Diane Menzies receives international honour

Influential New Zealand landscape architect Dr Diane (Di) Menzies has received her profession’s highest honour, becoming the first New Zealander to win the international Jellicoe Award

Menzies (Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Mahaki) was presented with the Jellicoe Award at the Global Congress of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) in Hong Kong on 28 October.

She is one of just 18 landscape architects to receive the award since 2005, the first Indigenous recipient, the first from Oceania and only the fifth woman.

The Jellicoe Award recognises living individuals whose life and work have made a sustained, profound global impact on society, the environment and the advancement of landscape architecture. It is named in memory of Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, who founded IFLA.

At 79, Menzies remains active in research, teaching and hands-on environmental restoration. She now lives mainly on Rongowhakaata whenua near Gisborne, where restoring the land is a major focus.

Speaking from Hong Kong, Menzies said: “Playing a role in raising global issues such as biodiversity loss, water pollution and worldwide adverse effects on habitat is a privilege. We need a global call for change in how we perceive, relate to and care for our whenua.” 

She also reflected on the whakataukī gifted to her by Rongowhakaata to open her acceptance speech.

“Before leaving for Hong Kong, I was immensely proud of the whakataukī I was gifted by Rongowhakaata to open my acceptance speech. The whakatauki is Te Kotahi a Turahiri, ka ripo ana i te moana: A single child who causes the ocean to ripple… meaning the one who makes change. It echoes my advocacy to the students I teach and do research with: ‘Be the one who causes the ocean to ripple.’”

A landscaping legend 

Menzies qualified as a landscape architect at Lincoln University in 1974. After spending her early years practising at Wellington City Council and the Ministry for Works and Development, she followed a varied career path, including roles as a lecturer, New Zealand Environment Court Commissioner, adjunct professor at Unitec and researcher working on projects such as Generation Kāinga.

In service to the profession, Menzies served an unmatched three terms as President of Tuia Pito Ora New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA), before becoming a Life Member in 2005.

She served as President of IFLA between 2006 and 2010 and was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the environment.

In 2018, Menzies became the first woman to be accorded Kāhui Whetū status by Ngā Aho, Aotearoa’s network of Māori design professionals, for “her contribution both nationally and internationally, of understanding the unique cultural values of the heritage of Māori and Pasifika design”.

At the time, Menzies said the recognition meant the most to her, as “it shows you can be respected in both Māori and New Zealand culture, so it’s a cultural affirmation”.

A rare practitioner

NZILA President Ralph Johns said Menzies has helped shape the international agenda of landscape architecture toward cultural justice, environmental ethics, and inclusion of indigenous perspectives. 

“She is one of those rare practitioners whose contribution and influence as a landscape architect has been truly global in scope. She is a national treasure”.