Honours List: David Haig recognised with NZ merit award

David Haig with one of a pair of his Lockdown Cabinets, made from English cherry. Photo: Daniel Allen

He’s been on the cover of Australian Wood Review and he’s written several articles for the magazine as well. In 2018 he took out the top award for AWR’s Studio Furniture competition, and he’s been a category winner as well as a judge for Maker of the Year Awards.

David Haig, Folium 3, English sycamore, matai, first prize winner Studio Furniture 2018. Photo: Daniel Allen

In our eyes he was already a legend, but now David Haig MNZM has been acknowledged for services to woodworking in New Zealand’s The King's Birthday and Coronation Honours List 2023 – Citations for Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Here’s the official listing:

Mr David Haig has been contributing to woodworking in New Zealand for more than 30 years. Mr Haig has been designing and making furniture in his workshop on his property in Cable Bay since 1987. He designed his signature Monogram rocking chair in 1990 and has now built several hundred in various different woods. These have been purchased across 15 countries and one is held in the collection at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand. He has been a foundation member of the Nelson Guild of Woodworkers since its inception in 1983 and has been instrumental in its growth and development.

In 2006 he assisted in setting up the Centre for Fine Woodworking, Nelson, a woodworking school registered as a Charitable Trust, which has developed an international reputation attracting students and tutors from around the globe. He has enhanced the profile of the Centre by teaching master classes at similar woodworking schools in Perth, Sydney and in Rockport, Maine in the United States. Mr Haig’s work has won numerous awards and competitions and has featured worldwide in specialist woodworking journals, including in ‘Architectural Digest’, ‘Australian Wood Review’ and ‘Fine Woodworking’ in the United States of America.

David Haig, Monogram Rocker. Photo: Daniel Allen

Wood Review magazine extends its congratulations to David Haig for this well deserved recognition of his contribution to the world of woodworking!

Stayed tuned for the September 2023 edition (120) of Wood Review magazine which will include an article by David Haig on working with curved components. Subscribe now to receive issue 120.

Learn more about David Haig at davidhaig.co.nz

David Haig on the cover of Australian Wood Review, issue 53; and showing his award winning Folium chair on the cover of issue 101.