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EXPAT PROFILE
99
July14
NEW ZEALAND
ZEST
T
he sun is barely up on a
sweltering, sticky morning and
there’s no hint of a breeze to
cut through the humidity. It’s
a normal Friday for Singapore, but at
Kranji War Memorial, New Zealanders
and Australians are chatting after the
annual ANZAC Day dawn service, a
traditional gathering for both countries
to remember those who have served
in the armed forces, past and present.
Having laid a wreath and given
a speech, New Zealand’s High
Commissioner Bernadette Cavanagh,
in a tailored suit, cheerfully meets
people, pausing to chat with decorated
soldiers, fellow diplomats, children and
adults alike. This is just one community
aspect of the diverse role performed
by New Zealand’s top representative in
Singapore, one that highlights the past
and bolsters the ongoing relationship
between the two countries.
Many expats only interact with
diplomatic representatives for passport
and visa assistance, but it’s reassuring to
know, when living so far fromhome, that a
high commission, embassy or consulate
is nearby. “In a country like Singapore,
Vast mountain scenery, All Blacks rugby, kiwifruit and the
Lord of The
Rings
films all spring to mind when you hear New Zealand mentioned.
The High Commissioner of this beautiful country on the far side of the
southern hemisphere, Her Excellency Bernadette Cavanagh, chatted
with
Expat Living
about representing New Zealand in Singapore.
New Zealanders don’t need that much
support from government agencies. So
most of the 3,500
New Zea l ande r s
here carry on with
their lives, and we
don’t really come into
contact with them.
They get on with it,
which is good,” she
says.
Bernadette is 18
months into a four-
year posting, having
moved here from
New York in January
2013. This shift was
a change of scene
for Bernadette and
her husband Martin;
in New York she was
Deputy Permanent
Representative at New
Zealand’s Mission to
the United Nations.
“For small countries,
the UN provides an
international legal
f ramewo r k and a
platform to speak from, something that
is hard to find elsewhere,” she says of
that incredible experience.
“When this opportunity arose we
were excited to move to Singapore. I
had previously worked as head of the
Southeast Asia unit in the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade, so we were
keen to live and work in Asia. Not to
By Katie Roberts
FOR