Introduction
The
Trustees have pleasure in reporting to you on the progress of the
Trust in its second year of operation. This has been a year in which
we increased our liaison with local authorities throughout New Zealand.
Our Newsletter now goes to all local authorities and a great number
of other interested parties.
We
have attended local authority heritage planning meetings and established
links with many people who are keen to advance our cause and take
an interest in their local cemetery.
Our
major focus has been the successful raising sufficient funds to commission
the Conservation Plans for Dunedin’s Northern and Southern Cemeteries,
and we expect to have the plans completed this year. The plans will
establish the best practice in cemetery conservation and will be a
first for New Zealand.
Conservation Plans
In
January 2004 we were very pleased to be able to let the contract for
preparation of conservation plans for Dunedin’s Northern and
Southern cemeteries to heritage conservation consultants Musecape
Pty of Sydney, Australia. The principals, Chris and Margaret Betteridge,
were chosen for their depth of experience in cemetery conservation,
and they began work on 18 April in Dunedin. This plan will form the
basis for all future conservation work in both cemeteries and give
us a valuable insight into the intricacies of cemetery conservation
for use in advising others throughout New Zealand. The list of organisations
which have generously supported this project is included under “Community
Support”.
Working Parties
The
Rotary Club of Dunedin North has continued its involvement in providing
working parties in the Northern Cemetery cutting out wilding trees
and other rogue vegetation, and with work to maintain the situation.
In
the Southern Cemetery similar working parties have continued to remove
wilding trees and rogue vegetation.
All work
in these cemeteries is on hold until we have the conservation plans
in hand.
On
20 March 2004 Dunedin North Rotary Club and Port Chalmers Lions Club
worked in the Port Chalmers Cemetery beginning the usual work of cutting
out wilding trees and vegetation.
Assistance
is acknowledged and appreciated from Malcam Charitable Trust, DOC
Conservation Corps, Rotary Club of Dunedin North, NZ Society of Genealogists
Dunedin Branch, John McGlashan College students, and Otago Boys High
School students.
Cemetery Tours
In
the last twelve months we have run the following very successful tours:
On
Sunday 3 August 2003 at 2pm, as part of DOC’s Conservation Week
programme, we introduced 93 Dunedin citizens to some of the history
and lives of 23 fascinating personages buried in the Southern cemetery.
On
Wednesday 6 August 2003 we conducted a group of 12 trainee nurses
on a tour of the Southern Cemetery as an introduction to death and
dying as part of their course requirement.
On
Sunday October 12 2003 at 2pm we hosted a very successful history
tour of gravesites in the Northern cemetery which was attended by
58 persons.
On
Thursday November 6 2003 at 5pm 10 members of The Rotary Club of Dunedin
South were introduced to the history which is resident in the Southern
Cemetery.
In
December, in conjunction with Dunedin Visitor Centre, we tried to
interest cruise ship visitors in tours of the Southern Cemetery.
On
Monday 22 March 2004 we had an entertaining historical tour of the
Southern Cemetery for 25 members of the “Over 60s Club.
Tours
have brought us a total of $1,820 all of which is being used for conservation
purposes.
Our
tour guides are qualified by virtue of their passion for things historical
and our sincere thanks go to them for their support and assistance
in these tours.
Brochures
We
have produced another brochure with the title “Who we are and
what we do”, which outlines the reason for having a Trust involved
in cemetery conservation.
TrustPower Award
Otago
Branch Historic Places Trust Otago Branch nominated us for a Conservation
Award, and we were pleased to receive an award of $250 from TrustPower
for our cemetery conservation efforts.
Dunedin City Council
We
have made submissions on both the Annual Planning process and the
Heritage Planning strategy.
Our thanks must go to Dunedin City Council officers for their practical
support in very many ways.
Community Support
Besides
the on-ground support from community groups we have received the following
funds:
$
Dunedin North Rotary Club - grant 1,000
NZ Master Monumental Masons Association 200
Dunedin City Council 1,000
AAW Jones Charitable Trust 5,000
Alexander McMillan Trust 5,000
Community Trust of Otago 15,000
Stout Trust 10,000
We
very much appreciate the support of all of the above organisations
without whose generous assistance no progress could be possible. All
of the monies donated will be used in the preparation of the Conservation
Plans which we have provisionally allocated some $38,000 to cover
all aspects of this process.
Liaison
We
maintain active liaison with, and receive endorsement from, The New
Zealand Historic Places Trust, New Zealand Monumental Masons Association,
Ministry of Culture and Heritage and department of Conservation. We
have good relationships with The National Trust of Australia, and
both their Melbourne and Sydney Cemeteries Officers have been very
helpful.
Scholarship
Stephen
Deed a student of Dr. Alexander Trapeznik of the History Department
at the University of Otago has made very good progress on research
for his M.A. thesis on Cemeteries in New Zealand. He has agreed that
this will be made available to the Trust for publishing in 2004 as
a definitive work on the topic “Cemeteries – Their Role
in New Zealand’s Heritage”.
Education
We
still believe that it is essential that we introduce younger people
to the historical resource which resides in our historic cemeteries.
However we have not made any further progress in this area this year,
but we are carrying the matter forward and hope to allocate resources
to it this coming year.
Public Relations
We have
a full-on year in our endeavours to spread our message.
Relationships
with the Friends of Bolton Street were strengthened by a visit to
Dunedin by their chairman David Dunsheath on Friday 18 July 2003.
In
September we recorded an interview with Jim Sullivan which was replayed
over National Radio on the Wayne Mouat’s In Touch With New Zealand
radio programme, and on Sounds Historical on Sunday night.
On
Wednesday 24 September 2003 we attended a meeting of the Lawrence
Community Board and visited their historic cemetery. This cemetery,
in our opinion, has great historic value and requires a Conservation
Management Plan to be agreed by the community as soon as possible.
We are advising them on a continuing basis.
During
the year I have visited with the Auckland City Council, Christchurch
City Council, Waitaki District Council, and Timaru County Council,
and in all cases established a good working relationship with their
cemeteries and planning officers.
We
have attended a heritage planning meeting of the Waitaki District
Council in Oamaru and made a strong presentation on the value of cemeteries
as heritage assets.
On
Wednesday October 15 2003 we spoke to The Rotary Club of Dunedin South
and a few days later we were pleased to give a number of the Rotarians
a tour of the Southern Cemetery.
On
Wednesday 3 March 2004 we spoke to the “Over 60s Club at Burns
Hall to a very good reception. They were so keen that they organised
themselves to have a tour of the Southern Cemetery next month.
Newsletter
We
have instituted an occasional newsletter this year and two issues
have so far been sent out using both email and post. This is a great
way of keeping in touch with all persons of like mind on cemetery
conservation matters.
Best Practice Statement
We
have in preparation a Statement of Best Practice in the conservation
of headstones and gravesites which we will publish as a guide to local
authorities and monumental masons.
Friends Groups
We
are keen to encourage the establishment of Friends groups for each
historic cemetery. With their focus, Friends groups have a vital role
to play in cemetery conservation. It appears that we will inaugurate
our first group in Lawrence this month. Friends groups are particularly
valuable in that they bring local knowledge and are able to monitor
the activities in their local cemetery and advise on best practice.
Thanks
It
has been a very active year and we are shortly to be involved in the
culmination of much of our effort over the last twelve months - our
conservation plans for two Dunedin cemeteries. Bringing this project
to a successful conclusion will occupy us for all of the coming year.
I
must again thank my fellow Trustees. Their experienced guidance has
enabled us to progress all matters in a thoroughly professional and
consistent manner.
Stewart Harvey
Chairman 29 April 2004