Karoro Cemetery, Greymouth, West Coast

Date: About 1863 [unknown]
Location: The main entrance to Karoro Cemetery, Greymouth is at 4 - 10 Chesterfield Street, Blaketown, Greymouth, West Coast., Greymouth, 7805, Grey District, West Coast, New Zealand atLatitude: -42.46795, Longitude: 171.1894

Karoro Cemetery

Contents 1 Location 2 History 2.1 The First Decade 2.2 Mine Disasters 2.3 Returned Servicemen 2.4 Legislative Council 2.5 Other People of Note 2.6 Memorials 2.7 Article about the Karoro Cemetery 2.8 Links 3 Sources

Location

Cemetery Name: Karoro Cemetery, Greymouth

Address: 4-10 Chesterfield Street, Blaketown, Greymouth, West Coast, New Zealand.

GPS Coordinates: -42.46783, 171.18938

History

The Kororo Cemetery, Greymouth, dates back to 1863 when it was divided into Anglican, Presbyterian, and Catholic sections, with a 1921 extension. The Greymouth Cemetery was originally established on a part of the coast known as Kororo. ^[1] By about 1900, the railway station was named Karoro, people going to the Greymouth Cemetery getting off at Karoro Station . ^[2] and by 1908 it was unofficially known as Karoro Cemetery. ^[3] What is now known as the Karoro Cemetery was Greymouth Cemetery from the start. ^[4] and until the 1960s at least, all burials were in the Greymouth Cemetery .
^[5]

The First Decade

The first report about the Greymouth Cemetery in the Grey River Argus in May 1866 described it as a wretched place, well out of the fledgling town beside the river, with mounds of sandy soil that were graves of "victims to a system of misgovernment and neglect". Grave inscriptions provide a glimpse into early life in Greymouth - drownings, murder, mine disasters, explorers and settlers from all over the world. ^[6] The cemetery's earliest graves include those of:

John Henry Whitcombe (1829-1863), drowned in 1863, was born on February 18, 1829 in Devon, England, United Kingdom. John and his Wife, Maria Whitcombe (formerly North), and family, were passengers from UK to NZ 20th September 1858. He was a surveyor and civil engneer, exploring in tttttthe Sout Island. With Jacob Louper they attemped to make their way to the mouth or the Grey River, where there was a Maori settlement, they had to cross the Taramakau River and they used a derelict and waterlogged canoe. When they were in mid-stream the position became so critical that Mr. Whitcombe, who was able to swim, struck out for the shore in order to relieve the canoe of his weight, as his assistant was a non-swimmer. Old Jacob, as he is now called, clung to the swamped canoe, and was saved, but Mr. Whitcomb’s noble act cost him his life.

Charles Townsend (abt.1826-1863), drowned in 1863, was born about 1826 in England, United Kingdom. He was aged about 36 years qhen he was drowned October 9, 1863. His boat had overturned when he attempted to cross the treacherous Greymouth River Bar

Peter Mitchelmore (drowned in 1863) was a resident of Swansea, Tasmania. He drowned 9 Oct 1863 when a whaleboat capsized at the mouth of the Grey River. The other two men to lose their lives were Charles Townsend and a Maori man named Solomon.

George Dobson (abt.1840-abt.1866) (murdered in 1866) .On 28th May 1866, surveyor George Dobson was riding on horseback alone by the Grey (Mawheranui) River near Greymouth when he was stopped by two men. Firearms were produced and an order for gold was made. It was a case of misidentification and George was murdered. Dobson is named in George’s memory. ^[7]

Others interrred in the Karoro Cemetery in the 1860s include:

John McIlroy age 3 years died 10 June 1860.

Allen Cameron Macfie Born: 1817. Died: 5 September 1862. Age: 9 Months.

John Konstantine Lubeck Born: 1838. Died: 13 September 1865; Age: 27 Years

Greymouth Borough Council
In February 1868, the Greymouth Borough Council instigated a cemetery mangement system to keep it in good order. In 2024 The Greymouth District Council has records of burial plots for all Grey District cemeteries. They can be searched by coming into our offices at 105 Tainui Street, Greymouth or email the address on the Council web site. The Council's services and facilities for burials and cremation are designed to meet a range of bereavement needs.

