When a Whangarei newspaper featured the Council’s plans to restore the historic Kioreroa Cemetery, Corrections seized the opportunity to help out.
“The council was incredibly grateful for the offer of labour from community work parties,” says Whangarei CPPS Service Manager Tony Hodgson. “But before work parties could start the clean up the site had to be blessed by a local kaumatua. Otherwise the ground would have been ‘tapu’ or sacred and prohibited for most offenders.”
Kioreroa Cemetery covers about six acres; some graves pre-date 1860. The last funeral took place around 70 years ago.
Unfortunately the site fell into disarray and the result was an overgrown and neglected cemetery subject to vandalism. It was so bad that some families even had their relatives exhumed and reburied elsewhere.
Carriage lanes
Tony says, “Falling trees have damaged many of the remaining headstones. Roots also lifted some headstones and the cemetery became so overgrown that the horse-drawn carriage lanes can no longer be seen. The lanes originally divided the graveyard into four sections: Anglican, Presbyterian, Catholic and a combined area for Methodists, Baptists and non-denominational.”
At the end of November 2008 community work parties started cleaning up the heavily neglected cemetery. “First they cleared weeds, removed rubbish and graffiti from bordering properties,” says Tony. “The next step is to start restoration work on the headstones with the help of local business Robinson Memorials and to create a memorial for those graves that no longer have a headstone. Also, we will recreate the broad lanes and turning circles that were used for the carriages. When we were cleaning the place we dug up an old wagon wheel which will probably be used as a historical exhibit.”
Cemetery Manager Whangarei District Council Helen Cairns is glad the work is underway. “This is an exciting and positive project to be involved with. With the help of Corrections we can put things right after 40 years of hurt and unhappiness for so many people, and restoring the cemetery close to its former state.”
“It’s nice to get some positive feedback from the families who have visited the cemetery recently,” says Tony. “The offenders can also see the importance of this job. Working on a project like this helps reinforce good work ethic and gives them a great sense of pride when the job is complete.”
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ISSN 1178-1327