Woman rallies for forgotten cemetery2 min read
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Concerns about the deteriorating condition of many graves at a local cemetery has led Elaine Muir to form a Friends of Waikaraka Cemetery group.
Elaine, who has several family members buried there, discovered a tree growing on her great uncle’s grave. While she got the council to remove the tree, she says many other graves, mainly those in the older sections, are being taken over by trees and foilage.
Waikaraka Cemetery has been a resting place for people of all faiths since 1881. It also holds a special section for veterans from the Boer War and both World Wars, and residents from the Ranfurly Retirement Home. But the cemetery is now at full capacity, and has been closed to new burials for five years, except for the few people with existing family plots. In 2019, the Waikaraka Park Reserve Management Plan incorporated the cemetery into the wider park.
Elaine believes the time has come to form the group as she wants to help preserve the graves and the upkeep of the neglected cemetery. She is inspired by similar groups at Hillsborough and Waikumete cemeteries, and is calling for others to join her.
Another problem that Elaine encountered is the burial record book, which is essential for locating plots, has been moved to Waikumete cemetery.
“This is extremely frustrating, especially for people coming from outside Auckland to visit a family grave,” she says. “One of my cousins came from Te Puke to visit her baby brother’s grave, but couldn’t find it because the book was not available.”
There’s no signage at Waikaraka Cemetery to indicate where visitors can find the burial book, and only a few people know it has moved. Elaine says, “even for those who do know, having to travel all the way to West Auckland just to locate a grave at Waikaraka adds unnecessary frustration.”
One of her goals for the proposed group is to find a safe, local home for the burial book, to make it more accessible.
If you are interested in helping form a Friends of the Cemetery group, email Elaine at pepenz888@gmail.com.
