On the Up: Knowledge Bank keeps Hawke’s Bay story alive despite limited funding

Knowledge Bank manager Linda Bainbridge says the organisation needs $100,000 annually but receives limited funding, relying heavily on volunteer support.

Inside a 19th-century home in Hastings, a team of volunteers are fighting to safeguard the region’s history.

“The world is so busy now,” Hawke’s Bay Knowledge Bank manager Linda Bainbridge says of their purpose.

“Sometimes we just need to stop a little bit and learn from the past.”

Since 2012, the Hawke’s Bay Knowledge Bank has been quietly building one of the region’s most accessible digital archives.

It documents everything from family letters to records of orchards, old books, remarkable videos, sports clubs and storm recovery.

Keeping the doors open and the archives running comes at a cost – dozens of volunteers and at least $100,000 a year are needed.

Bainbridge says the organisation receives $30,000 a year from Hastings District Council, a small contribution from Napier City Council, and some lottery and community grants.

Each year, the Knowledge Bank has to reapply, fundraise and manage how it will fund the projects.

This year it’s looking to spread its arms a little bit.

Right now, it relies on volunteer power. About 80 people help to scan, transcribe, upload and proofread hundreds of records, pouring in about 1000 volunteer hours each month. Yet the backlog continues to grow.

For every photo they capture, each click demands about three hours of work.

“At the moment we’ve got 70 boxes sitting in the container, and that’s over 100 years of architectural history,” Bainbridge said.

“We can’t start any projects without funding.”

The bank is currently working on a Cyclone Gabrielle history project, capturing stories from 150 residents across Hastings affected by the devastating storm.

Grant Nicholson, a six-year volunteer at the bank who is interviewing people for the project, said the experience has been deeply emotional and real.

“We don’t worry about editing or saying, ‘Oh, you can’t say that’. We want criticism, we want the good stuff, the bad stuff and the tears stuff, and there’s plenty of it.”

Volunteer Grant Nicholson is interviewing people for a history of Cyclone Gabrielle in the region. Photo / Rafaella Melo

Bainbridge said, unlike museums that prioritise notable artefacts or public institutions that focus on structural history, the Knowledge Bank’s mission is to preserve stories of everyday life.

“You don’t have to be important to bring your family history here.”

The organisation is looking to implement a suggested donation system when accepting new collections, so the burden doesn’t fall entirely on grant funding.

“We want to spread our arms and start being a little bit more self-sufficient,” Bainbridge said.

The organisation is now partnering with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).

Hazel Belleza is one of the volunteers referred by the MSD. She has been volunteering for the bank for two months and does 40 hours a week.

“When I am at home, I get bored. Here I can get busy clicking and digitalising the books. I enjoy it,” she says.

Hazel Belleza is one of the volunteers referred by the Ministry of Social Development. Photo / Rafaella Melo

Bainbridge says the work done by the Knowledge Bank is essential.

One of her favourite memories is from one of her first tasks at the Knowledge Bank when she started in 2016.

She transcribed the official handbook of Hastings, published in 1929.

“There is so much information, like how many streetlights, footpaths and shops. It talks about Cornwall Park and about how they’ve got monkeys in the zoo there. And how it was going to be a world-renowned zoo.

“They had all these great ambitions and plans about how Hastings was going to be. And then we had the earthquake in 1931, and it totally devastated the landscape. I often think about it.”

An original copy of the 1929 Official Handbook of Hastings, one of the many historical treasures digitised by the Hawke’s Bay Knowledge Bank. Photo / Rafaella Melo

Bainbridge says that despite any financial struggle, they will keep fighting to preserve the Bay’s memories.

“If we don’t continue to preserve these stories, they’re going to be lost.”