NZ - Council owned cemeteries - what information would you expect online?

[hurworth]

I visited a cemetery out of town recently.  I know where the grave is that I wanted to visit.  As a preschooler it felt like it was miles and miles and miles from the bus stop for my little legs - we'd buy some flowers and Fanta from the shop by the bus stop - the route is firmly imprinted.  I also had a list of graves to photograph for others.

One person who had requested photos had printed out the details for her relatives (probably from Ancestry) and gave me this helpful information.  The others were Findagrave requests which I thought I'd attempt to find if I had time.

The council website has all the names of people interred there, but doesn't have plot locations for all of them.  At the cemetery there are some small signs saying Block A, Block B etc, but nowhere is there an actual map displayed showing how the blocks and rows are laid out.

Some of the Findagrave requests had location details on the council site, but some didn't.

I spoke to the sexton who had an A4 map on his office wall which he said he paid himself to have drawn up.  He didn't disagree that at least one map in the cemetery and/or downloadable from the council website was a good idea.  He was also able to tell me the location of the graves that didn't have Blocks and Rows on the council site.

What are your thoughts? 

[jaybelnz]

I had a great experience at Karori cemetery in Wellington last year! I was going there to take a photo for another Rootschatter.  The woman in the office gave me a map, marked the required grave on it, and told me the route, also marking that in the map she had printed out!

I visited a couple of times, but just couldn't find it, I drove all around, and walked up and down through the hilly, heavily treed contours of the huge cemetery. 

I finally went back to the office, and asked if it would be possible for one of the cemetery workers to personally guide me to the grave I wanted!  They agreed, and all I had to do was wait for him to finish his lunch break then follow this young man in his truck, who led me exactly to the spot! At last I was able to take photos of the plot and headstones!   Coming back out, I got lost again and came out the wrong exit , way on the opposite side of the cemetery.  But I was so pleased to have found the grave and got the photos, that  I didn't mind at going the long way round to the motorway,  at least I knew exactly where I was going this time!

So, it's a not a silly idea to either phone the cemetery office before you go, or stop in there before going hunting for the grave if you're not familiar with a particular cemetery!  Although both my parents ashes together are in the Soldier's Columbarium, it's right on the roadside near the main entrance to the crematorium and very easy to find!

[Janette]

I am familiar with most of the bigger cemeteries in Auckland and they are all different with their signage.I guess they are only concerned about people finding more recent burials and the signage in the older parts is not easy to follow.Waikaraka in Auckland no longer has the office open and all inquiries have to be made across town in the much bigger Waikumete cemetery where the staff are not familiar with Waikaraka.
Purewa cemetery used to have a sign saying there would be a charge for genealogy inquiries.Some plots are hard to find in Purewa as the order the plots run in differs.
My thoughts..........................they should get genie minded women to produce easy to follow signage and maps  

Cheers Janette

[kiwihalfpint]

My thoughts..........................they should get genie minded women to produce easy to follow signage and maps  

Cheers Janette

Yes, and perhaps mention the terrain, so you can go armed with stout shoes etc, some of the older cemeteries are steep or have hidden pot holes and if you don't know this, you can be in for a surprise. Even our local one, which I have visited since a child, still takes me by surprise going up the hill, in fact, Mr KHP had a good laugh the other week, when I went sliding down 

I have been to one that had a board up with the map, no names, but you are here with a cross and just showing the layout.

[Janette]

Oh yes KHP,I make Waikumete a no go area in winter as I have slid a few times there.
MB didn't know what to do when I almost did the splits on a clay area and I got stuck not knowing which foot to move to stay upright.
The potholes can be a problem too,MB sat down rather suddenly at the Eskdale Rd cemetery when he stepped in a pothole created by a grave sinking and the grass growing up to the level of the rest of the ground.

Cheers Janette

[Billyblue]

Well, I haven't visited NZ cemeteries, but quite a few in Oz.
Most have maps available from their offices.   But I think most of the maps have been drawn up by someone in kindergarten!   One cemetery I went to, for a photo for someone, the staff showed me on the map but then I found that the map had little resemblance to the actual layout!  Rows weren't numbered (on the ground) and it took me well over half an hour to find what I needed.

One cemetery in Brisbane, I rang first to see if there was a plaque on a grave in their lawn cemetery and the guy very kindly offered to go and see what it said!

They are all so different, aren't they     

As to what to expect online - that's another subject altogether     
Dawn M

[kiwihalfpint]

   I can imagine MB's face at both incidents.

Only speculation, but I think some of the rows that are out of kilter could be the fact that there wasn't enough room in the family plot and they stuck the deceased in the pathway, e.g. back to back of another grave, I have only come across one or two in the older parts of the cemetery.  My FIL is in the pathway at the side of a hill, because all the family plots were taken, and that was as close as we could get him.

Our local genealogists have drawn up new maps and layouts of the cemeteries.

Cheers
KHP

[minniehaha]

I may be slightly biased but I think the information provided online by the Dunedin City Council is excellent.

A sample:

Cemetery Details
Surname   RUSSELL
Forename   SARAH EFFIE
Age   70 Years
Gender   Female
Date of Death   21 Feb 1955
Last Address   15 CAIRNHILL STREET DUNEDIN
Next of Kin   
Funeral Director   J McLean Ltd
Cemetery   ANDERSONS BAY CEMETERY
Location   Block 162. Plot 60
Date of Burial   23 Feb 1955
Type   Burial
Occupation   
Place of Birth   
Date of Birth   Not recorded
Notes   Original reference:- A19550245
Occupation:- WIDOW
Native of:- NZ
Years in NZ:- 70
Place died:- DUNEDIN

The following burials are also in this Plot
 RUSSELL JAMES ELDER 69 Years, Burial, Died 24 Aug 1947

Headstone images for this Plot

Headstone. [Photograph of headstone appears under this information. Minniehaha.]

Block location maps are also provided online.

Minniehaha.

[mare]

I would expect as much as they're able to provide with information they have on hand, that Dunedin one does look really good, others could improve I'm sure.

The council website has all the names of people interred there, but doesn't have plot locations for all of them.  At the cemetery there are some small signs saying Block A, Block B etc, but nowhere is there an actual map displayed showing how the blocks and rows are laid out.

What are your thoughts? 

Something I've struggled with several times, how the rows are laid out, it's peculiarity which definitely needs inside knowledge! Onsite cemetery staff have always been helpful if they're available but the signage is quite variable and usually just limited to block layout.

Even with right row and plot number it's hard to fathom sometimes, even more so with missing or unreadable headstones! Way back I returned to one of mine several times taking names of surrounding plots of where I think is right spot to check with online info on PC to see if row and plot numbers matched up, can be quite time consuming taking travel into account ... got it eventually for that one, but a couple still elusive and I haven't returned.

Downloadable detailed layouts would be great mare