New Year 2026 Honours: Sir Rod Drury heads Hawke’s Bay list

At least nine people from or living in Hawke’s Bay are recognised in the New Year 2026 Honours List.

They are headed by former Napier Boys’ High School pupil Rod Drury, now of Queenstown, who becomes Sir Rod Drury KNZM, for services to business, the technology industry and philanthropy.

Most notably, he and friend Hamish Edwards founded cloud-based small-business accounting software company Xero, growing it from a kitchen table operation in Wellington in 2006 to a major global concern with more than two million subscribers.

Drury retired as CEO in 2018 and stepped down from the board in 2023, leaving the executive of a company which, in its 20th year, has a market capitalisation of more than A$19 billion ($21.78b) through listing on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Hawke’s Bay residents to be made officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) are Christina (Chrissie) Cowan, of Hastings, for services to Māori, in particular the visually impaired, Julie Hart, of Hastings, for services to women and victims of family violence, and recently-retired mayor of Hastings Sandra Hazlehurst, for services to local government.

Another ONZM recipient is former Taradale High School pupil and Napier chief librarian Suzanne Porter, now living in New Plymouth as CEO of the Taranaki Arts Festival Trust, heading music, dance and arts festival Womad.

Four are awarded the King’s Service Medal (KSM), including two long-serving volunteer firefighters.

Rissington rural firefighting volunteer Patrick O’Rourke, of Napier, is recognised for services to fire services and the community, and Don Scott, of Wairoa, for services to fire services and civil defence.

The other two KSM recipients are Rev Wayne Toleafoa, of Havelock North, for services to Pacific communities, and Hawke’s Bay Cricket Association president and retired long-time Napier BHS teacher Del Whyte, of Taradale.