Why is this place significant?

Why is this place Category 1 / Category 2?

The Northern Cemetery was Dunedin's second cemetery, opening for burials in 1872, with the first recorded interment in December of that year. The Cemetery is sited on a prominent hill adjoining the Town Belt overlooking North Dunedin. The last burial plot was sold in 1937, and the cemetery closed in 1975. The Town Board had anticipated the need for a second cemetery in 1857 when they had attempted to reserve a northern portion of the Town Belt at the same time land was appropriated for the Southern Cemetery. This demonstrated considerable foresight. The discovery of gold in Otago in 1861 drew a flood of prospectors, merchants, entrepreneurs, and their families from all over New Zealand, Australia, America, China and Europe. Dunedin was transformed into a thriving city, its harbour being the gateway to the goldfields, the population swelling from 12,691 in 1860 to over 67,000 within a decade. This huge increase naturally created a demand for places to bury the dead. On 27 August 1868 a Bill was introduced to enable the Corporation of Dunedin to acquire in fee and to entrust and manage certain portions of the Town Belt as Dunedin's public cemeteries for burial of the dead. The people of Dunedin did not appreciate the intention to apportion any land from the Town Belt and the Corporation's intention met with great public opposition. The Bill was defeated following a public meeting attended by 300 people. It was successfully re-introduced in 1872 and the dedication of 20 acres of the Town Belt for a new cemetery was confirmed. Original estimates of £1,000 for the cemetery allowed for the construction of a new road from Signal Road and Dundas Street (which included the lowering of Dundas Street) (£300), fencing 2½ acres of ground (£120), supply of painted nickel fencing (£250) and clearing, leveling and forming paths etc. (£150), with all work to be undertaken by Council. In September 1872, the Parks and Reserves Committee recommended that tenders be called: for the completion of the necessary work at the northern cemetery and for the erection of a four-roomed cottage within the cemetery enclosure. Twelve months later, the firm of Hooper and Moir were engaged to form the roads and pathways at a cost of £142 and Roach and Martin were the successful tenderers for the construction of the sexton's lodge and outbuildings with their estimate of £412. The Northern Cemetery in Dunedin was heavily influenced by developments in cemetery design which occurred in early nineteenth century Britain. The repulsive and overcrowded state of parish churchyards prompted the construction of public cemeteries in Britain in the first half of the nineteenth century. These new cemeteries were planned along the principles of picturesque cemetery design established by the creation of Pere Lachaise cemetery outside Paris in 1804. The first of the modern cemeteries, it was based upon picturesque landscape design, with many varied botanical plantings, winding paths and pretty views forming the setting for the family or individual monument, creating a place for melancholy remembrance and morally beneficial recreation. In Britain such ideas were disseminated through works such as John Claudius Loudon's Laying out Planting and Managing Cemeteries (1843). Tempering the picturesque with a more formal tone, Loudon advocated heavily planted and attractive landscapes for cemeteries, as he believed that the cemetery should be more than just a place of interment. It could be a place of instruction and education in many and varied disciplines including architecture, sculpture, botany "a scene calculated to improve the morals and taste, and by its botanical riches to cultivate the intellect". Places to visit, cemeteries were now located outside towns, losing their association with the church. In laying out the Northern Cemetery nineteenth century Dunedinites certainly had many of these modern ideas of cemetery design in mind. This is reflected by their promotion of the picturesque properties of the cemetery, its views of the city and harbour, its convenient and safe siting away from town, and its value as a place of recreation and reflection. Actual cemeteries, such as the recently opened Southern Cemetery in Dunedin, planned along these lines no doubt provided inspiration for the Northern Cemetery. The experience of Scotland is particularly relevant to the creation of the cemeteries of Victorian Dunedin. Glasgow's Southern Necropolis opened for burial in 1841. It was heavily ornamented with a typical mixture of plants including traditional cemetery evergreens such as holly, yew, cypress and cedar, as well as deciduous trees such as walnut, chestnut, cherry, and elm. The picturesque nature of the Necropolis landscape was enhanced by the construction of a lodge in 1848, designed in a neo-Roman style. Edinburgh's