Symonds Street Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Symonds Street Cemetery is a historic cemetery and park in central Auckland
, New Zealand
. It is in 5.8 hectares of deciduous
forest on the western slope of Grafton Gully
, by the corner of Symonds Street and Karangahape Road
, and is crossed by the Grafton Bridge
. The cemetery and the street are named for William Cornwallis Symonds
, a British Army
officer prominent in the early colonisation of New Zealand
. It has a Historic Place - Category I listing with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
. Maintenance and administration of the cemetery is provided by the Auckland Council
.
took over management of the cemetery. Due to development of the Auckland Southern Motorway
during the mid-1960s, more than 4,100 bodies were moved and re-interred into two memorial sites at the cemetery, and the land area was reduced by about a quarter. During the relocation, 2000 graves were found under 1200 headstones in the Anglican section, and 2100 graves under 400 headstones were found in the Catholic section. Many of Auckland's early colonists are buried here, including William Hobson
, the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi
.
The New Zealand Herald
columnist Brian Rudman
has repeatedly criticised the state of disrepair, vandalism, and the presence of vagrants at the cemetery, and called for the city council to improve the maintenance. The council created the 1996 Symonds St Cemetery Conservation Plan, has undertaken gravestone restoration with a specialist stonemason, and security guards patrol the cemetery.
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
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...
. It is in 5.8 hectares of deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forest on the western slope of Grafton Gully
Grafton Gully
Grafton Gully is a deep and very wide gully cutting northwards through the volcanic hills of the Auckland Volcanic Field in Auckland, New Zealand. It divides the CBD of the city from the suburbs of Grafton and Parnell in the east.Grafton Gully is crossed by Grafton Bridge near its south end...
, by the corner of Symonds Street and Karangahape Road
Karangahape Road
Karangahape Road is one of the main streets in the central business district of Auckland, New Zealand. The massive expansion of motorways through the nearby inner city area - and subsequent flight of residents and retail into the suburbs - turned it from one of Auckland's premier shopping streets...
, and is crossed by the Grafton Bridge
Grafton Bridge
Grafton Bridge is a road bridge spanning Grafton Gully in Auckland City, New Zealand. Built of reinforced concrete in 1910, it connects the Auckland CBD with the Grafton suburb...
. The cemetery and the street are named for William Cornwallis Symonds
William Cornwallis Symonds
Captain William Cornwallis Symonds was a British Army officer who was prominent in the early colonisation of New Zealand. He was the eldest son of William Symonds, Surveyor of the Navy....
, a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer prominent in the early colonisation of New Zealand
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...
. It has a Historic Place - Category I listing with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
. Maintenance and administration of the cemetery is provided by the Auckland Council
Auckland Council
The Auckland Council is the council for the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It began operating on 1 November 2010, combining the functions of the existing regional council and the region's seven previous city and district councils into one "super council" or "super city" governed by a mayor, 20...
.
History
Symonds Street Cemetery was the first official cemetery in Auckland, in use from 1842. Originally it was divided into four sections for Anglicans, Catholics, Jews, and a shared Presbyterian, Wesleyan, and general section. By 1852, the shared section became Presbyterian, and an additional Wesleyan and general section was added. It was closed for burials in 1886, other than to existing family plots, and in 1909 the Auckland City CouncilAuckland City Council
Auckland City Council was the local government authority representing Auckland City, New Zealand, and was amalgamated into the Auckland Council on 1 November 2010. It was an elected body representing the 404,658 residents of the city...
took over management of the cemetery. Due to development of the Auckland Southern Motorway
Auckland Southern Motorway
The Auckland Southern Motorway is the major route south out of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is part of State Highway 1....
during the mid-1960s, more than 4,100 bodies were moved and re-interred into two memorial sites at the cemetery, and the land area was reduced by about a quarter. During the relocation, 2000 graves were found under 1200 headstones in the Anglican section, and 2100 graves under 400 headstones were found in the Catholic section. Many of Auckland's early colonists are buried here, including William Hobson
William Hobson
Captain William Hobson RN was the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.-Early life:...
, the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
.
The New Zealand Herald
The New Zealand Herald
- External links :* * *...
columnist Brian Rudman
Brian Rudman
Brian Rudman is a journalist and regular editorial contributor to The New Zealand Herald, New Zealand's largest daily newspaper. He has his own column, 'Rudman's City', where he mainly focuses on issues relating to Auckland , its growth, public projects, policies and politicians...
has repeatedly criticised the state of disrepair, vandalism, and the presence of vagrants at the cemetery, and called for the city council to improve the maintenance. The council created the 1996 Symonds St Cemetery Conservation Plan, has undertaken gravestone restoration with a specialist stonemason, and security guards patrol the cemetery.
Notable burials
- Archibald ClarkArchibald Clark (politician)Archibald Clark was a 19th century Member of Parliament in the Auckland Region, New Zealand. He was the first Mayor of Auckland in 1851. His company, Archibald Clark and Sons, manufactured clothing and was a wholesaler.-Early life:...
(1805–1875), 1st Mayor of Auckland Borough Council - Thomas HendersonThomas Henderson (New Zealand)Thomas Maxwell Henderson was a New Zealand politician. He was one of the earliest settlers in Auckland. He was a significant entrepreneur, and the Auckland suburb of Henderson bears his name.-Early life:...
(1810–1886), significant entrepreneur who gave his name to the suburb of Henderson - William HobsonWilliam HobsonCaptain William Hobson RN was the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.-Early life:...
(1792–1842), first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi - William HulmeWilliam Hulme (British Army officer)Lieutenant colonel William Hulme was an officer in the British Army, and commanded the 96th Regiment of Foot, raised at Manchester....
(1788–1855), officer in the British Army - Frederick Edward ManingFrederick Edward ManingFrederick Edward Maning was a notable early settler in New Zealand, a writer and judge of the Native Land Court. He published two books under the pseudonym of "a Pakeha Maori."...
(1812–1883), writer and judge of the Native Land Court - Frederick Merriman (1818–1865), MP in the first two Parliaments
- George Dean PittGeorge Dean PittMajor-General George Dean Pitt was Lieutenant-Governor of the former New Zealand Province of New Ulster from 14 February 1848 to his death on 8 January 1851...
(1772–1851), Lieutenant-Governor of New Ulster Province - John Sheehan (1844–1885), MP from 1872 to 1885
- Charles SouthwellCharles SouthwellCharles Southwell was a radical English journalist and freethinker.-Early life:Charles Southwell was born in London, the youngest of 33 children in a poor family. His father, William, was a piano maker who had married three times. His mother, Fanny , was William's ex-servant, and at least three...
(1814–1860), radical English journalist and freethinker - Charles de ThierryCharles de ThierryCharles Philippe Hippolyte de Thierry was a nineteenth century adventurer who attempted to establish his own sovereign state in New Zealand in the years before British annexation.-Biography:...
(1793–1864), adventurer who attempted to establish his own sovereign state in New Zealand before British annexation
External links
- History of the Symonds Street Cemetery in Auckland by David Verran, Local History Librarian, Auckland City LibrariesAuckland City LibrariesAuckland City Libraries was a network of 17 public libraries and a mobile library operated by Auckland City Council. In November 2010, Auckland's local councils merged to create a supercity resulting in ACL merging with six other Auckland public library systems to form...
- Symonds Street Cemetery records