Napier Civic Award recipients named Friday 18 December 2015

Three women who have given countless hours, days and years of service to the Napier community have been recognised for their efforts.

At a special ceremony held at the Napier City Council Civic Chambers on Monday Carol Dacey, Zita Smith and Jill McConnochie received Civic Awards in front of friends and family.

Carol has worked as honorary “Keeper of Textiles” at MTG Hawke’s Bay since 2006 taking care of MTG’s textile collection, including making protective covers for textiles to meet museum standards, and playing an important role in helping with exhibitions such as Travel in Style last year, and this year’s First World War exhibition From the Uttermost Ends of the Earth.

Carol has also helped track down hundreds of people MTG has needed to get in touch with regarding donations and loans. She is also a regular visitor host in the galleries and often helps out at exhibition opening events and other functions too.

Jill has been a community volunteer for a range of organisations, including being a driver for Meals on Wheels for the past 42 years, helping with Red Cross appeals and Trade Aid in Napier.


From left, Civic Award recipients Jill McConnochie, Zita Smith and Carol Dacey. Photo courtesy of Napier City Council.

For many years she was a Sunday School teacher, Bible Class leader, and Parish Treasurer at St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, compiling, editing and printing the parish’s monthly newsletter for more than 35 years.

She was also the treasurer for 28 years of Presbyterian Women Aotearoa New Zealand, involved in organising National Conferences as well as being on the local committee.

Jill has also been an active member of the Hawke’s Bay Branch of the National Council of Women, serving as treasurer for the past 10 years.

Zita has spent more than 20 years as a volunteer, organising fundraisers for a wide range of charitable causes on top of her work co-ordinating the Ahuriri Maori Wardens sub-group and her role as the Maori Wardens’ Napier ambassador.

These causes include the Napier Little Oaks project, Kids Can, and being part of the Napier Warehouse Inspiration team, which raised $3000 in eight days for Relay for Life.

She has also been actively involved in the Keep Napier Beautiful annual clean-up of the waterfront.
Anyone wondering where the beautiful korowai (Maori cloaks) presented to celebrities visiting Napier have come from need wonder no longer. Zita spends three to four months making each korowai, which have gone to many well-known people including Rod Stewart, Lulu, Robbie Williams, Eric Clapton, Barry Gibbs and most recently Richie McCaw.

The Council founded the Civic Awards 38 years ago to recognize outstanding citizens who are shining examples of community service volunteers.