Southern Cemetery opened May 1847. The advantages of the cemetery as listed by the Directors included its picturesque situation and views, proximity to the city, convenience of access, peaceful seclusion, the highest attainable security and all within the reach of all classes of the community. The Directors offered a sliding scale of fees and a general section for public use, which meant all classes could avail themselves of plots. There were also similar developments in England, including the creation of Highgate and Kensal Green cemeteries in London. They contained a wide range of eclectic memorials based on ancient architectural forms and Victorian sentimentalism including, Egyptian buildings, obelisks, statuary, angels and urns set among wooded landscapes, and were designed to encourage contemplative reflection and moral improvement. Dunedin's Northern Cemetery is an exceptional colonial interpretation of these large landscaped cemeteries of the old country. By October 1874, it was reported by the Otago Witness that including the planting of ornamental trees from the Botanic Gardens: a great deal of work has been done in improving it [the Northern Cemetery] from the rough state in which it had been left by nature. Much heavy scrub has been cleared away, walks and plots have been formed, and pipes for surface drainage have been laid down. More drainage is however wanted as parts of the ground though on a hilltop are of a spongy nature and retain the surface water. All around the cemetery a twelve feet border has been laid out. The outside of the border is planted with a hawthorn hedge and close to the hedge are shrubs and trees. This hedge will, with the trees, act as a break-wind to the ornamental plots within the cemetery. Only the main path will be graveled [sic]. That path is 16 feet wide and is the one to be used by carriages coming within the enclosure; it has numerous windings and goes through every part of the cemetery. It has yet to be graveled [sic] and it does need gravelling near the entrance, where some of the other paths have been sown with grass seed, the object being to make firm turf on them. Most of the trees and shrubs planted have been obtained from the Botanic Gardens. Some of the young trees have to be surrounded by wire screens to protect them from the depredations of rabbits. Much work has already been done, but the greater part of the cemetery is still in a rough state and much remains to be done. The work is carried out under the supervision of Mr Somerville, Corporation Gardener. The paper also noted that "from the hill on which the cemetery is situated, a really beautiful view is to be obtained. The scenery well repays the walk." The cemetery is still notable for its views of the city and harbour today. As with the Southern Cemetery the rules and regulations were laid out by the Town Board in March 1858 (See Appendix 4 for full text). The Cemetery was divided into three classes: Class I was ground of which perpetual and exclusive right could be acquired with the privilege of enclosing the ground and of erecting headstones and other monuments there, with lots being 8 foot by 10 foot, each having frontage to the road around the cemetery, and costing £3; Class II was ground for which perpetual and exclusive rights could be acquired but the purchaser did not have the right to enclose the same or to erect a monument, other than a horizontal flat stone, no more than 6 inches above ground, with Lots for single graves were 8 foot by 4 foot having frontage to the road and directly opposite lots of First Class, and cost £1/ 5 shillings; Class III which was a portion of ground set aside for the interment of people who had not purchased a right to private ground. There were to be no monuments or memorials allowed. All graves were to be 6 ft deep. The Town Board was to provide furniture and attendants for burials. The Northern Cemetery opened for burials in 1872, the first recorded interment being that of Ada Massey, infant daughter of the Town Clerk, on 2 December of that year. Unlike the Southern Cemetery, the Northern Cemetery was not divided into denominational areas, making no difference between people of various religious beliefs (although, as noted below there were reports of denominational divisions, these never eventuated). Like its picturesque counterparts in Britain and America, the new Cemetery was envisaged as a place for wholesome recreation. By 1870 the Otago Daily Times noted approvingly that the main road to the cemetery from near the Dundas Street bridge has now been completed and it is expected that the road will be widened and the footpath formed thus making it a very nice walk for citizens. There are to be boundary paths of the different denominations and a main road sixteen feet wide is to take rather a winding course, and will bring a person following it to the point from which he