NEIL PLIMMER • Wellington, New Zealand

Neil Plimmer with the Governor-General, His Excellency the Rt. Hon. Sir Jerry Mateparae

Neil Plimmer, full name William Neil Plimmer, has had a wide-ranging career in the service of the New Zealand Government, with a focus on international relations, tourism development and environmental sustainability. His interests also include an extensive engagement with various art forms including, particularly, the visual arts and sculpture.

In 2018 Neil published a memoir Compass Points which covers many aspects of his experiences of historic relevance including the first years of Samoan independence, the United States in the dramatic Johnson/Nixon period 1967-71, the first negotiations between Australia and New Zealand to design the Closer Economic Relations (CER) agreement, the intensive changes in the tourism sector in the 1980s and ‘90s, and policy approaches to environmental issues as diverse as climate change and preserving Antarctica.

The book also covers his lengthy period as chairman of the Wellington Sculpture Trust, during which 17 major public sculptures were installed in Wellington City, and his times as President of the New Zealand Book Council and involvement with other arts activities. A search for Vermeer’s paintings is an entertaining side-line.

This website includes extracts from his book together with relevant articles and speeches that relate to the policies and subjects that are covered, with the intention of making these accessible to researchers and anyone else interested.