Symonds St Cemetery to get a clean-up!

August is Family History Month, as those of you who follow this Blog will know.

It is very fitting therefore that Symonds St Cemetery has been getting quite a bit of press lately! We have a database of known names of people in our Digital Library that are buried there, and its one of our most popular databases for those people researching their early Auckland ancestors.

This article in The Aucklander spoke of Symonds St Cemetery's disrepair and plans for restoration. This is extremely good news for this important part of Auckland (and New Zealand's) early history.
David Verran, local historian and team leader of the Central Auckland Research Centre, was interviewed on August 15 by Lisa Thompson for Radio New Zealand. David took Lisa on a tour of the cemetery, and spoke about the history and also about his enthusiasm for the restoration work.
David Verran frequently takes public groups on tours of the Symond St Cemetery, sometimes by request, but also always during the Auckland Heritage Festival, which is being held in the first two weeks of October this year.

However, if you want to take a tour of the cemetery by yourself, there is a handy sound file that you can download on our website so you can do your own guided self-tour!

Photographer James D Richardson. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 4-RIC277

Showing the grave and tombstone of Johanna Stone, John Thomas Stone, Philip Henry Hackett, and Henry John Hackett in Symonds Street Cemetery. The inscriptions read: In affectionate remembrance of our loving mother Johanna Stone who died August 25th 1889 aged 60 years. Also in the glory of our beloved father John Thomas Stone who died March 12th 187? aged 43 years. (The rest of this inscription is obscured.)
Sacred to the memory of Philip Henry Hackett native County Tipperary Ireland who departed this life 24th February 1877 aged 34 years. Erected by his beloved wife. also of Henry John Hackett infant son of the above who departed this life 13th March 1873 aged 1 year and 6 months.
May their souls rest in peace.

Happy hunting

Seonaid