started - the Cemetery entrance. The area of the cemetery is 20 acres of which 14 or 15 acres are available for interments and the remaining portion which is bushland, will have ornamental walks formed through it. The Otago Witness also commented on the scenic nature of the cemetery in October 1874. The paper also observed that "[a] pretty brick lodge with slate roof containing three dwelling rooms and a public waiting room is to be erected for the Sexton." The Lodge, or Sexton's Cottage as it is now more generally known, was first thought to have been designed by Robert Lawson. However, plans of the cottage signed by Samuel Haywood Mirams, dated November 1872 have been located in Council's archives. Mirams was employed as City Surveyor between 1866 and 1901 and was responsible for a number of significant improvements in Dunedin. The Lodge originally consisted of 4 rooms: a public waiting room, kitchen and sitting room and a bedroom, connected by a single central passage. With various additions the cottage was used as a residence for the sexton for 54 years. Following the closure of the Cemetery in 1975, the cottage fell into disrepair. In 1986 Council applied to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT) for financial assistance to repair the cottage, and in 1994, the cottage was registered by NZHPT (Category II). The day to day management of the Cemetery was the job of the sexton and his staff. By the 1920s there were concerns about the state of some of the graves. An investigative report by the Otago Daily Times concluded that this was a problem with the families not maintaining graves, rather than the work of the Sexton: Neglect does not lie with the Reserves Department which has general oversight of the cemeteries, but rather at the doors of the individual owners of the plots who show no interest in them. After all the plots are the private property and strictly speaking not the concern of the Reserves Department at all. People might indeed resent interference. Nevertheless, for the sake of the general appearance of the cemeteries, the department has all the sections cut once a year in the Northern Cemetery and twice a year in the Southern Cemetery. For a moderate fee the Department will arrange to care for any plots if the owners desire it, but many do not avail themselves of this opportunity. The neglect arises from family and friends long since left the district but many of us give no thought to the place where their relatives are buried and allow the graves to become an eyesore. He reported that the Northern Cemetery employed one sexton, one permanent workman, and others when required. On his visit to the cemetery on 9 February that year he saw three men at work, one weeding the main drive, two trimming grass from paths and plots and that the cemetery looked "very well indeed. All the paths were in excellent order and a remarkably large proportion of the plots tended with faithful care. Many were disfigured with weeds and rank grass, and there was a steep hill where graves had not been touched for some time", although he noted that "when the men get to that part there will be little to complain about". D. A. McLeod of Caversham who was employed as a sexton with Council for over 45 years and worked at both the Northern and Southern Cemeteries recalled that: a sexton's job is a varied one and one of the duties of the sexton in a cemetery like the Northern, (which is closed to other than family plots) is checking to see if persons seeking burial in family plots are in fact entitled to do so. When the undertaker rings, the sexton has to check back through the records and find the name of the last one of that family who was buried there. I liked to check the last two, just to be sure. Then he would check the grave lot from the cemetery plan, find the section, check on the site, and then take a test with a rod to see just where the other coffin is sited. If it is more than 5 feet down you can put another on top, but if it's too shallow you test the sides. Then you dig the hole and when the funeral is over you fill it in again. A sexton has to cut the hedges, keep tracks and roads clear and tend to the graves, many of which have been willed for perpetual care, that is money has been left for their upkeep in perpetuity or for a set number of years. Then there are the records to keep. People come looking for family graves especially at holiday time and it can take anything from five minutes to two hours to check through the records and locate the particular grave. The last plot in the Northern Cemetery was sold in 1937, although burials continued to take place in family-owned sites. It is estimated that by the time it closed in 1975 there had been over 17,000 interments in the Northern Cemetery. Today the cemetery is closed for disposal of human remains, other than for the placement of ashes in established family plots.

