Jerry Mateparae Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae GNZM QSO KStJ
Official portrait, 2011

20th Governor-General of New Zealand
In office 31 August 2011 – 31 August 2016
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Sir Anand Satyanand
Succeeded by	Dame Patsy Reddy
27th High Commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom
In office 24 March 2017 – April 2020
Prime Minister	Bill English Jacinda Ardern
Preceded by	Lockwood Smith
Succeeded by	Bede Corry

Personal details
Born	(1954-11-14) 14 November 1954 (age 70) Whanganui, New Zealand
Spouses	Raewynne McGhie (m. 1973; died 1990) Janine Grenside
Children	5
Alma mater	Officer Cadet School, Portsea Staff College, Camberley Australian Defence College Royal College of Defence Studies University of Waikato
Military service
Allegiance	New Zealand
Branch/service	New Zealand Army
Years of service	1972–2011
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	Chief of Defence Force Chief of Army Land Command 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment New Zealand Special Air Service
Battles/wars	Operation Bel Isi Operation Warden

Lieutenant General Sir Jeremiah Mateparae (born 14 November 1954) is a famous New Zealander. He was a soldier who became the 20th Governor-General of New Zealand. This important role meant he represented the Queen in New Zealand from 2011 to 2016. Sir Jerry was the second Māori person to hold this position.

Before becoming Governor-General, he was the top soldier in New Zealand. He led the New Zealand Defence Force from 2006 to 2011. After his time as Governor-General, Sir Jerry Mateparae served as New Zealand's high commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom. This meant he was New Zealand's main representative in the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2020.

Early Life and Family Background
Military Career Highlights
Serving as Governor-General
High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
Recent Activities
Personal Life
Awards and Honours
- Honorary Degrees
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Family Background

Sir Jerry Mateparae was born on 14 November 1954 in Whanganui, New Zealand. He was raised by his mother's brother, following a Māori custom called whāngai. This is like an adoption where a child is raised by relatives.

Both his birth father and his adoptive father were ministers in the Rātana Church. Sir Jerry has family connections to several Māori tribes. These include the Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Kahungunu tribes. He also has links to Tūhoe and other tribes in the upper Whanganui area. He grew up in the Whanganui suburb of Castlecliff and went to local schools there.

Military Career Highlights

Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae as Chief of Defence Force in Singapore, 2009.

Sir Jerry Mateparae joined the New Zealand Army as a private in June 1972. He trained to become an officer in Australia. In 1976, he graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea. He served in different parts of the army, including the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. He also served in the New Zealand Special Air Service, which is a special forces unit. In 1979, he was a platoon commander in Singapore.

Sir Jerry took part in two important peace missions. From 1994 to 1995, he was the Chief Observer in Southern Lebanon for the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization. Later, in 1998, he led the Peace Monitoring Group on Bougainville during Operation Bel Isi. This mission helped bring peace to the island.

In 1999, he was promoted to brigadier. He then became the Joint Commander for New Zealand forces in United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, he became the Chief of Army. This meant he was the top leader of the New Zealand Army.

On 1 May 2006, he was promoted to lieutenant general. He then became the Chief of Defence Force. This is the highest military role in New Zealand. He held this position until January 2011. After leaving the Defence Force, he briefly served as the Director of the Government Communications Security Bureau. This is a government agency that helps protect New Zealand's security.

Serving as Governor-General

Sir Jerry Mateparae with Prime Minister John Key at his swearing-in ceremony as Governor-General.

On 8 March 2011, Prime Minister John Key announced that Sir Jerry Mateparae would be the next Governor-General of New Zealand. The Queen of New Zealand officially appointed him. On 31 August 2011, he was sworn in for a five-year term.

As Governor-General, Sir Jerry had many important duties. He represented the Queen and helped with official ceremonies. He also supported many community groups and charities.

In 2012, he continued a tradition started by his predecessor. He released the Governor-General's New Year Message as a video for the first time. In April 2013, he visited Afghanistan to mark the end of New Zealand's military involvement there. In June 2014, he attended the 70th anniversary of D Day in Normandy. He went with Queen Elizabeth II and other world leaders, taking New Zealand veterans with him.

High Commissioner to the United Kingdom

After finishing his term as Governor-General, Sir Jerry Mateparae took on another important role. In December 2016, it was announced that he would become New Zealand's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He started this role in early 2017 and finished in April 2020. In this job, he represented New Zealand's interests in the UK.

Recent Activities

In September 2024, Sir Jerry Mateparae was chosen for a special role by the government of Papua New Guinea. He became a moderator in talks between the central government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government. These talks are about Bougainville's planned independence in 2027. In November 2024, he visited Bougainville with United Nations officials to meet with people involved in the discussions.

Personal Life

Sir Jerry Mateparae has five children. He had three children with his first wife, Raewynne, who passed away in 1990. He has two more children with his second wife, Janine.

Awards and Honours

Viceregal styles of Sir Jerry Mateparae (2011–2016)

Reference style	His Excellency Lieutenant General the Right Honourable
Spoken style	Your Excellency

Sir Jerry Mateparae wearing his medals.

Sir Jerry Mateparae has received many awards and honours for his service. He earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Waikato. He was also given a Distinguished Alumni Award from the university in 2008.

In 1999, he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his work in Bougainville. In 2011, the Singapore government gave him the Distinguished Service Order (Military). He also became a Knight of Justice of the Order of St John in 2011.

	Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (2011) Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (1999)
	Companion of the Queen's Service Order (2011)
	Knight of Justice of the Order of St John (2011)
	New Zealand Operational Service Medal
	UNIFIL Medal
	New Zealand General Service Medal 1992 (Non-Warlike)
	East Timor Medal
	New Zealand General Service Medal 2002 (Afghanistan)
	New Zealand Armed Forces Award with clasp
	New Zealand Defence Service Medal
	Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera)
	US Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation