New Moons for Sam

Becoming Kiwi: Life of a New Zealand Diplomat

By: Peter Hamilton

Narrated by: Paul Barrett

A personal and intimate memoir spanning 70 years in three parts, describing my childhood in the UK and New Zealand, my 35 years as a New Zealand diplomat, and the hundreds of amazing individuals I met on the way, from farming folk to kings, queens, and presidents.

Part one is the story of an English boy growing up on a farm in rural Devon and Somerset in an extended family, and then moving to rural New Zealand at age nine. It covers my school years, my year as a 17-year-old volunteer teacher at an all boys school in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga, and my year as a university student in a still divided Germany.

Part two describes my career as a junior, then senior, New Zealand diplomat, and my postings in Fiji, Canada, Geneva, Samoa, Germany and Singapore, the last three as Ambassador.

Part three argues that New Zealand should become a republic in the Commonwealth with its own Head of State. It also describes my liberating journey from Anglicanism to freedom from any religion. I have aimed to tell the memoir with a sense of humor, humility, and (for the most part) optimism!

©2021 Peter Hamilton (P)2023 Peter Hamilton