The Northern Cemetery is located within the metropolitan area of the City of Dunedin, to the northeast of the central business district. The Northern Cemetery, 7.2393 hectares in area, is a broadly rectangular site with a rectangular projection in its south-western corner. Road access is off a hairpin bend in Lovelock Avenue, North Dunedin. The western boundary, approximately 300 metres long, adjoins public open space. The northern boundary, about 200 metres long, adjoins mostly wooded land at the southern side of Opoho Park. The eastern boundary, approximately 250 metres long, and the southeast corner, adjoin dense woodland north of Butts Road. The southern boundary adjoins public open space north of Bracken's Lookout. The western half of the cemetery is flatter, with a gully running north-south through the middle of the site. The land falls towards the southeast corner of the cemetery and rises towards the northeast corner. The cemetery possesses a calm and melancholy air imparted by its mix of mature plantings and decaying Victorian and early twentieth century monuments. Plantings include original nineteenth and early twentieth century ornamental plantings, remnants of native bush, wildings from the adjacent Town Belt and many trees planted in the 1970s. Its heavily wooded nature, attractive mortuary monuments and excellent views over the city and harbour combine to give the cemetery high aesthetic value. The layout of the cemetery combines the characteristics of the picturesque and formal schools of cemetery design current in nineteenth century Britain and America with sweeping drives, walks and carefully laid out plots. Like the Southern Cemetery, it was laid out in a grid pattern modified to suit the topography of the site, although the design of each is quite distinct. The Northern Cemetery has a curvilinear drive, with mostly rectangular beds of plots arranged in rows both east-west and north-south. The cemetery has fencing and hedges along much of its eastern and southern boundaries and vehicular gates at its entry off Lovelock Avenue. The Sexton's Cottage dominates the entrance. The present cultural landscape of the Northern Cemetery is the result of nearly 150 years of human manipulation of the natural environment. Historic fabric includes buildings, monuments, roadways and paths, fences and gates, ornamental plantings. Monuments The grave monument was integral to nineteenth century cemetery design, and was considered not a luxury, but a necessity by nineteenth century New Zealanders. Through the monument a person could proclaim their status, either real or imagined, record their religious or ethnic affiliations and achievements, thereby achieving some form of the immortality which lay at the heart of nineteenth century cemetery design. The monuments in the Northern Cemetery are a mix of types and styles. Headstones, or stelae (upright slabs), were the most popular single type of monument, and were occasionally accompanied by a footstone. Derived from the traditional memorial form popular in parish churchyards in Great Britain, these are in generally rectangular with semi-circular, gothic arched, pointed or carved tops, and feature inscriptions of incised lettering. More elaborate Victorian monuments in the Northern Cemetery were often based on an eclectic range of architectural styles, many inspired by archaeological discoveries and considered appropriate for grave architecture. Obelisks, usually square in plan and tapering to a pyramidal capital, were one of the most popular forms of monument during the nineteenth century, partly inspired by the revival of interest in Egyptian art and architecture following the Napoleonic campaigns. Also very popular were classical columns. Like obelisks, columns were capable of making grand statement in a limited space, gave an air of respectability and permanence and could be easily identified in a cemetery landscape as a readily located landmark. They are often broken to indicate a life cut short, or form a support for statuary or an urn. Pedestals were also popular as they afforded a number of faces on which inscriptions could be made. Adapted from ancient Roman monuments, pedestals generally had flat sides, and could be surmounted by a capital, column, obelisk, statuary, or the popular urn. The urn, a reference to Roman burial practices, was often draped in a shroud, a traditional funerary symbol or sometimes depicted erupting flame, symbolising rebirth or everlasting life. Neo-Classical styles were particularly popular with Presbyterians, who wished to eschew more overtly Christian funerary ornaments such as crosses and religious statuary. As well as these nineteenth