In keeping with tradition, Mr Dalton "rang out the old year, and rang in the new one" by tolling the Veronica Bell just before midnight, and to remember those lost in the 1931 earthquake.
While the atmosphere on Marine Parade was lively, emergency services welcomed a quiet night.
Despite numerous fireworks displays, the region's fire services had few New Year's Eve related call outs.
Napier Fire Service station officer Peter Draper said they had been reasonably busy with a number of call outs to vegetation, or litter fires. He did not think the fires had been fireworks related.
"2017 started off quite sedated," he said.
Hastings Fire had received a few call outs, Hastings station officer Bruce Botherway, but they had been mostly minor.
A Fire Service spokesman said services had been called out to a blaze in Omahu around 1am, where trees and other vegetation were alight, including a "40 metre long" hedge fire.
Services spent around an hour extinguishing the blaze.
Hawke's Bay Police - like others across the country -were reporting it had been a quiet night.
Senior Sergeant Nick Dobson of Eastern District Police said it had been relatively quiet for a New Year's Eve.
"There were some arrests, but there always will be," he said.
Police said they were generally pleased with behaviour at New Year's Eve celebrations across the country.
There had been no significant issues or incidents reported to police at any of the main events or celebrations.
Police largely dealt with minor disorder incidents, liquor ban breaches and intoxication.
Arrests that were made were mostly related to alcohol and disorder incidents.
A Hawke's Bay District Health Board spokeswoman said it had not been too busy for the Hawke's Bay Hospital's emergency department last night, although there had been some alcohol-related presentations.
Others presented with head injuries - including a woman who had been "knocked out cold" in a swimming pool while intoxicated.
