Te Henui Cemetery
{{short description|Cemetery in New Plymouth, New Zealand}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
Te Henui Cemetery, also known as New Plymouth Cemetery, is the oldest public cemetery in New Plymouth, New Zealand. It was first used in 1861.
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "the great mistake" for {{lang|mi|Te Hēnui}}.{{Cite web|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/1000-maori-place-names|title=1000 Māori place names|publisher=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage|date=6 August 2019}}
Description
File:Blossoms in the Te Henui Cemetery.jpg
An ordinance by the Taranaki Provincial Council dated 28 October 1861 set aside {{convert|24|acre}} and established the first public burial ground in New Plymouth.{{cite book |title=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay & Wellington Provincial Districts |year=1908 |url= http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz//tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc06Cycl-t1-body1-d1-d5-d10.html |publisher=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand |author=Cyclopedia Company Limited |accessdate= 13 June 2014 |location=Christchurch |chapter=Cemetery}}{{cite web |title=Cemeteries and Crematorium |url= http://www.newplymouthnz.com/CouncilAtoZ/CemeteriesAndCrematorium/ |publisher=New Plymouth District Council |accessdate=17 June 2014}} The cemetery is the resting ground for the last eight victims of Tītokowaru's War. On 13 February 1869, a war party of Ngāti Maniapoto led by Wetere Te Rerenga killed all three men, a woman and three children, and also the Wesleyan missionary John Whiteley who arrived shortly afterwards, at the isolated Pukearuhe Redoubt, some {{convert|57|km}} from New Plymouth. This was the final act of the Taranaki wars.{{cite web |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/wesleyan-missionary-john-whitely-murdered |title=Killings at Pukearuhe: 13 February 1869 |publisher=(Ministry for Culture and Heritage |date=6 October 2020 |access-date=25 September 2021}} There are two separate monuments at the cemetery that commemorate people who died in the incident.
With the abolition of provincial government in 1876, the cemetery came under the control of the New Plymouth Borough Council. Today, it is controlled by the New Plymouth District Council.
The main entrance to the cemetery is located at the intersection between Watson and Lemon Streets, where memorial gates were installed in 1924 on the request of Alice Honeyfield, a former resident then living in Sydney.{{cite web |title=Te Henui Cemetery Gates – 1924 |url= http://ketenewplymouth.peoplesnetworknz.info/heritage_sites_and_features/topics/show/1280-te-henui-cemetery-gates-1924 |publisher=Kete New Plymouth |accessdate=17 June 2014}}
The cemetery contains the Commonwealth war graves of 12 men who served in the First World War, and 19 men who served in the Second World War.{{cite web |title=New Plymouth (Te Henui) Cemetery |url= http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/page/new-plymouth-te-henui-cemetery |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage |accessdate=17 June 2014}}{{cite web |title=New Plymouth (Te Henui) Cemetery |url= http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/70964/NEW%20PLYMOUTH%20%28TE%20HENUI%29%20CEMETERY |publisher=Commonwealth War Graves Commission |accessdate=17 June 2014}}
Plots are no longer available for purchase, and the cemetery has mainly a heritage function. Occasional burials still occur on family plots.
Notable burials
File:Salaman Tomb.jpg tomb is one of the outstanding architectural features of the cemetery]]
{{main category|Burials at Te Henui Cemetery}}
- Frederic Carrington (1807–1901), local member of parliament, Taranaki Superintendent, and "Father of New Plymouth"{{cite news |title=Obituary |url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TH19010718.2.13 |accessdate=18 June 2014 |volume=XLIX |issue=11717 |newspaper=Taranaki Herald |date=18 July 1901 |page=2}}
- Cyril Croker (1888–1958), solicitor and member of the Legislative Council{{cite web |title=Croker, Cyril Hendry |url=https://www.npdc.govt.nz/services/cemeteries/cemetery-search/deceased-details/?deceasedId=8767 |publisher=New Plymouth District Council |access-date=17 January 2022}}
- Paddy George (1883–1950), representative rugby league player{{cite web |url= http://www.newplymouthnz.com/CouncilAtoZ/CemeteriesAndCrematorium/CemeterySearch.htm |title=Cemetery Search |publisher=New Plymouth District Council |accessdate=18 June 2014}}
- Monica Brewster (1886–1973), the lady behind the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery
- Leila Hurle (1901–1989), senior school inspector
- Thomas King (1821–1893), local member of parliament and one of the original settlers of New Plymouth{{cite news|title=Death |url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TH18930429.2.7 |accessdate=14 June 2010 |newspaper=Taranaki Herald |volume=XLII |issue=9685 |date=29 April 1893 |page=2}}
- Abraham Salaman (1885/1886?–1941), merchant, dyer, herbalist and charlatan{{DNZB|Buckingham|Louise|4s1|Abraham Walley Mahomed Salaman|7 May 2015}}
- William Skinner (1857–1946), surveyor, historian, and ethnographer{{DNZB|last=Byrnes |first= Giselle M.|id=3s23 |title=Skinner, William Henry |accessdate=20 July 2019}}
- Thomas S. Weston (1836–1912), judge and 19th-century member of parliament{{cite news |title=Personal |url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TDN19121018.2.22 |accessdate=17 June 2014 |newspaper=Taranaki Daily News |issue=129 |volume=LV |date=18 October 1912 |page=4}}
- John Whiteley (1806–1869), Wesleyan missionary murdered at Pukearuhe{{DNZB|id=1w20 |title=Whiteley, John|last=Brazendale|first=Graham|access-date=15 May 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Find a Grave cemetery}}
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