Gone and forgotten

Only one person volunteered to clean this neglected Bayswater cemetery, finds Valerie Schuler.

It is trees versus concrete at the cemetery on Bayswater Ave. The roots of a persistent pohutukawa protrude from the crumbled remnants of a headstone. On some graves, fallen leaves have formed a thin layer of compost, creating a perfect seeding ground for noxious weeds.
When the great grandparents of this area were buried at O'Neills Point, special care was taken to commemorate them. But time has taken its toll and the old cemetery desperately needs attention.
"The headstones say they haven't been forgotten, but that doesn't seem to be the case," says Cliff Solomon, who is contracted to maintain most of North Shore's cemeteries.
"I see people at O'Neills Point on the odd occasion, but the cemetery is very old and I think many of the relatives have passed on themselves. Once it gets past the second or third generation, people forget. It's a sad fact of life."
To give the graveyard some much-needed love, the North Shore City Council put it on a list of projects locals could volunteer for on Park Care Day on March 31.
Mr Solomon, who lives in Browns Bay, volunteered to coordinate the project. But only one person responded  and the cemetery clean-up was cancelled.
"It's a real shame," Mr Solomon says. "I expected a good turnout. If we had half a dozen volunteers we'd be away laughing." 
The earliest graves date from the 1890s. Apart from returned servicemen's graves on the far side of the cemetery, it is very run down. The council does general maintenance,  such as mowing the lawns and emptying rubbish bins. But because the plots are individually owned their specific maintenance is not the council's responsibility.
The wooden fence is badly in need of attention.  Clearing graves of weeds and cleaning rubbish from the estuary below were also on the list of things to do. But it looks like they will have to wait.
However, Parks Care Day was a success in other places, including clean-ups  Centennial Park in Campbells Bay and  Fernglen Native Plant Garden in Birkenhead.
About 50 people volunteered and council parks officer Nicki Malone says, "While we don't know what the future holds, with changes to local governance on the horizon, we're definitely keen to develop the Park Care Day and hold it again next year."
Meanwhile, if anyone can help tidy the cemetery, there is still an opportunity. The council's community planting days also start next month. Actionline, ph 486 8600.
What's the Point ?
An early Auckland surveyor, Allan O'Neill, and  his brother, James, owned considerable property on the North Shore, including what is still known as O'Neills Point.
The land at O'Neill's Pt Cemetery was bought from the family in 1880. The cemetery, designed by John Boyland, opened in 1891. At first, it was divided into  non-sectarian, Anglican and Roman Catholic. Those areas are no longer defined and graves  have been dug at random,  making it difficult to find some gravesites.
The cemetery's administration was transferred to Takapuna in 1971. It is administered by North Shore City Council.