"Sir Jerry arranged a time to meet, came around and had a look at it and said he would take it."
The artwork, called Kakahu, meaning chief's cloak, took a long to create.
"It was very time consuming because each tile is separate and handmade, and each has four holes in to put copper laces through."
Trevor and his wife Nanette were guests of honour at a function at Government House.
He said having the former Governor General select his artwork was a "real honour".
"It didn't realise that until we got the invitation to his farewell from Government House.
"That's when he presented the cloak to the house."
Trevor said the function "blew me away because I have never been involved in anything like that before.
"It was a real privilege to be there.
"We were very well looked after.
"It was amazing."
He understood the cloak was going to be hung in Government House's conservatory "which is a great place for it because it will pick the light up nicely".
Trevor's passion for art started from an early age inspired by his artist uncle Ross Crothall.
"We lived on a farm in the Bay of Plenty and used to go to Auckland to my grandparents on holiday and he was living with them and had an art studio at the back of the garage.
"I would have been 7 or 8 I guess and he took me under his wing."
Ross's first exhibition was at The New Vision Gallery, in Auckland, in 1966, but it created controversy as it "was too way out", Trevor said.
"He went to Australia and is now recognised as a forerunner in artificial realism.
"His mentor was Theo Schoon and also, after the exhibition [in Auckland], I meet Colin McCahon.
"He introduced me to him as part of their support group.
"They were all struggling like mad because no one would buy their artwork because it was too wacky.
"It was just new really.
"Today the art world has caught up with it."
