Wakapuaka cemetery’s first recorded burial was Grace Annie Everett, child of 16 months, buried 8 December 1861. This, and other early graves, are found in the Anglican Section near the top of the hill amongst the oak trees.
Well-known Nelson residents buried at Wakapuaka cemetery are:
- surveyor and artist John Gully
- educator Matthew Campbell
- goldminers Elizabeth and George Moonlight
- the Maungatapu Murder victims – five men who were robbed and killed on the inland Maungatapu Road in 1866. (The attackers were hanged and buried in unmarked graves just outside the consecrated ground of Hallowell Cemetery, Shelbourne Street)
- explorer and surveyor Thomas Brunner
Other major features and graves in the Cemetery include:
Gargiulo Memorial Gates (main entrance). The gates were erected in memory of Italian immigrant Mariano Gargiulo.
A grave with Hebrew script. The Jewish Section, with its Hebrew script tombstones, is located through the gate to the left of the chapel. The graves date back to the mid 1800’s, when there was a reasonably significant Jewish community in Nelson.
Chapel of St Michael (lower Roman Catholic section)
The Chapel was used until 1979. It is dedicated to Nelson’s first Roman Catholic priest, Antoine Marie Garin.
He established schools for the education of young Roman Catholics in Nelson. Garin College is named in his memory. Source Wakapuaka Cemetery
WAKAPUAKA CEMETERY, NELSON LOCATION
Explore a historic cemetery where the early settlers of Nelson story is told on tombstones.
There are spectacular views from Wakapuaka cemetery, a beautiful walk through hundred year old redwoods in Marsden, Stoke and an intriguing park with historic graves peeping out from under bushes in Fairfield Park.
Nelson cemeteries is part of nzjane series on Cemeteries of New Zealand – Best Bits where to go and the odd ghostly story.
In Nelson’s Golden Bay the Collingwood’s historic cemetery is where headstones narrate stories of shipwrecks, floods, epidemics and early childhood deaths are a frequent story.
The ornate wrought iron fences invite photographers inside to amble through the atmospheric grounds.
Information panels at the gates direct you to the various different sections of the cemetery. Some beautiful heritage trees and fine plantings complement this picturesque spot.
A number of heritage trails are set in the Wakapuaka cemetery, including:
- Mayoral Memories heritage trail which gives insights into Nelson City Council 1874-1913
- Notable Women heritage trail covers stirring stories of women in Nelson
- The Italian memorial walk looks at Italian immigration stories
Burial records for all Nelson cemeteries can be accessed on the Council’s website. A detailed map of plot layouts can also be downloaded if you are searching for anyone in particular.
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