Losing a loved one is hard enough without the added stress of tracking down their official death notice or figuring out how to place one. In Hawke’s Bay, the process is simpler than many realise – if you know where to look. This guide walks you through the main sources and steps, so you can find recent notices in Hastings, Napier, or Waipukurau, or submit one yourself.

4 related posts

Daily death notices published in Hawke’s Bay Today: 5–10 per day · Major online sources for Hawke’s Bay death notices: 4 (Legacy.com, NZ Herald, Funeral Directors NZ, Beth Shan) · Average time from death to notice publication: 2–3 days · Funeral homes operating in Hawke’s Bay: 15+ · Years of archived death notices available online: 10+ years

Quick snapshot

1Legacy.com
2NZ Herald Death Notices
3Beth Shan Funeral Home
4A Memory Tree
  • Aggregates death information from all daily newspapers in New Zealand in real time (A Memory Tree)
  • Publication‑specific search for Hawke’s Bay Today (A Memory Tree)
  • Free to browse (A Memory Tree)

Four main sources, each offering a slightly different slice of the same data. One pattern: no single site holds every notice, so cross‑checking is key to a complete picture.

Fact Details
Typical notice content Name, age, date of death, funeral service details, family acknowledgments (Legacy / Hawke’s Bay Today)
Average time from death to publication 2–3 days (notice appears in print and online) (NZ Herald Notices)
Online archive depth Legacy.com and NZ Herald hold notices from the past 10+ years (Legacy, NZ Herald)
Cost to place a notice Approximately NZD 50–150 depending on length and publication (NZ Herald Notices)
Bottom line: The catch: costs vary and not every funeral home submits to every platform, so always confirm with the provider.

Where can I find Hastings death notices?

Hastings death notices are easiest to find through two main channels: the newspaper’s online obituary portal and local funeral home listings. Legacy.com hosts a dedicated browse page for Hawke’s Bay Today that includes notices from Hastings (Legacy / Hawke’s Bay Today). The NZ Herald death notices portal also lets you filter by location, including Hastings (NZ Herald Notices).

Why this matters

Families searching for a Hastings notice can skip generic national sites and go straight to the Hawke’s Bay Today feed on Legacy, which is updated daily.

Where to find Napier death notices

For Napier, the same two sources apply. Beth Shan Funeral Home, a local Napier provider, posts upcoming funeral notices with search and date‑range filtering (Beth Shan Funeral Directors). Napier notices also appear on Legacy and NZ Herald under the Hawke’s Bay Today listing.

  • Beth Shan – upcoming funerals
  • Legacy – Hawke’s Bay Today

Where to find Waipukurau death notices

Waipukurau, in Central Hawke’s Bay, is served by local funeral homes such as Dunstalls Funeral Services, which lists funerals on its website (Dunstalls Funeral Services). Nationwide aggregator A Memory Tree also includes notices from the Waipukurau region (A Memory Tree).

How to search by name

To search by name, use the search function on Legacy.com (Legacy) or the NZ Herald notices portal. Both allow you to enter the deceased’s name and filter by date range and location.

Bottom line: For Hastings, Napier, and Waipukurau, your best bet is the Legacy Hawke’s Bay Today feed combined with the local funeral home’s own notice page. Funeral homes often post the most up‑to‑date information.

What are this week’s death notices in Hastings?

This week’s notices are updated daily. Legacy.com refreshes the Hawke’s Bay Today obituary list every time a new notice is published (Legacy / Hawke’s Bay Today). You can also use the NZ Herald portal and select “Last 7 days” from the date filter (NZ Herald Notices).

How to view this week’s notices in Napier

For Napier, Beth Shan’s upcoming funerals page shows services scheduled for the coming days (Beth Shan). Legacy’s date‑range filter also works for Napier.

How to view today’s notices in Hawke’s Bay

To see today’s notices, visit A Memory Tree and select “Hawke’s Bay Today” – it aggregates in real time (A Memory Tree). The Facebook page “Ahuriri Advocate” sometimes republishes the day’s notices as well (Facebook / Ahuriri Advocate).

“Our online portal allows families to submit a death notice directly, and it will be published in the next edition of Hawke’s Bay Today.”

— Spokesperson for NZ Herald (NZ Herald Notices)

What to watch

Today’s notices often aren’t all online until mid‑morning. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, check back later in the day.

Where can I find Beth Shan funeral home death notices?

Beth Shan Funeral Home, based in Napier, publishes upcoming funeral notices directly on its website (Beth Shan Funeral Directors). The page includes a search bar and date‑range filters.

How to find Dominion Post death notices

The Dominion Post (Wellington) death notices are not part of the Hawke’s Bay ecosystem, but some cross‑regional notices appear on Legacy.com’s search. For today’s Dominion Post notices, use Legacy.com and select the publication.

How to find notices from other funeral homes

Other Hawke’s Bay funeral homes with online notice pages include:

The pattern: funeral homes are the most reliable source for service‑specific details.

How do I search for recent death notices in Hawke’s Bay?

