Adrienne Staples

Adrienne Staples
ONZM
Staples in 2025
3rd Mayor of South Wairarapa
In office
October 2004 – 13 October 2016
Preceded byJohn Read
Succeeded byViv Napier
Deputy chair of the Greater Wellington Regional Council
In office
30 October 2019 – 20 April 2026
ChairpersonDaran Ponter
Preceded byBarbara Donaldson
Succeeded byRos Connelly
Greater Wellington regional councillor for the Wairarapa constituency
In office
14 October 2016 – 20 April 2026
Preceded byGary McPhee
Personal details
BornAdrienne Lee Darling
(1956-12-05)5 December 1956
Featherston, New Zealand
Died20 April 2026(2026-04-20) (aged 69)
PartyIndependent

Adrienne Lee Staples ONZM (née Darling; 5 December 1956 – 20 April 2026) was a New Zealand local-body politician. She was the mayor of South Wairarapa for 12 years from 2004 to 2016, and was the first woman to serve in the role.[1][2] In 2017 Staples was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese government, in recognition of her promotion of Japanese–New Zealand friendship and mutual understanding.

Background

Staples was born in Featherston, New Zealand, on 5 December 1956.[3][4][1] She ran a small manufacturing business based in Featherston and a Wellington IT consulting company.[5] Staples died on 20 April 2026.[6][7][8]

Career

Staples was a member of the Featherston community board. She was elected Mayor of South Wairarapa in 2004, becoming the district's first female mayor.[1]

In 2013, Staples and other Wairarapa mayors were the subject of a parody video based on the film Downfall.[9] She and her husband threatened to sue the video's creator for defamation, and engaged lawyers to have YouTube remove the video.[10]

After retiring from the mayoralty in 2016 she ran for a position on the Greater Wellington Regional Council,[11] where she was elected the representative for the Wairarapa constituency.[12] In 2019, Staples was elected deputy chair of the regional council,[13][14] and was re-elected to the position in 2022.[15] Staples ran for and won a fourth-term on the regional council in the 2025 elections,[16][17] and was subsequently re-elected as deputy chair.[18]

Honours and awards

Staples (left), after her investiture as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit by the governor-general, Dame Patsy Reddy, at Government House, Wellington, on 23 May 2017

In the 2017 New Year Honours, Staples was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to local government.[19] The citation mentioned that Staples oversaw the completion of the redevelopment of Greytown's historic town hall, and the formation of the Cross Creek to Featherston cycle trail.[20] Later in 2017, Staples was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, by the Japanese government, in recognition of her promotion of Japanese–New Zealand friendship and mutual understanding.[21][22] During her time as mayor, Staples hosted a Japanese choir that visited in remembrance of the 48 Japanese prisoners and 1 New Zealand guard killed at the Featherston prisoner-of-war camp in 1943.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Piers Fuller (25 February 2016). "South Wairarapa mayor Adrienne Staples stepping down after twelve years". Stuff. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  2. ↑ "Retiring mayor will be a hard act to follow". Wairarapa Times Age. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "In memory of Adrienne Lee Staples". Tributes Online. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  4. ↑ Gastmeier, Hayley (14 May 2016). "South Wairarapa mayoralty race heats up". NZ Herald.
  5. ↑ "Wellington Regional Council". The Martinborough Star. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "Greater Wellington and South Wairarapa mourn the sudden passing of Councillor Adrienne Staples". Greater Wellington Regional Council. 20 April 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Teodoro, Sue (20 April 2026). "'Unbelievable loss': Wellington regional councillor dies suddenly". RNZ. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "Adrienne Staples obituary". Wairarapa Times-Age. 21 April 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "Hitler loses the plot with the three Wairarapa Mayors re Wellington Super City debate - YouTube". YouTube. 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
  10. ↑ Dickson, Walt (3 July 2013). "Mayors not laughing at Hitler spoof". Stuff.
  11. ↑ Farmer, Don (26 May 2016). "Staples to run for regional council seat". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  12. ↑ "Our Honours recipients". Wairarapa Times-Age. 31 December 2016. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  13. ↑ "Daran Ponter elected as Greater Wellington Chair and Adrienne Staples as Deputy Chair". Greater Wellington Regional Council. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  14. ↑ Anselm, Marcus (29 July 2020). "Greater Wellington Regional Council to discuss a Māori seat at its top table". Stuff.
  15. ↑ Prior, Grace (28 October 2022). "Staples holds deputy position for another term". Wairarapa Times-Age. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  16. ↑ Ireland, Emily (10 July 2025). "Staples Eyes Up Unfinished Business In Re-election Bid". Scoop. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  17. ↑ Ireland, Emily (17 October 2025), Special votes lock in election result, The Post
  18. ↑ Teodoro, Sue (30 October 2025), Adrienne Staples re-elected as GWRC deputy chair, The Post
  19. ↑ "New Year honours list 2017". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "NEW YEAR HONOURS 2017 - CITATIONS FOR OFFICERS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". www.dpmc.govt.nz. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  21. 1 2 Wills, Bevan (30 April 2017). "Rare gong for ex-mayor". Times Age. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  22. ↑ Austin Ryu (29 April 2017). "The Conferral of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette upon Mrs. Adrienne Staples" (PDF). Embassy of Japan. p. 3. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
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