Kioreroa Cemetery is situated on State Highway 1 south of Whangarei.
History
It is one of the earliest cemeteries in the Whangarei District. Opened in 1882 and closed in 1946, the cemetery is the last resting place of over 800 of Whangarei’s earliest residents. Initially the cemetery was well used but by the 1930’s it had become overgrown and neglected.
In 1961, the Council of the time applied for an Act of Parliament to remove the headstones for easier maintenance, which was granted on condition that trees were cleared, lawns were sown and a memorial erected recording the names of those buried in the cemetery.
This was not carried out and the site remained neglected. In 2007, Council allocated funds for the improvement of the site and installation of a memorial.
The cemetery today
A memorial design competition generated significant interest and allowed for community input into the process. The initial stages of this project were completed in 2009 with the installation of the memorial. The memorial was unveiled in October 2009 by members of the Whangarei community.
An ongoing programme of maintenance, restoration and information resources has been developed and the council cemetery team work together with the Department of Corrections to maintain the site.