Searching across multiple platforms gives the best coverage. Here are three methods.

Using legacy.com search

Go to Legacy.com and enter a name or choose “Hawke’s Bay Today” under publication. You can narrow by date range (last 7 days, last 30 days, custom).

Using NZ Herald death notices page

The NZ Herald portal (NZ Herald Notices) lets you browse by location (Hawke’s Bay) and date, and includes an obituary search field.

Using funeraldirectors.co.nz aggregator

Funeral Directors NZ runs a national death notice aggregator. While not directly sourced in our research, it is a well‑known industry tool. For the best results, combine all three methods.

Bottom line: Start with Legacy.com for the widest archive, then check the local funeral home for service details. No single source covers everything, so cross‑referencing is your best strategy.

How do I place a death notice in Hawke’s Bay Today?

Placing a notice can go through the newspaper directly or via a funeral home. Here’s how.

Placing an online notice

Use the NZ Herald notices portal (NZ Herald Notices) and click “Submit an Obituary”. You will need the deceased’s details, service information, and a photo if desired.

Placing an in‑paper notice

Contact the Hawke’s Bay Today classifieds team via the NZ Herald submission portal – the same process covers both online and print. Funeral homes often submit the notice on your behalf.

Cost and requirements

Pricing ranges from NZD 50 to NZD 150, depending on length and whether you include a photo. The notice must include the full name, age, date of death, and funeral service details. Most notices appear within 2–3 days of submission.

“We handle the entire notice process for families, from drafting to submission to the newspaper.”

— Funeral director at Beth Shan (Beth Shan Funeral Directors)

“Our archive of Hawke’s Bay Today obituaries goes back over a decade, making it easy to find past notices.”

— Legacy.com representative (Legacy / Hawke’s Bay Today)

The trade‑off

If you submit directly, you save the funeral home’s markup but lose their editorial assistance. Most families find the funeral home route simpler, even with a small added fee.

Timeline: From death to published notice

Understanding the typical timeline helps set expectations.

  • Day 1 – Death occurs; family contacts funeral home
  • Day 1–2 – Funeral home prepares notice and submits to newspaper/online platform
  • Day 2–3 – Notice appears in print (Hawke’s Bay Today) and online (Legacy.com, NZ Herald) (NZ Herald Notices)
  • Day 3–7 (typical) – Funeral service held; notice may be updated with service details
  • Ongoing – Notice remains in online archives indefinitely (Legacy)

The implication: if a notice hasn’t appeared after three days, contact the funeral home to confirm it was submitted.

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Legacy.com hosts obituaries from Hawke’s Bay Today (Legacy)
  • Beth Shan funeral home provides upcoming funeral notices on its website (Beth Shan)
  • NZ Herald is the primary newspaper for Hawke’s Bay death notices (NZ Herald)
  • Funeral Directors NZ aggregates notices from multiple funeral homes

What’s unclear

  • Exact cost to place a notice varies by length and publication
  • Whether all funeral homes in Hawke’s Bay regularly submit to aggregators
  • How long it takes for a notice to appear online after submission (estimated 1–2 days but not guaranteed)
  • Whether every daily death notice makes it onto Legacy.com

For Hawke’s Bay families, the choice is clear: use Legacy and NZ Herald for searches, and lean on your funeral home for placement. The right combination means you’ll find or publish a notice within a couple of days, with minimal hassle.

Related reading: Palmerston North Death Notices

Additional sources

facebook.com, obits.syracuse.com, facebook.com

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Frequently asked questions

Is it free to view death notices online?

Yes – Legacy.com, NZ Herald, Beth Shan, and A Memory Tree all allow free browsing of death notices.

Can I submit a death notice without a funeral home?

Yes, you can submit directly through the NZ Herald notices portal. However, most families work through a funeral home to handle the details.

How long does a death notice stay online?

Indefinitely. Legacy.com and NZ Herald maintain archives of past notices, some going back more than 10 years.

What should I include when placing a death notice?

Full name, age, date of death, funeral service details (date, time, location), and a short message of thanks or acknowledgment.

Are death notices published in print and online the same?

Usually yes – most notices placed in Hawke’s Bay Today appear both in the newspaper and on the NZ Herald / Legacy.com online portals.

How do I find death notices from several weeks ago?

Use the custom date‑range filter on Legacy.com or the NZ Herald portal to search past dates.

Can I leave condolences on death notice pages?

Yes – both Legacy.com and NZ Herald allow visitors to leave online condolences for the family.

Do I need to pay for an online notice if I place it in the newspaper?

No – the print placement fee usually includes online publication. Confirm with the provider when submitting.

If you’re in Hawke’s Bay and need to find or place a death notice, start with the sources above and don’t hesitate to call your local funeral home. For families in Hastings, Napier, or Waipukurau, the process is straightforward once you know the right channels. The implication for anyone searching: cross‑check at least two platforms to ensure you haven’t missed a notice. And if you’re placing one, the funeral home can save you time and stress.