Whangateau Cemetery

I had the opportunity to visit the Whangateau Cemetery last Summer. What a pretty scenic quiet area. Located just out of the Warkworth District, it's roughly a 30 minute drive along the coast just before Matheson Bay.

 

There isn't alot of information about this place, the best I could find was on the Auckland Conservation Board's website which states "formally gazetted in 1892 after many years of historical use as a cemetery by both European and Maori settlers in the area".

 

Whangateau Cemetery is between the rural Matakana and the small fishing area Leigh. It was a favourite area of the Maori tribe Ngati Wai for fishing before the European settlers arrived.

 

There are some historical graves there with many linked by their last names such as Wyatt, Torkington, Scott, Wilson, Meiklejohn, Rhodes, Riley, Sadler.

 

This one above left is a bit creepy, could well be a head statue of the person buried beneath?

 

I visited the cemetery in Autumn so there were some lovely colourful leaves & scenery to see. Below are some of the death notices found on the Papers Past website for a few of the residents:

 




Such a beautiful part of the Rodney district. Nearby is Omaha, Matakana, Baddeleys Beach, Tawharanui Peninsular, Matheson Bay, Goat Island etc. Make sure you take your camera because there is lots to see!

Comments

Liz said…
We used to run around that old cemetery when we were kids Amy.Nice to see it's been well taken care of these days.
The creepy head that you commented on his my Grandfather - George Ashton (Huru)who was made by my mother, Thelma Munro. Mum just recently passed and is also buried at Whangateau.
Totally agree with Liz Clark that the cemetery is now well looked after with plenty of bird life and very tranquil.

Popular Posts