and early twentieth century types of monument, the cemeteries contain a wide range of twentieth century desk and slab type memorials. The many different styles of monuments give the landscape of the cemetery an attractive variety, and enhances its aesthetic value. The monuments in the cemetery are made in a variety of materials, although stone was by far the most popular. Types of stone used include Oamaru Stone (a type of limestone), used for many of the intricately carved monuments, including Larnach's Tomb. Oamaru stone memorials have often weathered badly; Port Chalmers Stone (a breccia or volcanic conglomerate of fragments of granite, syenite, felstones, and porphyry); marble (mostly Italian) and several types of granite (from Scotland, Sweden, New Zealand etc.). A unique gothic example executed in wood can also be seen. Decorative surrounds which defined the area of the grave, marking the private burial place of the family or individual from its neighbours and the rest of the cemetery, enclosed many monuments and plots. Ornate and usually of cast iron, they reflect the Victorian taste for ornamentation and individualism which was current in domestic and public architecture. Plantings The landscape of the Northern Cemetery includes a mix of remnant indigenous plant species and introduced ornamental tree species, either planted as part of the general cemetery layout, or on individual graves by relatives of the deceased. Many of the evergreen trees have traditional symbolic meanings associated with death, grief, mourning, love and everlasting life. Yews are traditional graveyard plantings and many plots still feature yews planted at the corners. Various cypresses substitute for the Italian cypresses that typically adorned many cemeteries in the old world. The roses which can be seen today were often planted on graves to symbolise romantic or platonic love, and historic cemeteries are often repositories for old-fashioned species and early cultivars. Bulbous plants such as daffodils, jonquils and snowbells were popular for their symbolic value, representing renewal and everlasting life. Today there is little evidence of herbaceous ornamentals on graves in the cemetery, probably a result of widespread use of herbicides over many years. In recent years there has been planting of roses in parts of the Northern Cemetery. Although they contribute to the wooded and romantic atmosphere of the cemeteries, the growth of trees has created numerous management problems, including physical damage to monuments and grave surrounds. Indigenous plant species growing in the Northern Cemetery include Aristotelia serrata (Wineberry), Cordyline australis (Cabbage Tree), Fuchsia excorticata, (Tree Fuchsia), Griselinia littoralis (Broadleaf), Metrosideros umbellata (Southern Rata), Myrsine australis (Mapau), Phormium tenax (New Zealand Flax), Pittosporum eugenioides (Lemonwood), Pittosporum tenuifolium (Kohuhu), Pseudopanax arboreus (Five-finger) and Pseudopanax crassifolius (Lancewood). Comparisons There are very few registered burial places, such as cemeteries, churchyards and graveyards: they are underrepresented on the NZHPT Register. There are 6 urupa registered as wahi tapu; and three as historic places (Te Nakahi Parahi and Urupa, Waipawa, is Category I). The Chinese graves at Lawrence Cemetery are registered as an historic area. There are 3 cemetery chapels, and one crematorium registered (of these the Karori Cemetery Chapel and Crematorium is Category I). There is one cemetery Vestry building registered at Temuka (Category II). There is one set of cemetery gates registered at Havelock North (Category II). There are 6 churches and their associated churchyards/cemeteries registered (all but one Category I). There are 2 sexton's cottages/buildings registered (Ashburton and Dunedin's Northern Cemetery, both Category II). One Presbyterian Cemetery is registered (Parewanui, Category II). There are 2 mausoleums registered (Truby King Mausoleum is Category I). There is one tomb registered (Larnach's Tomb, Northern Cemetery, Category I) The registered churchyards represent the continuity of traditional British burial practices in New Zealand during the first half of the nineteenth century, rather than the adoption and adaptation of the model of the large modern public cemetery of the second half of the century. There are no cemeteries registered that represent the development of the nineteenth century principles of cemetery design. It is useful to compare the Northern Cemetery with other main centre nineteenth century cemeteries to place it in context and gain a better idea of its comparative significance. Main Centre Cemeteries Auckland