Portuguese community add their ribbon to Parliament’s mooring stone

The Portuguese community of New Zealand (Amigos de Portugal) tied the 70th ribbon to Parliament’s mooring stone in the Galleria of Parliament House on 22 April.

Parliament’s mooring stone is one component of the permanent art work, ‘These are matters of pride’. Based on a concept design by Malcolm Harrison, it was commissioned for the reopening of the refurbished Parliament Buildings in 1995.

Harrison originally invited 50 cultural groups across New Zealand to design a ribbon to represent their homeland. The ribbons signify their individual contribution to New Zealand society.

The Minister for Ethnic Affairs, Hon Pansy Wong, attended the ceremony with the Consul General for Portugal, who is based in Sydney, Dr Simeao Pinto de Mesquita. Also present were Rui Ribeiro and Jenny Lawrence, co-founders of Amigos de Portugal, and members of the Portuguese community in New Zealand. The event was the result of a schoolboy (pictured on right) noting that there was not a ribbon for Portugal when he took a tour of Parliament last year.