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Story: Hawke’s Bay places

Roadside Stories: Hawke's Bay's big shake

New Zealand’s most devastating earthquake killed more than 250 people and destroyed much of Napier and Hastings in February 1931. The 7.8-magnitude quake was followed by fires which gutted central Napier. The city was rebuilt in art deco style – now a major tourist drawcard.

Listen to a Roadside Story about the quake. Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides to places around New Zealand.

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How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, Hawke’s Bay places – Napier, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/35301/roadside-stories-hawkes-bays-big-shake (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 10 January 2012, updated 30 November 2015.