Pukehou

Pukehou Pukehouhou
Christ Church, the oldest church in Hawke's Bay
Pukehou
Coordinates: 39°50′S 176°38′E / 39.833°S 176.633°E / -39.833; 176.633
Country	New Zealand
Region	Hawke's Bay
Territorial authority	Central Hawke's Bay District

Pukehou is a farming locality in southern Hawke's Bay, in the eastern North Island of New Zealand.

Pukehou is located on State Highway 2, about halfway between Hastings and Waipukurau. The locality's name (originally Pukehouhou) is Māori, and means "Hill of houhou", the 'houhou' or 'Puahou' being a small native flowering tree, Pseudopanax arboreus or Five Finger (Māori: 'Puahou' or 'Whauwhaupaku').

Christ Church, the oldest church in Hawke's Bay and the Waiapu Diocese, was built by Samuel Williams in 1859. It was constructed of local timber with roofing of hand split totara shingles and measured 40 feet by 20 feet. It was extended in both 1881 and 1893, work in the latter date including the north and south transept and chancel. It church was repaired in 1959 with the roof being repiled, repainted and reshingled, and was repainted in 1993.^[1]

The church has two significant stained glass windows. The east window was designed by John Bonnor while Karl Parsons designed the north one. The church is registered as a Category I heritage building by Heritage New Zealand.^[1]