From the whenua of Tairāwhiti to the world stage, renowned Māori landscape architect Dr Diane Menzies ONZM has made history, becoming the first Indigenous person and the first recipient from Oceania to receive the prestigious Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award — the highest international honour in landscape architecture.
Dr Menzies, of Rongowhakaata and Te Aitanga a Mahaki descent, was presented with the award at the Global Congress of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) in Hong Kong.
The achievement places her among an extraordinary group of just 18 landscape architects worldwide to have received the honour since 2005.
She is also only the fifth woman to receive the award, recognising a remarkable career spanning more than five decades and a lifelong commitment to environmental protection, cultural identity, Indigenous knowledge and the advancement of landscape architecture.
Now based on whenua near Gisborne, Dr Menzies has become one of the most influential Māori voices in international landscape design.
FROM TAIRĀWHITI TO THE WORLD STAGE
The Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award is widely regarded as landscape architecture’s highest professional distinction, comparable in prestige to the Pritzker Prize in architecture.
Named after Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, founder of the International Federation of Landscape Architects, the award recognises individuals whose work has made a profound and lasting contribution to society, the environment and the profession.
For Dr Menzies, the recognition marks another milestone in a career dedicated to ensuring that landscapes are understood not simply as physical spaces, but as places shaped by culture, history, identity and relationships with the natural world.
Her achievement is particularly significant for Māori and Indigenous design professionals, demonstrating the growing international recognition of cultural knowledge and Indigenous perspectives within landscape architecture.
FIVE DECADES OF LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION
Dr Menzies qualified as a landscape architect at Lincoln University in 1974, beginning a career that would take her from local government and public service to international professional leadership.
Her early roles included work with Wellington City Council and the Ministry of Works and Development.
She subsequently built an extensive career spanning landscape design, environmental planning, education, research and public policy.
Her professional contributions have included serving as a lecturer, an Environment Court Commissioner and an adjunct professor at Unitec.
She has also contributed to research initiatives, including Generation Kāinga, reflecting her ongoing interest in the relationship between communities, housing, cultural identity and the environments people inhabit.
Her influence extends well beyond individual design projects.
Throughout her career, she has helped shape how landscape architecture responds to environmental responsibilities, cultural values and the needs of communities.
A GLOBAL CHAMPION FOR INDIGENOUS DESIGN
Dr Menzies has played a leading role in the development of landscape architecture in both Aotearoa and internationally.
She served an unprecedented three terms as President of Tuia Pito Ora New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects, before becoming a Life Member in 2005.
Between 2006 and 2010, she served as President of the International Federation of Landscape Architects, helping shape the profession’s international direction.
Her leadership has been particularly influential in advancing cultural justice, environmental ethics and greater recognition of Indigenous perspectives in design.
Current NZILA President Ralph Johns says Dr Menzies has made an exceptional contribution to landscape architecture, influencing international thinking on cultural inclusion, environmental responsibility and the importance of Indigenous knowledge.
He regards her as a national treasure whose professional influence has extended across the world.
RECOGNISED FOR HER CONTRIBUTION TO MĀORI DESIGN
Dr Menzies’ achievements have also been recognised within Aotearoa’s Māori design community.
In 2018, she became the first woman to receive Kāhui Whetū status from Ngā Aho, the national network of Māori design professionals.
Kāhui Whetū recognises respected senior Māori designers, artists and practitioners who have made significant contributions to their disciplines.
Her recognition acknowledged her leadership in promoting the cultural values and heritage of Māori and Pasifika design, both nationally and internationally.
At the time, Dr Menzies regarded the honour as especially meaningful because it represented recognition of her work within both Māori and wider New Zealand society.
The award reflected something central to her professional journey — the importance of cultural identity and the ability of Indigenous knowledge to contribute meaningfully to contemporary design practice.
A LIFETIME OF SERVICE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Dr Menzies was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2008 for services to the environment.
Her work has consistently emphasised the relationship between people and the natural world, including the cultural and environmental responsibilities associated with land use and development.
Her contribution has helped broaden the international landscape architecture profession’s understanding of how cultural knowledge, environmental sustainability and community wellbeing can be integrated into design.
For Māori, those principles are closely connected to concepts of whakapapa, whenua and kaitiakitanga.
They recognise that landscapes carry cultural meaning and that decisions about their future must consider the relationships between people, place and the environment.
Dr Menzies’ international recognition reinforces the importance of these perspectives in shaping sustainable and culturally responsive communities.
A HISTORIC MOMENT FOR MĀORI AND AOTEAROA
The Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award represents more than an individual professional achievement.
It is a significant moment for Māori design, Indigenous knowledge and the recognition of Aotearoa’s contribution to international landscape architecture.
As the first Indigenous recipient, Dr Menzies has broken new ground in a profession that increasingly recognises the importance of cultural diversity and environmental stewardship.
Her achievement also provides inspiration for emerging Māori architects, landscape designers, planners and environmental practitioners seeking to bring their own cultural perspectives into their work.
From her early studies at Lincoln University to leading the international profession, Dr Menzies has demonstrated how Māori values and cultural knowledge can help shape global conversations about design, sustainability and the future of the environment.
After more than 50 years of leadership, Dr Diane Menzies has received the highest honour her profession can bestow — and in doing so, has made history for Māori, for Aotearoa and for Indigenous design professionals around the world.
He tohu whakahirahira mō te ao Māori — an extraordinary achievement for Māori and Aotearoa.
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