Gerald Hensley
Encyclopedia
Gerald Hensley, CNZM
(born Christchurch December 4, 1935) is a former New Zealand Public Servant.
He was educated at St Bede’s College and Canterbury University where he took an MA with first class honours in History.
He joined the then Department of External Affairs in 1958 and served in Samoa, at the New Zealand Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, and in 1965 was the appointed to the newly established Commonwealth Secretariat in London. He was then appointed as counsellor at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington. While in Washington, in April 1973, the Black September Group painted slogans on the wall of his house and shot through the windows at his sleeping parents. This event was thought to have been the first Islamist-based terrorist attack in the United States.
From 1976 until 1980 he was New Zealand’s High Commissioner in Singapore before returning to Wellington to become Head of the Prime Minister’s Department where he served under both the Muldoon and Lange administrations.
In 1989 he was invited to become a Fellow at the Centre of International Affairs at Harvard University. While there he lectured on events in New Zealand’s recent history
In 1991 he became Secretary of Defence and served in that role until September 1999 when he retired and was honoured with the CNZM
In 2000 he chaired the Commonwealth Eminent Persons’ Group which advised the Papua New Guinea Government on the reconstruction of its armed forces.
From 2001 until 2007 he was President of the Asthma Foundation.
He has published numerous articles on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, most recently “Palm and Pine” a history of New Zealand’s relations with Singapore, in “New Zealand and South East Asia.” A memoir about his time in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Department. “Final Approaches” was published by the Auckland University Press in 2006.
Penguin has recently published his latest book “Beyond the Battlefield” which was a finalist in the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Awards.
Gerald Hensley lives on a vineyard in Martinborough.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
(born Christchurch December 4, 1935) is a former New Zealand Public Servant.
He was educated at St Bede’s College and Canterbury University where he took an MA with first class honours in History.
He joined the then Department of External Affairs in 1958 and served in Samoa, at the New Zealand Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, and in 1965 was the appointed to the newly established Commonwealth Secretariat in London. He was then appointed as counsellor at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington. While in Washington, in April 1973, the Black September Group painted slogans on the wall of his house and shot through the windows at his sleeping parents. This event was thought to have been the first Islamist-based terrorist attack in the United States.
From 1976 until 1980 he was New Zealand’s High Commissioner in Singapore before returning to Wellington to become Head of the Prime Minister’s Department where he served under both the Muldoon and Lange administrations.
In 1989 he was invited to become a Fellow at the Centre of International Affairs at Harvard University. While there he lectured on events in New Zealand’s recent history
In 1991 he became Secretary of Defence and served in that role until September 1999 when he retired and was honoured with the CNZM
In 2000 he chaired the Commonwealth Eminent Persons’ Group which advised the Papua New Guinea Government on the reconstruction of its armed forces.
From 2001 until 2007 he was President of the Asthma Foundation.
He has published numerous articles on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, most recently “Palm and Pine” a history of New Zealand’s relations with Singapore, in “New Zealand and South East Asia.” A memoir about his time in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Department. “Final Approaches” was published by the Auckland University Press in 2006.
Penguin has recently published his latest book “Beyond the Battlefield” which was a finalist in the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Awards.
Gerald Hensley lives on a vineyard in Martinborough.