Napier's Six Sisters' 'shared history' earn heritage status

The weatherboarded Six Sisters on Marine Parade have been recognised for their heritage. Photo / Supplied

Napier's iconic weatherboarded Six Sisters have been recognised for their heritage importance and entered on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero, as a historic area.

The two-storey timber villas – which span 185,189,193,197, 201 and 205 Marine Parade – are thought to have been constructed in the early 1900s, and form an "appealingly orderly continuous row" with views of the foreshore and Pacific Ocean.

Miranda Williamson, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Central Region heritage assessment adviser, said the decision to list the six buildings together recognises their "shared history" and importance as a cohesive group.

"The villas have architectural significance as good representatives of the Victorian 'up-and-down' villa, historical significance as a visible link to the early development of Napier, and are a rare surviving reminder of the central Napier streetscape which existed before the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.

"They are a truly beloved local landmark."

The group of houses was probably one of the last designs by Robert Lamb, a "versatile" British-born architect who worked in Napier between 1887 and 1895.

From carpenters to hairdressers, the occupiers of the villas were initially an assortment of Napier's working class. From the 1980s the buildings went on to have a variety of commercial uses, including an architectural studio, restaurant, cafe, a head office for a shipping company, and a varied galleries and art and souvenir shops.

Some villas have reverted back to their original use as private residences or flats.

Heritage New Zealand has also recognised the Hawke's Bay Earthquake Memorial Complex on Napier's Marine Parade as a Category 2 historic place. Photo / Supplied

Heritage New Zealand has also recognised the Hawke's Bay Earthquake Memorial Complex on Napier's Marine Parade as a Category 2 historic place on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero, commemorating the broad social impact of the earthquake.

The complex consists of the Kirk Sundial (1933), Harold Latham Arch (1936), the New Napier Arch and Robert Wright Arch (1938), connecting colonnades (1936-38) and the Veronica Bay (1934, rebuilt in 1991).

It is a key focus of an important civic space used for a wide variety of events including the Art Deco Festival and has social significance as an iconic part of the commemorative landscape of the Marine Parade.

* Read more about these places by searching Heritage New Zealand's List Online at heritage.org.nz/the-list.