What followed since that day, 6 February 1952, has been a lifetime of immeasurable and selfless service. A great number of us have only ever known the sense of reassuring stability that the Queen's reign has afforded to our lives. As our head of State, Her Majesty became the first Queen of New Zealand to visit our shores. In fact, she has visited New Zealand 10 times and members of her family countless more. She now becomes the first Queen of New Zealand to celebrate a platinum jubilee.