Waitangi Day a winner with Anne Marie at Ballance House

This time as a high profile radio personality best known for fronting, until March, the popular Saturday morning BBC Radio Ulster ‘Your Place and Mine’ slot! Arriving not as a casual visitor following a tourist site sign, but as guest speaker at the Waitangi Day celebrations of the Ulster New Zealand Trust.

Anne Marie McAleese recalled seeing that brown tourist sign and wondering “Just what is The Ballance House?”

On arrival Trust volunteer David Twigg had given Anne Marie a fascinating tour of the old house and farmyard once home to John Ballance, the first Liberal Party leader to serve as New Zealand Prime Minister in the final decade of the19th century.

The farmer’s son turned journalist ensured Kiwi ladies were the first females in the world to have the vote in national elections. A man, who believed in a fair deal in business and politics no matter what your colour, creed or culture.

Addressing the Ulster New Zealand Trust volunteers Anne Marie paid a warm tribute to all those who ensured the old Ballance farmhouse has been restored, still on a farm owned by the Ballance family.

It is now complete with a state of the art, easily accessible, museum, conference centre and that essential at any rural location, a tea barn.

Ballance House is open year round for groups to visit and for individuals to enjoy on Sunday afternoons from April 6 until early September. A chance to celebrate the many links between this country and New Zealand, half a world away.

Asked about her own high profile career in the BBC Anne Marie confessed to being one of those lucky people paid to do a job they utterly loved – having the chance to visit every art and part of this province, meeting people from an amazing array of backgrounds and diverse interests.

But all, she found, had that profound love of place. Be that their own townland, craft or business. From visiting interesting individuals in remote Fermanagh forests to touring amazing salt mines in East Antrim Anne Marie was bowled over by that common decency in those she met.

Local celebrations marking the signing of the Waitangi Treaty in 1840 between Maori and settlers concluded with a Haka from NZ students on exchange studies at Dungannon Royal School.

The Ballance House re-opens from 2pm to 5pm on Sunday, April 6 with the annual car boot sale on Sat, April 12. Browse www.theballancehouse,com for details or e mail [email protected]