Annual Dinner

In 1990 the Institute the inaugural Annual Dinner was organised by the National Office, and invited the then Prime Minister to be the guest speaker. The National Council holds it Annual Meeting the day following the Annual Dinner and has, in the past, invited a second guest to speak to its members.

In the past speakers have been the Prime Minister of the day, at the Dinner, with the Leader of the Opposition at the Annual Meeting, as well as the Governor-General of the day, (in the past Sir Michael Hardie Boys, and Dame Silvia Cartwright), the Hon Phil Goff, Ross Cottrill, Executive Director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, Australian High Commissioner R Cotten, Hon Simon Upton, Hon Lockwood Smith and Dr Alan Bollard,Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

2004 marked the 70th anniversary of the NZIIA and the Prime Minister Right Hon Helen Clark was the guest speaker at the Annual Dinner.

Dame Silvia Cartwright gave her final official speech, as Governor-General of New Zealand, at the 2006 Annual Dinner.

2009 was the 75th Anniversary of the NZIIA. The Patron, Governor-General, HE The Hon. Sir Anand Satyanand GNZM, QSO and Susan, Lady Satyanand attended the 75th Anniversary Dinner, and gave a short speech at the beginning of the evening and on behalf of National Council of the NZIIA, he presented Life Membership Awards to Sir Frank Holmes, Rt Hon. Sir Kenneth Keith, KBE, ONZ, and Mr Bruce Brown QSO in recognition of outstanding service and exceptional contribution over many years to the achievement of the purposes of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs

The guest speaker for 75th Anniversary Dinner was the Prime Minister Hon John Key. Download official speech.

Speeches are published in the NZIR.