09/11/2026
What a night for Hawke’s Bay heritage! Congratulations to everyone recognised at the 2026 Hawke’s Bay Heritage Awards, held at the Art Deco Trust on Friday.
Supreme Winner:
Napier’s former Women’s Rest
Domestic Saved and Restored:
Winner • Rose Hill Villa
Highly commended • Paradise Cottage
Public Realm Saved and Restored:
Winner • Napier’s former Women’s Rest
Highly commended • Christ Church Pukehou Committee, Hastings Girls’ High School, The Criterion Hotel and Taupunga Whare (Waimārama Marae)
Art Deco Era Saved and Restored:
Winner • Ringlands (The Benson Property Group)
Highly commended • Former Bank of New South Wales and The Criterion Hotel
Heritage Tourism:
Winner • The Criterion Hotel
Highly commended • Napier’s former Women’s Rest and Shockwave: Hawke’s Bay’s Great Quake, 1931
Māori Realm:
Winner • Taupunga Whare (Waimārama Marae)
Highly commended • Amokura, a korowai for our taonga
Seismic Strengthening:
Winner • Ringlands (The Benson Property Group)
Highly commended • Napier’s former Women’s Rest
Future Heritage:
Winner • Amokura, a korowai for our taonga
Highly commended • Lisa Akers, Hastings Girls’ High School
Heritage Hero:
Winner • Emeritus Professor Kay Morris Matthews
Highly commended • Hugh McBain for Mangakuri: The Story of a Coastal Sheep Station
Heritage Heroes:
Winner • Hawke’s Bay Knowledge Bank (Hawke’s Bay Digital Archives Trust)
Highly commended • Christ Church Pukehou Committee
Thank you to Hastings District Council, Napier City Council and Historic Places Hawke’s Bay for helping bring the awards together, and to Ema Scott for making the trophies from Hawke’s Bay river stones.
