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From Stout Street to Freyberg House
February 2017 marked 10 years since the Ministry of Defence moved to Freyberg House. The building takes its name from a famous New Zealander, Lieutenant General Lord Freyberg who was a Governor-General of New Zealand (1946-52). He is best known for being the Commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Second World War which fought in the Middle East and Europe.
In 2007, the Ministry moved to Freyberg House from its Stout Street building, the Departmental Building, now the home of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The 76-year-old Stout Street building is a well known part of Wellington’s architectural landscape characterised by its stylistic proportions and solidness. It was once New Zealand’s largest office building and has a Historic Place Category 2 listing. The public can view the interior of the building, especially its floor to roof atrium, from the cafe on the Ground Floor.
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WW100 - NZ's First World War centenary
In August 2014, New Zealand started commemorating the centenary of World War I. The First World War (1914-1918) was one of the most significant events of the 20th century, and had a long lasting impact on New Zealand. Our national centenary events have included commemorating the Anzac landings in Gallipoli (25 April 2015) and the War in France (15 September 2016). Other significant dates to commemorate are the War in Belgium (12 October 2017), Armistice Day (11 November 2018) and the soldiers’ return (July 2019). Read more about NZ’s First World War centenary.
