Source: Porirua City Council
Porirua’s unmarked graves memorial project is ready to move up another gear.
In May, the Government confirmed funding to seven local authorities in New Zealand “to memorialise and care for unmarked graves” as part of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry. In Porirua, there is believed to be more than 1500 unmarked graves at Porirua Cemetery and a further 110 at Whenua Tapu Cemetery – $194,850 has been allocated to establish appropriate memorials at each site.
In May 2025, to kick the project off, the public’s help was sought as a list of names buried in unmarked graves was released (see webpage here). The people on the list were, largely, patients of the former Porirua Hospital, which opened in 1887 and closed in the 1990s.
In June last year, after more than 130 families contacted Porirua City Council, a meeting was held between Parks staff and family representatives, with moving accounts given as people saw the pegs on unmarked plots at Porirua Cemetery.
Porirua City Council’s General Manager of Infrastructure, Mike Mendonça, says it’s pleasing to get to this point, but there may be other families who have yet to be in touch.
“We want to hear from everyone who may be impacted by these unmarked graves in order for us get feedback on what memorials at Porirua Cemetery and Whenua Tapu should look like,” Mike says.
“This project is a significant and meaningful one to our Porirua community, and in some cases further afield, so we want to take the right steps to restore the dignity of those who are buried in these places.
“Our design brief will be to create something that is appropriate, accessible, sensitive, and has space for reflection and remembrance.”
A design and tendering process will take place later this year and it’s hoped the memorials will be built by May 2027.