Mr Peat’s wife, Mary Hammonds, said she and the couple’s daughter, Sophora, were "incredibly sad to lose such a kind, wise, talented and deeply loving husband, father and pop".
"He was well-respected in so many aspects of his very diverse life but always remained very grounded and humble," Ms Hammonds said.
"You could describe him as an author, journalist, photographer and naturalist.
"He was interested in environmental issues, conservation, electoral reform, music — a massive, massive amount of stuff."
Mr Peat was Dunedin-born.
He was an elected member of the Otago Regional Council from 1998 to 2007 and was deputy chairman in his final term.
He did not stand for re-election in 2007, as he was awarded the Creative New Zealand Michael King Writers’ Fellowship.
Under the fellowship, Mr Peat wrote The Tasman: Biography of an Ocean.
He also served as a Dunedin city councillor for one term, from 2013 to 2016.
He had more than 40 titles published, covering, among other topics, regional history and national birds.
His most recent work was Home is an Island, published in November 2022, exploring islands contributing to the character of New Zealand.
Mr Peat was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to conservation, in the 2018 New Year Honours.
In December 2024, he was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Excellence, recognising outstanding contribution to non-fiction.
Mr Peat died in Dunedin Hospital on Sunday morning, following a short illness.
An obituary will follow.
