting Georgina, the information that we had about, uh, Georgina. that Karen had was that she had a brother. And then when we met Georgina for the first time, Georgina was a woman. And so I mentioned that as well as that. So we had only ever known Georgina as a female. And so that was probably one thing. I think the other thing too was just to also acknowledge the, the whakapapa connections through Taranaki. Georgina's connections. Again, so that the people on the other side are aware of those things. So a lot of it is really about making people aware of things that they may not know. Um, I suppose the other thing too was, um, I actually mentioned that Karen and I, we were, we were thinking about today, this morning, and one of the things that, um, Um, came to mind was a, a, well, a well known quote from Shakespeare's Macbeth, which, um, you know, talks about a person's life, you know, that we are a player, uh, that struts and frets, yeah, in their hour upon the stage, you know, and then when that hour is up, they move off the stage. So we, we talked about that and, um, Because I was speaking in Māori, so I had actually, um, you know, I translated the Shakespeare into Māori, you know, to, to, but yeah, that was me, you know, so what is it? Life is like a moving shadow, yeah, where the poor player, you know, struts and frets. upon the stage, you know, you know, in there out, you know, so I think, um, that was one thing that we had shared this morning, Karen and I, when we were talking about, you know, in reflection, you know, a person's life is what it is. And, um, in this case, you know, we always saw Georgina as someone who enjoyed The stage, you know, in whatever form. And, you know, I mean, you know, whether it's the political stage, whether it's, uh, the actual stage of performance, it's still a stage that, where one can, uh, play out their role. And so So that's, that was something that we reflected on. So, it was just something else. And of course, I'd let the people know that we had, um, been part of releasing Georgina's ashes as well, out at, um, Maupuia, uh, in Miramar. Uh, you know, just so that they knew that, you know, these are things that have already been done, and so this is another part of that. Especially for Georgina's closest friends, which is the gay community. Can I take you back, say, 40 years, and can you describe what it was like meeting Georgina for the first time? Oh, wow, that's a long time ago. Um, it, it was a really special occasion because I not only met Georgina for the first time, um, but I met. My birth father, our birth father. So it all took place at the same time, as well as meeting our birth father's family. So there were a lot of, yeah, a lot of people to meet first time. But as Brian had mentioned, I always knew growing up, by my adopted family that I had an older brother and so I just had imagined this older brother in a similar vein to me. They'd be tall and strong and sporty, um, which is all the things that I was interested in and when I first, um, met Georgina, actually prior to meeting her I had seen a photo of her and the photo I saw of her was the one I carried in today. That's the very first time I saw my brother. And this beautiful young woman is looking at me, and I'm thinking, oh my god, she's more feminine than me. She was just gorgeous in that photo. And then when I met her in person, um, I've only ever had a sister. I never knew her as a brother. She's always been my sister. So, it was a very special weekend that we met for the first time, and then, um, we would catch up with her on occasion in the coming years. Um, so that's, yeah, that was that 40 years ago. Another, um, really significant moment was last year at Georgina's memorial. That must have been um, I can't imagine what that must have been like for you as a whānau being there. It was very special to be there and, um, a number of whānau from both our mother's side of the family as well as our father's side of the family attended and we all sat together. So that was, that was really special, um, because, you know, for us she was whānau. Didn't mean that we spent a lot of time together, but she's whanau and for my children that were there This is their auntie And so it was a really moving occasion and to listen to all the speakers from people that knew her better than we did It was really lovely to sit there and to to be a part of all of that to celebrate her life So, um, yeah, it was a really moving evening for all of us that, um, were there representing her whanau. One of the things that really strikes me about Georgina is the impact she's had locally, nationally, but also internationally. You know, she has such mana overseas. Yeah. I think, you know, something that, you know, we came to realize, I guess, when she, um, appointed Mia. In Wairarapa, Carterton, on, I think it was in the 1996, we, I had just got a job here in Wellington and so we moved from Hawke's Bay to Wellington and um, we decided we would come through the Wairarapa and we'd call in and see the new mayor. of uh, South Wairarapa. And so we got to Carderton and we found out where the, the council office was. We parked outside and we had, we had all our children with us, so we've got five children. And um, it was really interesting because the day that we walked in there was a film crew from Japan. They were filming because of the international interest that was there. And um, you know, we walked in, Georgina was, you know, Holding court there, uh, at the front desk. And, um, we walked right into this. There was a Japanese film crew. And then, you know, I think Georgina may have seen Karen or seen us. And she just moved around and turned around and she said, And this is my whanau, as though we arrived on cue. And we became part of this performance, if you like. You know, and so, you know, I mean, I think then, you know, it was to realise that