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Makara Cemetery
Makara Cemetery, set on 84 hectares of semi-rural land in the Makara Valley, is Wellington's principal cemetery.
Location
Makara Road, Makara, Karori.
- Location Map
- Makara Cemetery Plot Map (290Kb PDF)
Hours
Gates are open Monday - Sunday, 7.30am - dusk.
Karori Cemetery office open Monday - Friday, 8.00am - 4.30pm.
Brief History
In 1940 as Karori Cemetery edged towards full capacity, the Board of Health required Wellington city to find another burial site for the population.
Makara was the chosen location. Land was bought under the Public Works Act in 1951 and 1955, and the first burial occurred in 1965. The cemetery is currently about one-third full.
Makara Cemetery is the first New Zealand cemetery to offer natural burials.
For more information, see:
Ngā Iwi o Te Motu Urupā
A new burial ground, Ngā Iwi o Te Motu Urupā, is now open for Māori and their whānau in the Makara cemetery. The design includes a pathway and a gathering area with two macrocarpa seats. Headstones will be west-facing.
Urupā Information Guide (239Kb PDF)
About the Waharoa
The central figure on the front of the waharoa (carved gateway) represents Ue Poto, guardian of everything that dwells beneath the surface of the land. The central figure on the rear represents Tāpai Whakarongo Wānanga, guardian of bones and residue.
The front-facing panels of the maihi (barge boards) display motifs distinctive to the northern and eastern regions of Aotearoa New Zealand. On the reverse are motifs distinctive to the southern and western regions of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The motifs acknowledge the ancestors, people and landmarks of those regions.
The wheku (carved heads) at the feet of the manaia (full-bodied figures) symbolise kotahi te reo (one voice / language). The three prongs at the end of each maihi represent the fingers of the kaitiaki (caretakers) Ue Poto and Tāpai Whakarongo Wānanga.
Related Links
- Bolton Street Memorial Park
- Commemorative Tree Scheme
- Natural Burials website
- Wellington Natural Cemetery - Information Guide (70Kb PDF)
Department Details:
Cemeteries (Parks & Gardens)
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