Knowledge Bank Hawke's Bay

14/10/2026

A heartfelt thank you to Hawke's Bay Foundation for selecting Knowledge Bank Hawke’s Bay as a grant recipient!

Your continued support helps us carry out our important mahi of preserving Hawke’s Bay’s history, stories and memories for future generations.

Through your generosity, we can continue collecting, protecting and sharing the stories that connect our community to its past, ensuring our region’s rich heritage lives on for years to come.
We are incredibly grateful for your commitment to supporting local organisations and helping us preserve the past for the future. Thank you for being part of our journey!

08/10/2026

Join us for a fun and heartwarming evening at Waipukurau Little Theatre as they present Ladies Day by Amanda Whittington, with the Preview Night Fundraiser held in support of Knowledge Bank Hawke’s Bay. On Wednesday 11 November, enjoy drinks and nibbles from 6.45pm before the show begins at 7.30pm.

Little Theatre productions are always popular and offer a great night of entertainment and value, making this a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a night out while supporting the work of Knowledge Bank. Tickets are $45, with drinks available to purchase at the cash bar. To attend, email [email protected] to be added to the attendance list and receive payment details. We would love to see you there!

06/10/2026

Knowledge Bank Hawke’s Bay welcomes our new Manager

We are delighted to announce Lisa Kirby as the new Manager of Knowledge Bank Hawke’s Bay, starting 27 October 2026.

Lisa brings almost a decade of experience in New Zealand’s museum and heritage sector, along with extensive experience in operational and business management, financial administration, funding and community engagement.
With her strong heritage background and commitment to preserving our region’s history, Lisa will lead Knowledge Bank's day-to-day operations, working alongside our dedicated volunteers and Board as we continue to grow and strengthen our organisation.

We are excited to welcome Lisa to the Knowledge Bank team and look forward to the next chapter in preserving and sharing the stories of Hawke’s Bay.

Read the full media release below.

03/10/2026

In 1921, the A & P Society horse parade was held at the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club course in Hastings, drawing large crowds of punters and spectators on race day. At that time, the Hastings Racecourse was the centre of activity before the Society relocated its showgrounds to Tomoana in 1925
The Townsend L collection features photographs by Alexander Lavery (1863–1940), who captured life in Hawke’s Bay from the early 1900s through to 1940.
View the collection here: https://knowledgebank.org.nz/collections/4004/

01/10/2026

Check out October's newsletter!

https://mailchi.mp/61e0e708ab6a/october-2026-newsletter

23/09/2026

These wonderful images capture the special Blossom Festival train arriving at Hastings Railway Station in 1958 and 1959, bringing Wellington visitors to join the celebrations. 🌸🚂

More than six decades later, the Blossom Festival train made a welcome reappearance thanks to Mainline Steam Heritage Trust, bringing a little more railway magic back to Blossom Festival.

A wonderful reminder that some Hastings traditions have a way of coming around again!

View more images of the Blossom train here: https://www.knowledgebank.org.nz/still_image/train-1958/

19/09/2026

Looking for a fun night out? We would love your support for our November fundraiser.

18/09/2026

Keep an eye out for the special display in the windows of the old Stanton building on Karamu Road, near the Blossom Stage.
A great opportunity to take a step back in time and see some of the Blossom Festival’s history.

View a sneak peek of our collection here: https://www.knowledgebank.org.nz/tag/blossom-parade-all/

We can’t wait to celebrate Spring with you all 🌸

🌸 While you’re out and about at Hastings Blossom Festival on Saturday (19 Sept) keep an eye out for a special display of historic Blossom Festival images in the windows of the old Stanton building on Karamu Road, near the Blossom Stage.

The display has been put together with help from the Knowledge Bank Hawke's Bay which is building a digital archive of our region’s history and helping preserve photographs, letters, recordings and other memories before they’re lost.

Have some Hawke’s Bay history tucked away in an old shoebox or family collection? They’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about the Knowledge Bank and how you can contribute at knowledgebank.org.nz.

15/09/2026

Can you help us please? This is an opportunity to join the organising team for an exciting new Hawke's Bay event.

09/09/2026

ONE WEEK TO GO!

Our 2026 Annual General Meeting is happening next Wednesday, and we’d love for our supporters, members and friends to join us!

📅 Wednesday 16 September 2026
⏰ 5.30 pm – 7.30 pm
📍 Havelock North Function Centre, 30 Te Mata Road

Come along to hear about what’s been happening at Knowledge Bank Hawke’s Bay over the past year, celebrate the work of our volunteers and supporters, and hear what’s ahead for the organisation.

We’re also delighted to welcome Elizabeth Pishief, Chair of Historic Places Aotearoa, and Geraldine Travers, Chair of Historic Places Hawke’s Bay, as our guest speakers.

We’d love to see you there!

Please RSVP by Friday 11 September to [email protected].