Dunedin Southern Cemetery
Encyclopedia
The Southern Cemetery in the New Zealand
city of Dunedin
was the first major cemetery to be opened in the city. The cemetery was opened in 1858, ten years after the founding of the city in an area known as "Little Paisley". This area lies at the southern end of Princes Street
, one of the city's main streets, close to the suburbs of Kensington, Maryhill
, and The Glen (part of Caversham
).
, including a large number of Chinese
from Guangdong
; a separate Chinese section to the cemetery was added in the years that followed. A large proportion of New Zealand's early Jewish immigrants are buried in the cemetery's Jewish section.
The Northern Cemetery, at the other end of the city's main urban area, was opened in 1872. Neither of these cemeteries are still used for new burials (the last burials at the Southern Cemetery were in 1985); Dunedin's main cemetery is at Andersons Bay
in the south of the city.
In all, some 23,000 burials were recorded at the Southern Cemetery. Much of the cemetery is in a poor state of maintenance, though there are plans to repair some of its more damaged areas.
The cemetery is listed on the New Zealand Historic Places Trust Register as a Historic Place - Category I.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
city of Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
was the first major cemetery to be opened in the city. The cemetery was opened in 1858, ten years after the founding of the city in an area known as "Little Paisley". This area lies at the southern end of Princes Street
Princes Street, Dunedin
Princes Street is a major street in Dunedin, the second largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. It runs south-southwest for two kilometres from The Octagon in the city centre to the Oval sports ground, close to the city's Southern Cemetery...
, one of the city's main streets, close to the suburbs of Kensington, Maryhill
Maryhill, New Zealand
Maryhill is a residential suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located on a ridge to the southwest of the central city between the suburbs of Mornington, Kenmure, and Caversham. The smaller suburb of Balaclava lies immediately to its west. Maryhill takes its name from a district in the...
, and The Glen (part of Caversham
Caversham, New Zealand
Caversham is one of the older suburbs of the South Island New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is sited at the western edge of the city's central plain at the mouth of the steep Caversham Valley, which rises to the saddle of Lookout Point...
).
Description
The cemetery had separate sections set aside for Presbyterians, Anglicans, and Roman catholics, as well as a Jewish section. The 1860s saw a major influx of people into the city due to the Central Otago Gold RushCentral Otago Gold Rush
The Central Otago Gold Rush was a gold rush that occurred during the 1860s in Central Otago, New Zealand...
, including a large number of Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
from Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
; a separate Chinese section to the cemetery was added in the years that followed. A large proportion of New Zealand's early Jewish immigrants are buried in the cemetery's Jewish section.
The Northern Cemetery, at the other end of the city's main urban area, was opened in 1872. Neither of these cemeteries are still used for new burials (the last burials at the Southern Cemetery were in 1985); Dunedin's main cemetery is at Andersons Bay
Andersons Bay
Andersons Bay is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located in the southeast of the city's urban area, southeast of the city's centre...
in the south of the city.
In all, some 23,000 burials were recorded at the Southern Cemetery. Much of the cemetery is in a poor state of maintenance, though there are plans to repair some of its more damaged areas.
The cemetery is listed on the New Zealand Historic Places Trust Register as a Historic Place - Category I.
Notable interments
- Captain William CargillWilliam CargillWilliam Walter Cargill was the founder of the Otago settlement in New Zealand, after serving as an officer in the British Army. He was a Member of Parliament and Otago's first Superintendent.-Early life:...
- Thomas BurnsThomas Burns (New Zealand)Thomas Burns was a prominent early European settler and religious leader of the province of Otago, New Zealand.Burns was baptised at Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland in April 1796, the son of estate manager Gilbert Burns, who was the brother of the poet Robert Burns...
- Johnny Jones
- Dorothy Theomin
- Bendix HallensteinBendix HallensteinBendix Hallenstein was a merchant, statesman, and manufacturer from Dunedin, New Zealand. He was born in Brunswick, Germany. A clothing retailer, Hallensteins, still bears his name. He also founded the D.I.C...
- William Downie StewartWilliam Downie StewartWilliam Downie Stewart was a New Zealand Finance Minister, Mayor of Dunedin and writer.-Early life:Stewart was born in Dunedin in 1878. His father was William Downie Stewart, a lawyer and politician...
.
See also
- Burials at Dunedin Southern Cemetery