Porirua’s annual Cemeteries Week begins 26 October, offering insights into our city’s history and heritage.

You can take guided walks, at Pāuatahanui Burial Ground, St Alban’s Church, St Joseph’s Church (Pāuatahanui), and Porirua Cemetery on Kenepuru Drive, shedding light on some notable stories in our city’s past. There’s also the chance to pull back the curtain a little with a tour of the Crematorium at Whenua Tapu.

The guided walks and crematorium tour are all free and also form part of the Wellington Heritage Festival, which has events right across the region.

"There are wonderful and incredibly interesting stories to be told, right here in our back yard," Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says.

"I love the talks that our local historians give, because understanding what has gone on in Porirua’s past can give us an understanding of where we are today. Our cemeteries and urupa have key people buried there who make up our rich and varied heritage.

"It’s fascinating and colourful and I thank all of those for giving their time to make Cemeteries Week happen - you can stroll through these picturesque places, learning and reflecting on our past."

Local iwi, war veterans and settlers who helped forge the city are buried in the older cemeteries, giving historians plenty of opportunities to bring Porirua’s history to new audiences.

Along with QR codes near the graves of war veterans, Porirua Cemetery also recently had new signage put in, with a map, information, history and a guide to finding loved ones buried there.

In Porirua, the Cemeteries Week and Heritage Festival events are:

26 October, 2pm - Whenua Tapu crematorium open day, with cemeteries manager Daniel Chrisp

2 November, 11am - Porirua Cemetery, Fragments of Time guided walk, with historian Allan Dodson

9 November, 2pm - St Joseph’s Church talk, Robert McClean

10 November, 10am - Pāuatahanui Burial Grounds guided walk.

wellingtonheritagefestival.co.nz

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