Video transcript
2008 citizenship ceremony
Title: Citizenship
Exterior shot of Town hall.
Interior shot of a projection screen showing the New Zealand flag, and entitled 'Citizenship Ceremony May 2008 Hutt City Council'.
Exterior shot of participants standing outside the town hall.
People are moving into the hall.
Sound of people singing.
Close up of people standing in a queue in the hall.
Mayor enters, followed by other officials.
Maori performance group dance and sing on stage.
Mayor stands at the podium.
Mayor: I swear that I will be faithful...
Participants stand up and repeat the oath of allegiance after the mayor.
Participants: I swear that I will be faithful...
Shot of two Irish dancers on stage.
Shot of mayor and a line of participants on the stage – mayor presents each participant with their certificate of citizenship, and shakes their hand.
Narrator: With our ceremonies we’re up to a couple of thousand people. In Auckland and North Shore...
Small boy, holding his certificate of citizenship and a gift of a seedling, walks down steps off stage.
...we regularly have ceremonies with five hundred or more people at a time.
Shot of narrator speaking.
...When they bring their family
Shot of mayor presenting certificates of citizenship to other new citizens.
...and friends it means they’re a very large event that we’re hosting with the local authority.
Mayor standing at podium, while people stand and sing the National Anthem.
Slideshow of still photos:
- PHOTO 1: Two people receiving their certificates of citizenship from the mayor.
- PHOTO 2: New citizens sitting holding their certificates of citizenship.
- PHOTO 3: Mayor standing in between two new citizens.
Mayor standing at podium, people singing the National Anthem.
1955 citizenship ceremony
Titles: N.Z. National Film Unit presents Pictorial Parade.
Title: Wellington. New Zealand’s first naturalisation ceremony.
Clerk in official regalia walks towards another clerk. Mayor, also in official robe and hat, walks in with a retinue of officials.
Narrator: On Empire Day, the mayor and councillors of Wellington City give the country a lead in making a fitting ceremony of the granting of naturalisation. With officers of the Internal Affairs Department, they prepare to issue certificates to sixteen new settlers coming from a total of ten different European countries. Last year in New Zealand over four hundred people were granted British nationality and New Zealand citizenship and applications are steadily increasing.
Everyone sits down.
Narrator: Up to now the oath has usually been taken in private before a Justice of the Peace.
Close up of participants sitting down.
Mayor McAllister welcomes the sixteen new British subjects.
Mayor stands in front of participants and begins to speak.
Mayor: I hope that in the years ahead you will all have happy and successful contacts with those who, from today, become your fellow citizens -- and I’m sure that you will never have cause to regret this most important step in your lives that you are now taking. You will now individually come before me, as mayor of this city and as one of Her Majesty’s justices of the peace, and make your oath of allegiance...
A participant gets up, walks forward and stands before mayor.
...to Her Majesty as your names are called.
Mayor begins to speak to the participant.
Would you please repeat this oath after me. I...
Participant: [NAME]
Mayor: ...swear by almighty God
Participant: ...swear by almighty God
Mayor: ...that I will be faithful
Participant: ...that I will be faithful
Mayor: ...and bear true allegiance
Participant: ...and bear true allegiance
Mayor: ...to Her Majesty
Participant: ...to Her Majesty
Mayor: ...Queen Elizabeth the Second,
Participant: ...Queen Elizabeth the Second,
Mayor: ...her heirs
Participant: ...her heirs
Mayor: ...and successors
Participant: ...and successors
Mayor: ...according to the law.
Participant: ...according to the law.
Mayor presents participant with certificate of citizenship.
Mayor: Will you please now sit.
Participant turns and starts to walk away.
Narrator: It is fitting that the first citizen of the local community...
Close up of seated audience.
...should conduct this ceremony. The grant of citizenship removes certain legal disabilities and now each man is not only free to vote, but to become mayor...
Close up of mayor seated in front of a participant.
...himself if he has the talent, prime minister or even...
Mayor stands up and hands the participant his certificate of citizenship. They bow to each other and the participant walks back to his seat.
...captain of the All Blacks. In practice, the naturalised New Zealand citizen has the same rights and duties as the British core. From now on his loyalties lie exclusively with New Zealand and the British Commonwealth.
Participant sits down. He signs document in front of a clerk.
