The Cliffs

From KiwiWiki

[edit] Location

The Cliffs (NZSG NO4.21), also known as Haven Rd and Poynter's Cemetery is located in the Whitby Rd, Princess Drive, Rocks Road area of Nelson

[edit] Description

From official records:

The area is approximately 10.5 perches and contains four graves. Mr P and J.P Poynter, W.C. Young and W.A.Bell all of whom were buried there in the 1840s (this differs from the burial records).

The area was set aside by the New Zealand Company as a cemetery reserve and was reduced to quarter of an acre by an act of Parliament in 1924 and the remainder of the land sold. That Act provided for rights of access to the descendants of the persons buried in the cemetery.

1970: During subdivision operations at Whitby Road, Nelson a bulldozer spilled over the boundary of the cemetery, damaged headstones and appeared to behave as if the cemetery were part of the area he was required to level. This is the oldest cemetery in Nelson and both to many residents of the City and to the Historic Places Trusts has considerable significance.

Moves were made to close the cemetery, but as no one willing to have the legal responsibility for its control and management there is nothing further on file as to what happened, if anything.

I visited the site in February 2008, and took the following photos. The large plaque set into a concrete pad is all that remains of the cemetery, apart from the memorial at the top of the path on Malcolm Place, leading down to the cemetery. The path continues down to The Basin Reserve on Rocks Road.

The Memorial Plaque

Steps down to cemetery, which is in shadow bottom to right

The Plaque on Malcolm Place above the cemetery

[edit] Burials

[edit] Acknowledgements

MOH Records, Dianne Wilson & The Nelson City Sexton

[edit] Return to Nelson Cemeteries