Jerry Mateparae

Sir Jerry Mateparae
Official portrait, 2011
20th Governor-General of New Zealand
In office
31 August 2011 – 31 August 2016
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Preceded bySir Anand Satyanand
Succeeded byDame Patsy Reddy
27th High Commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom
In office
24 March 2017 – April 2020
Prime MinisterBill English
Jacinda Ardern
Preceded byLockwood Smith
Succeeded byBede Corry
Personal details
Born (1954-11-14) 14 November 1954 (age 70)
Whanganui, New Zealand
Spouse(s)
Raewynne McGhie
(m. 1973; died 1990)

Janine Grenside
Children5
Alma materOfficer Cadet School, Portsea
Staff College, Camberley
Australian Defence College
Royal College of Defence Studies
University of Waikato
Military service
AllegianceNew Zealand
Branch/serviceNew Zealand Army
Years of service1972–2011
RankLieutenant General
CommandsChief of Defence Force
Chief of Army
Land Command
1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
New Zealand Special Air Service
Battles/warsOperation Bel Isi
Operation Warden

Lieutenant General Sir Jeremiah Mateparae GNZM QSO KStJ (born 14 November 1954) is a former New Zealand soldier who served as the 20th governor-general of New Zealand between 2011 and 2016, the second Māori person to hold the office, after Sir Paul Reeves.[1] A former officer in the New Zealand Army, he was the Chief of the Defence Force from 2006 to 2011, and then served as the director of the New Zealand Government Communications Security Bureau for five months in 2011.[2] Following his term as governor-general, Mateparae was the high commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom between 2017 and 2020.

  1. ^ "Biography of Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae". Government House, Wellington. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  2. ^ "NZ gets first Maori defence chief". BBC News. 6 March 2006. Retrieved 5 August 2009.