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| Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Wesleya Ceneteries, Tauranga Image courtesy of Google Earth |
By May 1879 the decision had been made to establish a new
cemetery outside the Borough on land between 17th and 18th
Avenues with Grace Road to the east and Devonport Road to the west.[1] Burials continued in the “Old” or “Military” cemetery in family plots and of
veterans of the NZ Wars.
Trustees of the Tauranga Cemetery were appointed
representing the main religious denominations with Thomas Tunks representing
the Anglicans; Michael Brennan, Roman Catholic; Samuel L Clarke, Presbyterians;
Jonathon Brown, Wesleyans; and Asher Asher, Hebrew.[2]
As the largest congregation in Tauranga the Anglicans
received 7 acres, with diminishing acreage for the other denominations. The
first burial occurred in the Anglican section in May 1881 following the death
of Mrs Augusta Corlett. Due to the
“depredations of pigs and cattle” fencing the cemetery became an issue and
Asher Asher proposed that the town be canvassed for subscriptions.[3]
The Trustees appointed the first sexton, Joseph Ransley in
1882 and he was to receive nine shillings for burying an adult and six
shillings for a child.[4]
Tenders were called for fence posts, won by Messrs Phillips & Hegarty’s
tender of 3s 6d per chain[5]
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| Joseph and Kate Brain's grave marker |
As Fraser Street bisected the cemetery the Trustees
requested permission to install gates at the street entrance as the fencing was
completed. However, views changed and in 1883 a petition was prepared for
Parliament requesting Fraser Street cease being a public road and the land be
vested in the cemetery.[6]
Obviously this did not occur. The
Trustees proposed to accept tenders for the grazing of sheep at this time as
the large area of bare land needed to be clear of vegetation. The community and church control ended in
1886 when the “new” cemetery was vested in the Borough Council rather than the
cemetery Trustees.
In 1963 the Council sold some of the land for housing and
the money raised contributed to the purchase of farmland for the Pye’s Pa
cemetery. The Anglican, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Methodist cemeteries
remain but as there were no burials in the Hebrew section that acre was
included in the sale. A modern building on
this site appears to be a mosque.
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