Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Stolen pou returned to relieved family

By stephanie.worsop@dailypost.co.nz
Rotorua Daily Post·
5 Feb, 2016 08:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

RGP 04Feb16 - MISSING: The two pou stolen from graves in Kauae Cemetery. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

RGP 04Feb16 - MISSING: The two pou stolen from graves in Kauae Cemetery. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Two precious, hand-carved pou taken from children's graves at Rotorua's Kauae Cemetery have been returned to the family, who say they have not been deterred from returning them to the gravesite "where they belong".

Family member Iris Thomas said she was thrilled to have the cherished items back in her possession. "It was a very emotional moment going in to identify the pou and then being able to take them home. I had a big cry because I was just so happy to have them back."

The Rotorua Daily Post reported on Thursday how carved pou (wooden posts) on the graves of Mrs Thomas' niece Charmaine Hayward, who died at 5 months old in 1977, and Charmaine's brother William Hayward, who was just 6 when he died in 1982, had disappeared sometime last month.

The pou were placed there around the year 2000 by the children's older sister, Toni Lee Hayward, who was also buried there in 2013.

The pou were concreted into the ground above the graves in the Ngati Whakaue section of the cemetery.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"They have got to go back where they belong but we will be keeping them at home for a little while.

"We will try to make them more secure once they are back on the graves but I hope people get a wake-up call and realise taking pou that is not theirs won't do them any good."

Mrs Thomas said she was "beyond relieved" the pou had been returned and it was a "beautiful outcome".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rotorua police also recovered a number of other carvings and pou, and encourage anyone who has had an item of this kind stolen to contact the station on (07) 348 0099.

A person has been summoned to appear in court.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'Stop this madness': Police promise crackdown on illegal dirt bikers

10 Jul 03:52 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Midweek windfall: Winning Lotto ticket sold in Rotorua

10 Jul 02:37 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

10 Jul 12:40 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'Stop this madness': Police promise crackdown on illegal dirt bikers

'Stop this madness': Police promise crackdown on illegal dirt bikers

10 Jul 03:52 AM

Several parks and reserves have been vandalised in recent weeks.

Midweek windfall: Winning Lotto ticket sold in Rotorua

Midweek windfall: Winning Lotto ticket sold in Rotorua

10 Jul 02:37 AM
Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

10 Jul 12:40 AM
Rotorua council takes back control of parking services

Rotorua council takes back control of parking services

09 Jul 09:40 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP