Historic Cemeteries

The Council maintains the Hallowell Cemetery in Shelbourne Street, the cemetery in Fairfield Park, a small group of graves on The Cliffs and the Quakers' Acre above Rutherford Street.

Other than the Wakapuaka Cemetery there are two historic cemeteries in Nelson with heritage information available, the Quakers cemetery on the Wellington Walkway, and the Hallowell cemetery near Shelbourne Street. These are noted on the routes of the Heritage Walks.

Hallowell Cemetery

Hallowell Cemetery (located on Shelbourne Street, off Nile Street East) is one of Nelson's oldest burial grounds. It is also known as The Old Burying Ground and Shelbourne Street Cemetery. There is little evidence of graves but a display board reveals some names of people originally buried there.

Hallowell Cemetery (1842-1885) was used for Māori burials before Europeans arrived. Then the New Zealand Company had set aside two roods and 30 perches for a gaol and cemetery. The infamous Maungatapu murderers are buried there, but outside the walls, as their crimes were considered too heinous to allow them resting places on hallowed ground.