Waikumete Cemetery
|
Waikumete Cemetery in March 2014 | |
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1886 |
| Location | Glen Eden, Auckland |
| Country | New Zealand |
Waikumete Cemetery is New Zealand's largest cemetery. It occupies a site of 108 hectares in Glen Eden, Auckland, and also contains a crematorium in the south-west corner of the cemetery.
Description
Waikumete Cemetery was established in 1886 and is the final resting place for over 70,000 people.[1] The Chapel of Faith in the Oaks was built in 1886 as a mortuary chapel and was used until the larger chapel was built in 1952. It is available for hire for religious services.
Waikumete is home to a number of prominent historical areas including the Erebus Memorial, Holocaust Memorial, NZ Influenza Epidemic memorial and the ANZAC Cenotaph.
War graves
Two extensive areas of the cemetery were given over for burial of service personnel of the World Wars and post-war veterans. In all, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) register and maintain the graves of 285 Commonwealth service personnel here, 110 from World War I and 176 from World War II.[2]
In the entrance of the cemetery the CWGC erected the Auckland Provincial Memorial, commemorating 56 service personnel from Auckland Province who died serving in and around New Zealand in both World Wars but have no known grave.[2]
The CWGC also commemorate 44 service personnel of World War II cremated at Waikumete Crematorium where, most recently in 1999, they erected a memorial to seven personnel whose ashes were formerly stored in the chapel building and which was placed on the site of their final resting place in the chapel lawn.[3]
Burials
Some of the notable people buried at the cemetery include:
- Albert Asher (1879–1965), rugby union and rugby league footballer
- Barry Butterworth (1939-1993), NZ speedway driver
- Angela D'Audney (1944–2002), Television New Zealand news anchor
- Cameron Duncan (1986-2003), writer and director, inspiration for Into the West
- James Crichton (1879–1961), recipient of the Victoria Cross[4]
- Pauly Fuemana (1969–2010), lead singer of OMC
- John Gildroy Grant VC (1889–1970), Victoria Cross recipient
- Richard Alexander Henderson (1895-1958)
- Paul Hewson (1953–1985), songwriter and keyboard player in NZ band Dragon
- Bruce McLaren (1937-1970), race-car designer, driver, engineer and inventor
- Don Oliver MBE (1937-1966), weightlifter and fitness centre founder
- Tuna Scanlan (1934–2014), boxer
- Maurice Shadbolt CBE (1932–2004), writer and playwright
- Samuel Shrimski (1828–1902), politician from Oamaru[5]
- Reginald Judson (1881–1972) recipient of the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Military Medal[6]
See also
References
- ↑ "Waikumete Cemetery Background, Auckland City Council".
- 1 2 "AUCKLAND (WAIKUMETE) CEMETERY". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
- ↑ "AUCKLAND (WAIKUMETE) CREMATORIUM". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
- ↑ Harper, Glyn; Richardson, Colin (2007). In the Face of the Enemy: The Complete History of the Victoria Cross and New Zealand. Auckland, New Zealand: HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited. p. 174. ISBN 1869506502.
- ↑ "Death of the Hon Shrimski". Auckland Star. XXXIII (149). 25 June 1902. p. 2. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
- ↑ http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3j9/judson-reginald-stanley
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Waikumete Cemetery. |
- Waikumete Cemetery Auckland City Council website
- Tales From The Crypt, Matthew Gray's Historical Column on Waikumete Cemetery Graves
Coordinates: 36°54′02″S 174°39′04″E / 36.9005°S 174.651°E