1931 Earthquake Heritage Walk
Trace the story of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that destroyed Napier on 3 February 1931, and the remarkable rebuilding that created the Art Deco city of today.
- 1
Earthquake Exhibition — MTG Hawke's Bay
The museum's earthquake galleries contain photographs, survivor accounts, and artefacts from the disaster that killed 256 people and flattened the city in minutes.
- 2
Site of Original Post Office
The old post office, one of the most impressive colonial buildings in Napier, collapsed completely in the earthquake — its replacement is one of the finest Art Deco buildings.
- 3
Hastings Street Uplift Marker
A ground-level marker shows the amount of uplift caused by the earthquake — in places the land rose 2 metres, connecting Bluff Hill to the mainland permanently.
- 4
Earthquake Memorial
The Marine Parade memorial lists the 256 victims of the earthquake and subsequent fire — the blaze that followed the quake destroyed much of what remained standing.
- 5
The Dome Building
The distinctive green copper dome of the T&G Building was one of the first Art Deco structures completed in the rebuilt city — a symbol of Napier's renewal.
- 6
Harbour View — New Land
Standing at the harbour edge, look toward the port: most of this ground didn't exist before 1931 — the earthquake created 4,000 hectares of new land from the seabed.