Symonds Street Cemetery was the first official cemetery in Auckland and has been in use since 1842.[5] Initially, it was divided into four sections for Anglicans, Catholics, and Jews, and a shared Presbyterian, Wesleyan, and general sections. By 1852, the shared section became Presbyterian, and an additional Wesleyan and general section was added.[2]
After establishing a new municipal cemetery in West Auckland at Waikumete, the Symonds Street Cemetery was closed for burials in 1886, other than to existing family plots.[5] No new plots were sold. In 1909, the Auckland City Council took over management of the cemetery.[6]
Due to the development of the Auckland Southern Motorway during the mid-1960s, more than 4,100 bodies were moved and re-interred into two memorial sites at the cemetery. The land area was reduced by about a quarter.[2] During the relocation, 2000 graves were found under 1200 headstones in the Anglican section, and 2100 graves under 400 headstones were found in the Catholic section.[1] Many of Auckland's early colonists are buried here, including William Hobson, the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.
The New Zealand Herald columnist Brian Rudman has repeatedly criticised the state of disrepair, vandalism, and the presence of vagrants at the cemetery and called for the city council to improve the maintenance.[1][6][7][8] Although the Auckland City Council commissioned the Symonds St Cemetery Conservation Plan in 1996, only some of its recommendations have been implemented. The Council does employ a specialist stonemason to undertake gravestone restoration,[9] but as many of the restored gravestones have been subsequently vandalised, the Waitamata Local Board admits the situation is much like "treading water". Security guards do patrol the cemetery at irregular intervals but have proved largely ineffective in stopping further damage.[10][8]
In October 2012, more than 20 of the headstones were sprayed with antisemitic graffiti and swastikas.[11] The vandalism occurred the night before a white nationalist celebration called "Flag Day". Three people were arrested, but in November, the charges against one were dropped due to a lack of evidence.[12]
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