Mine Disasters

Dobson Mine Disaster memorial and grave.

Four victims of the Dobson Mine Disaster,

Four victims of the Dobson Mine, West Coast, are buried in Karoro Cemetery: On 3 Dec. 1926, about 3.05 a.m., two explosions left the Dobson coal mine engulfed in fire and 9 men trapped within. The explosions were of such terrific force that some houses neighbouring the colliery had their windows broken and their roofs pierced. About 90 minutes after the initial impact, a rescue party was able to descend to the winch-house and four men were discovered. Although only one was dead on arrival the other three perished at later stages. The opening of the mine was eventually sealed to suffocate the raging fire which was preventing the continuation of the rescue operation.

Strongman Mine Disaster

Strongman Mine Disaster Memorial

Nineteen men were killed when an explosion ripped through the state-run Strongman coal mine at Rūnanga, 19 January 1967 on the West Coast of the South Island, just after 10 a.m. An inquiry found that safety regulations had not been followed and a shot hole for a charge had been incorrectly fired. Located just north of Greymouth, the Strongman mine (New Zealand’s largest underground coal mine) had had an impeccable safety record since opening in 1939.

But in January 1967 an explosion sent a fireball through a section of the mine, in which 240 men were working at the time. A higher death toll was avoided only because a wet patch in the tunnel near the site of the explosion slowed down and then extinguished the fireball.

Strongman Mine disaster grave.

Smoke and firedamp (methane gas produced by coal) made the search for survivors and bodies hazardous. When mixed with a certain proportion of air, firedamp becomes highly explosive. Those involved in the rescue were at constant risk of another explosion.

After 15 bodies were recovered on the day of the explosion, it took another three weeks to retrieve two more. The last two men could not be recovered and the tunnel was sealed off. Five men involved in the rescue received the British Empire Medal for their bravery. An inquiry into the disaster concluded that at least two mining regulations had been broken. The government was ordered to pay compensation to the families of the victims.

Returned Servicemen

Memorial for Returned Servicemen Originally returned servicemen were buried in individual plots and a memorial, on which a flag was flown, was erected. It is located close to the road at the bottom of the cemetery hill.

Memorial for returned servicemen buried throughout the cemetery.

A plaque was placed on the front of the memorial which has been painted white..

Plaque on the memorial for Returned Servicemen.

Later a large area at the easr side tpward the entrance (bottom) road to the cemtery, was set aside for interrment of deceased RSA personnel and their wives.

RSA graves from the north looking south east.

Legislative Council

A granite monument which was erected over the grave of Sir Arthur Robert Guinness who represented the Grey District in the Legislative Council for 29 years, is to the right of the entrance to the cemetery.

After a law change in 1941 to make women eligible to serve on the Legislative Council, Mary Patricia Anderson (1877-1966) was one of the first two women to be appointed to the Legislative Council 31 January 1946 by the First Labour Government. She served to the end of 1950, when the Legislative Council was abolished by the First National Government.

Other People of Note

Charles James Strongman O.B.E (1885-1967) Born in 1885 in New Zealand was Superintendent of State Coal Mines 1936-1950. Local manager of the Westport Coal Company's Millerton Mine, 1926-1928; on Coal Research Board, DSIR; Coal Mines Council 1940-1944. In November 1939 the Strongman mine at Rapahoe was officially opened by the Minister of Mines, Hon P. O. Webb. The Government named the mine after Charles Strongman because it was thought that he was one of the most outstanding mining men in the world. The Hon R. Semple, Minister for Public Works had worked with him as a trucker boy and Charles had risen to the management of the Strongman Mine.

Memorials

Chinese

A memorial to Harriet Herbertson, wife of a Totara Flat farmer, was erected in 1928.