here's a crew from Japan, uh, don't necessarily understand English, but the interest was that Georgina was the first transgender Mia. To become mayor in anywhere. So I think that was, you know, something that we realized, you know, what it meant, you know, not just locally, but what it meant nationally and globally. And, um, you know, and then from there, after our arrival here in Wellington, you know, there were all these occasions where there was another new story. That followed on in this first of firsts. Yeah, so, I think, yeah, you know, you were aware of that, and our children, I think, grew up, you know, knowing that as well. That this was something that was really special. And I think, um, you know, it's, it's really has to be acknowledged. It's, it's probably, you know, not, it's significant or it's significance probably would come and go with us, you know, because as you say, as Karen's already said, we didn't have the day to day contact with Georgina that others had, you know, it was really just occasional. Um, And, um, you know, and, and, you know, uh, occasions that were quite, you know, few and far between. And so, you know, that's, that's just how it was. But even so, as, as Karen's already said, you know, Georgina is still whanau. And our, our children, you know, we, I think the last time we got together with Georgina was when, um, uh, Her uncle, Cyril, passed away. He was the last one of her uncles, um, passed away and we went to Taranaki and we all had dinner, uh, during that time. And I think it was really, two of our daughters were there, and they were the ones, because they were sitting opposite Georgina at the table, because they wanted to engage in conversation. And so, you know, in the end they, they, they, I think Georgina may have said something like, oh, you know, it's just me here, and I might have been a comment about whānau. And they, you know, they reminded her, they said, well. You're our auntie, you know, and I think, you know, it was sort of something that she may not have actually thought about What they said to her, you know, you're our auntie, you know, and I think you know It was it was an interesting time One that they were they were old enough to be able to say that to her and basically in a way Not, you know, they weren't they weren't telling her off, but they were reminding her, you know, that They were Good You know, part of her and um, they wanted her to know that, you know, that not to feel as though that they were strangers. You know, sitting across the table, you know, so, you know, those things, I think, for us, you know, that's always been more important. Whānau is more important, so, yeah, it's, I guess, you know, those are the things that come to mind. Now, today we saw the gifting of some of Georgina's taonga to Te Papa. And I'm wondering, what is your wish for the taonga that are held now within Te Papa? What is your wish for that taonga? They've been entrusted to Te Papa, um, and they have received them with such great respect, and they will honour her through their care of her taonga, and the way that they will share and make available to the public, um, to be able to, um, participate in Georgina's life through her taonga. Lots of photos, there were photo albums, photos, um, a particular garment that was special for, for Georgina. So it tell, they tell a story about this remarkable person, you know, and so to have it all entrusted to Te Papa, is a safe place, um, because the story will live on. The full transcription of the recording ends. A list of keywords/tags describing the recording follow. These tags contain the correct spellings of names and places which may have been incorrectly spelt earlier in the document. The tags are seperated by a semi-colon: 2020s ; Aotearoa New Zealand ; Arapata Hakiwai ; Brian Morris ; Carmen Rupe ; Carterton ; Carterton District ; Chrissy Witoko ; Claire Regnault ; Courtney Johnston ; Dancing with the Stars (tv) ; Georgina Beyer ; God ; Hastings ; Heather Henare-Coolen ; Helena Henare-Coolen ; Housing New Zealand ; Howard Morrison ; Ian McKellen ; Japan ; Job ; Karen Morris ; Louisa Wall ; Malcolm Kennedy-Vaughan ; Mayor of Carterton ; Member of Parliament ; Ministry of Justice ; Miramar ; Mount Victoria ; Ngāti Mutunga ; Ngāti Porou ; Ngāti Raukawa ; Oxford Union Society ; People ; Pride parade ; Radio New Zealand ; Ron Mark ; Rongomaraeroa Marae ; Stephanie Gibson ; Stuff ; Sydney WorldPride (2023) ; Taranaki ; Te Herekiekie Haerehuka Herewini ; Te Ā ti Awa ; The Masked Singer (tv) ; The Tragedie of Macbeth (play) ; Tonga ; Wairarapa ; Wellington ; William Shakespeare ; ambulance ; archives ; aroha ; awards ; board ; bus ; children ; closet ; community ; connections ; council ; courts ; dancing ; death ; diary ; discrimination ; donation ; dresses ; environment ; essence ; fag ; family ; film ; filming ; food ; friends ; frightened ; future ; gay ; gender ; government ; growing up ; helmet ; hit ; honour ; hope ; hospice ; hospital ; housing ; hui ; humour ; icons ; identity ; intimacy ; journey ; justice ; kaumatua ; kuia ; law ; legacy ; lesbian ; love ; mana ; manaakitanga ; mask ; mayor ; memorial ; memory ; museums ; news ; opportunity ; other ; parade ; passing ; passion ; performance ; period ; postcard ; power ; privacy ; privilege ; promise ; public figure ; queer ; radio ; rainbow ; reflection ; relationships ; repression ; respect ; sad ; safety ; sexuality ; smile ; spaces ; speech ; straight ; support ; takatāpui ; taonga ; tapu ; the other side ; time ; transgender ; trust ; visibility ; walking ; whakapapa ; whakawahine ; whakawhanaungatanga ; whānau ; wish ; women ; work. The original recording can be heard at this website https://www.pridenz.com/georgina_beyber_taonga_powhiri.html. Please note that this document may contain errors or omissions - you should always refer back to the original recording to confirm content.