Cemeteries The Symond Street Cemeteries in Auckland were administered as five separate cemeteries, with five separate boards of trustees from the 1840s until 1909. The cemeteries were the Anglican Cemetery (1842), the Jewish Cemetery (1843), the Catholic Cemetery (1852), the Presbyterian Cemetery (1869) and the Wesleyan Cemetery (c.1872). The Cemeteries were closed in 1886, but there were still one or two burials in pre-purchased plots there in the 1940s. Like the Bolton Street Cemetery, it was partially destroyed in the 1960s by the construction of the inner city motorway. The land at Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland was reserved between 1876 and 1881. It was officially opened in 1886. From 1908 it served as the main cemetery for the Auckland Region. An undated layout plan shows it was divided into denominational areas, and included an area for soldiers burials, and a crematorium plot. The cemetery buildings include a crematorium (the first built in 1922, demolished 1969, the second built 1953), Mortuary Chapel (1886), a Jewish Prayer House (1990) and two Sexton's Houses. Like Dunedin's public cemeteries, Waikumete is on a sloping site with several gullies. It is the largest cemetery in New Zealand, and the second the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The cemetery is still open. Wellington Cemeteries Bolton Street Cemetery (Bolton Street Memorial Park) in Wellington opened as a single, shared cemetery for non-Catholics on the edge of the town in 1840, although it was soon divided into sectarian divisions and subsumed by urban growth. It was closed for burials in 1892. The site today is regarded as a significant heritage item, not only because it represented a liberal concept for the fledgling colony but also for the public support which was galvanized in the 1960s when a proposal to direct Wellington's motorway through the cemetery necessitated the relocation of almost 4,000 burials. Karori Cemetery in Wellington was established in 1891, and is New Zealand's second largest burial ground. Like other nineteenth century cemeteries it was divided into denominational divisions. It was the final resting place of about 80,000 people. By the 1950s it had nearly reached maximum capacity, and was replaced as Wellington's main cemetery by Makara Cemetery. The only plots available now at Karori Cemetery are pre-purchased ash or family plots, and childrens plots. Christchurch Cemeteries The three oldest Christchurch cemeteries are the Barbadoes Street Cemetery, Rutherford Street (Woolston) Cemetery, and Addington Cemetery. Christchurch's first public cemetery was Linwood Cemetery, established in 1884. The Barbadoes Street Cemetery (c.1845) was laid out on a survey plan within a few months of the arrival of the First Four Ships' immigrants. On the eastern side of the street was the Anglican portion; on the west side the smaller Catholic and Dissenters cemetery. There was a sharp internal segregation as to where people belonging to various denominations might be buried, with some families opting for the Addington Cemetery which was managed by the Presbyterian Church, but which did not discriminate on religious grounds. From 1885 only close relatives of those already buried in the cemetery could be laid to rest there. The last burial took place in 1973. Rutherford Street (Woolston) Cemetery had its first burial in 1852, and was originally maintained by St John's Church. The Cemetery is now closed, and is being developed as an historic park. The Presbyterian Church first set up the Addington Cemetery in 1858. It is a small cemetery set in the midst of a residential area. Although it was owned by the church it was de facto the first public cemetery in Christchurch, and was advertised as open to members of any religious community, and to the performance of any religious service at the burial "not contrary to public decency and good order." There was no denominational segregation. By the 1890s the cemetery was largely full, but burials continued until 1980, when it was officially closed. Linwood Cemetery was established in 1884, with the first interment July of that year. It was sited on the outskirts of town for sanitary reasons. It contains around 6,500 burials, arranged in denominational divisions. It contains a monument to those individuals who were disinterred from the Jewish Cemetery on Hereford Street and reburied at the Jewish section in Linwood. Linwood also has a significant number of war graves from 1914-1918, and from 1939-1945. The layout is said to be fairly typical of Victorian and Edwardian cemeteries, with a set grid pattern for burial plots and paths, despite the undulating land. The