Harriet Herbison Memorial Building

Article about the Karoro Cemetery

The Cemetery at Greymouth — Links With The Past' By Catherine Keddell ^[8]

' God's Acre is a lovely term. As Longfellow says of this Anglo-Saxon expression: 'It consecrates each grave within its walls, and breathes a benison on the sleeping dust.' The words suggest a quiet, shady churchyard, its old headstones, moss-grown and yew-shaded, marking the last sleeping place of those whose humble race is run. It is so much more restful and beautiful than the word “cemetery” which has a suggestion of coldness and finality. God's Acre reminds us of the peace of death, of the long rest after the hard journey, but “cemetery” speaks only of the loneliness of death. And no place can seem lonelier than a bleak cemetery. Such a one is the cemetery at Greymouth. Here are no English oaks, elms or yews casting mantling shadows on green grass and ivied walls and ancient tombstones all awry, no friendly native trees of that tree-wealthy Westland here rear their proud heads to the vast bowl of the sky. Exposed all day to the sun, and open to every wind that blows, it lies only a stone's-throw from the Tasman Sea. Here, on a long sandy terrace lie those whose headstones tell the whole of the white man's romantic and lively history on the Golden Coast. Here lies many a “cook's son, duke's son, and son of a millionaire,” men who came hither lured by the stories of the incredibly, rich goldfields. They came in their thousands in the days of the gold rush, sought the glittering nuggets or dust, and endured hardships and privations in the hope of better things to come.

Of course, the Maoris are first in the history of Westland, described by Tasman as an “inhospitable” land, for he saw only the long miles of range upon range of hills and snow-peaked mountains, with the narrow rush-clad plain in front of them. The ancient burial ground was a cave in the range of limestone hills through which the Grey River has cut its way to the sea.

On the northern side of the river these hills are locally known as the Twelve Apostles because of the number of small peaks. The burial cave was on the south side, close to the river, but is no longer in existence. When the harbour works were begun rock from the hill was quarried and so began the blasting of the hillside. Great consternation was shown by the Maoris of the pa at Mawhera, now Greymouth. In order to appease them, and especially the old chief Werita Tainui, a Maori tohunga, held in great reverence, was sent, according to an old chronicler, from the North Island to perform certain rites and make incantations by which the tapu might be removed. This done, the precious bones of the long departed Maori chiefs were deposited elsewhere.

The first white men to come to the coast were the surveyors, men who endured incredible hardships, when from either Canterbury or Nelson they fought their difficult way through thick bush—so thick as to be almost impenetrable—across cold, treacherous rapidly flowing streams rushing from the Southern Alps to the Tasman Sea, they made their painful and often hungry way to the Coast. In the cemetery of Greymouth lies the surveyor Whitcombe, after whom Whitcombe Pass is named. Whitcombe, when only thirty-four years of age, was drowned in the Taramakau River. A plain low grey stone covers the grave. It is marked only by the long cross which patterns its slight pyramidal shape, and the simple remarks, “Henry Whitcombe, born February 18, 1829, drowned at Taramakau, May 5, 1863.” Nearby are the graves of two more surveyors whose tombstones were erected by the old Canterbury Provincial Government. Grey with the years, worn by the salt winds and driving rains from the Tasman Sea, they mark the spots where lie “Charles Townsend, aged 40, drowned at the Grey, October 9th, 1863,” and “Mitchelmore, drowned with Townsen

Links

• Category:Karoro Cemetery, Greymouth, West Coast

• https://www.greydc.govt.nz/03your-community/cemeteries

• BillionGraves

• FindAGrave

• https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/70629/greymouth-karoro-cemetery/

Sources

1. ↑ Advertisement, Greymouth Evening Star, 16 December 1913, Page 1 [1]
2. ↑ "Grey River Argus", 3 December 1906, Page 2 [2]
3. ↑ Greymouth Evening Star, 27 May 1908, Page 3 [3]
4. ↑ West Coast Times, Issue 68, 9 November 1865, Page 1 (Supplement) [4]
5. ↑ "Press", Volume CI, Issue 29838, 2 June 1962, Page 1 [5]
6. ↑ "Greymouth Star" 10 June 2023, p7.
7. ↑ Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson [6]
8. ↑ The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 15, Issue 2 (May 1, 1940.)