Mount Victoria Cemetery Devonport

Mount Victoria Cemetery
Takarunga - Mt Victoria
by Celia Walker
Mt Victoria Cemetery, at the foot of Takarunga/Mt Victoria, reaches peak gothic in autumn, when the mature exotic assemblage of oaks, plane trees and elms shed their leaves, but all year round the crumbling stone and rusting iron railings have a decaying charm. Weather, age and vandalism have taken their toll on the graves (most date from before the 1890s) with many headstones broken, illegible, or missing altogether, but for many that is what gives the place its shabby appeal and character. Although seemingly a slightly out-of-time place, the connection with the area is reinforced by the presence of prominent early Devonport figures whose family names also grace local streets and landmarks, such as Duder, Mays and Burgess, and perhaps most significantly, Patuone.

The resting place of prominent Maori chief Eruera Patuone stands out as a place of love and attention in contrast to the artful jumble of the surroundings. Patuone was a celebrated warrior in his youth, but is remembered more for his role as conciliator in later years. Like his brother Tamati Waka Nene, he saw some advantages in encouraging stability and order. His tombstone, erected by the government of the day reads ‘warm friend of Europeans, supporter of the Queen’s laws, and Peacemaker’. The sheer longevity of Patuone (thought to have been well over 100 years) meant his life straddled an expanse of changes to the Maori world, from Pakeha arrivals in Aotearoa in the late 18th century, to the momentous incursions on the brought about by colonial rule by the time of his death in 1872. He was very much a part of both worlds; his resting place in the Mt Victoria Cemetery echoes these links, as did his service at the Devonport Hall attended by over 500 mourners from both cultures.

Image Credits: Celia Walker