Taumarunui cemetery headstones damaged by fallen redwood tree; council seeks relatives

The fallen tree damaged 16 headstones in rows F to H. Photo / Ruapehu District Council

If you have relatives buried at the Taumarunui New Cemetery on Golf Road, Ruapehu District Council may be looking for you.

Last year, a large redwood tree came down in high winds and damaged around 16 headstones.

The council has been trying to contact families about the reinstatement of the headstones, and while some families have already been in touch, there are a few for which the council doesn’t have any contact information.

The headstones affected by the tree fall are on rows F, G and H of the cemetery and concern the graves of: Robert Alexander Hastie; Sarah Maria Hastie; Muriel Edith Gaby; Harry Gaby; Slonzo Andrew Siteman; Vincent Robert Astbury; Arnold Gavin Williams; Hector Campbell Wilson; Alexander Cammock; Philip Wayne, Laurence Vandin and Noel Raymond Le Gros; Sheryll Joy Goodwin; Clarence and Christina Maisie Ballance, and Julian (Ash) Ballance.

The graves of Winifred Louise and Herbert Leo Stubbington, Gilbert Arthur Colin Taylor, and Murray Frederick Hingston have also been affected.

The council is asking the families of those whose headstones were damaged to get in touch by calling on 07 895 8188 or by emailing the council’s Community and Recreational Facilities manager Rina Hepi at rina.hepi@ruapehudc.govt.nz.

If the council is unable to connect with the affected families, it will do what it can to reassemble the damaged pieces of the headstone and lay them on top of the graves.

Meanwhile, the council says the Ruapehu district was spared the worst of Cyclone Gabrielle. There were reports of power and road outages, but those have now been cleared.

The district was also dealing with some fallen trees as part of the cyclone, including a large pine tree that fell on the EV charger at the Tongariro National Park Four Square (corner of State Highway 4 and Waimarino Tokaanu Road).

The EV charger was completely smashed by the tree and will be out of commission for some time. There are EV chargers at the Park and Ride facility on Findlay Street, National Park for those users who carry their own cables.