orderliness was a move away from 'pleasure garden' cemeteries, and towards more structured plantings. The plantings have tended to be on the edge of the cemetery. The conservation plan identifies it as similar to Waikumete Cemetery as a municipal cemetery where virtually all locals were buried. Dunedin The Southern Cemetery is the earliest public cemetery remaining in Dunedin. Compared to cemeteries of a similar date and size in New Zealand, the Southern Cemetery is outstanding as one of the most significant mid-nineteenth century cemeteries in the country. It is the second earliest main centre public cemetery, only the Symonds Street Cemeteries in Auckland were earlier. The Southern Cemetery represents a particularly significant period in Dunedin's development, where the burgeoning population (and therefore also the death rate), required additional burial space. The design and placement of the large public cemetery on a prominent scenic site, with its denominational divisions represents traditional nineteenth century thinking on cemetery design. In comparison with the early cemeteries in Auckland and Wellington (particularly Symond Street Cemeteries and Bolton Street Cemetery, the Southern Cemetery is especially significant in retaining its original curtilage and form. The cemetery also dates from the period at which memorial design reached its peak (identified in the Waikumete Cemetery Conservation Plan as c.1880-c.1900). In Dunedin there are monuments that pre-date this period, and which are outstanding examples of the stone mason's art. The Southern Cemetery was open for burials from 1857-1980, a period of one hundred and twenty three years, making it one of the longest operating urban centre public cemetery in the country. As such it holds a special place in the history of cemeteries in New Zealand. The Northern Cemetery also retains its historic boundaries. The Cemetery was open for over 100 years, from 1872 to 1975, making it a significant long lasting urban cemetery. The quality of the monuments is notable. Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand Chair Stewart Harvey considers that in the range of styles, and quality of work, the Northern Cemetery is outstanding. Larnach's Tomb (1871) is the most significant of these, on its own an exceptional example of the stonemason's work, and of the importance attached to grave monuments of the period. Unlike the other main centre cemeteries (including Waikumete, the Southern Cemetery, Bolton Street Memorial Park and Karori Cemetery), the Northern Cemetery was not divided into denominational sections. This makes it a special example of nineteenth century cemetery design emphasising the picturesque garden cemetery design. Current physical condition The Northern Cemetery retains its historic boundaries, with no alienation for other purposes and remains largely intact. Integrity has been slightly diminished by past removal of broken parts of monuments and enclosures but remains high. The historic layout of the Cemetery remains largely intact although obscured to some extent by tree and shrub growth. The HCCTNZ has remedied this to a large degree, however, through the removal of many wildings and problem trees. The condition of the funerary monuments, enclosures and cemetery structures varies from excellent to poor. Some have suffered from erosion or have been displaced by the growth of tree trunks and root systems. Others have been the victims of vandalism, resulting in many displaced and broken headstones. Unfortunately many broken pieces of monuments and sections of grave surrounds have been removed from the cemeteries in past 'clean-ups', and very little in the way of historic grave ornaments such as vases and immortelles survives. The cemetery is managed by the DCC, with assistance from the HCCTNZ. From 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2004 the Northern Cemetery along with Dunedin's Southern Cemetery was subject to Contract No.2348 for Grounds Maintenance of Cemeteries Central. While routine maintenance tasks such as lawn mowing and weeding cause little problem in terms of conservation there are some areas for concern. Recent works to marble monuments in the Northern Cemetery have included the use of harsh abrasive cleaning methods which have damaged items of heritage significance. For instance, marble monuments with lead lettering have been treated in such a way that in many instances the lead in the inscriptions has been entirely removed.

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A fully referenced version of this report is available from the NZHPT Southern Region Office. Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.