Athlone cemetery relocates
Remains of those buried between 1867-1946 to be moved to a columbarium
IF YOU had family buried in the old Athlone cemetery adjacent to Klipfontein Road between 1867 and 1946, then the Anglican church is looking for you. The Anglican Diocese of Cape Town is inviting members of the public whose ancestors were buried there to make contact with them because they want to rebury the remains at another place.
The remains of about 2 500 people are buried in the cemetery, and are set to be exhumed and reburied in a columbarium – a specially built, sealed church-like building alongside St Mark’s Church in Athlone.
The cemetery, near Garlandale Secondary School, was first used as a church burial ground in 1867, while the last recorded burial took place in 1946. The church held public meetings under the auspices of the National Heritage Resources Act in 2012 and 2013 to consult the community on what to do with the cemetery.
The meeting resolved that the remains should be exhumed, cremated and interred in the columbarium, where the names of those buried will be memorialised.
“From 2012 I was appointed by the church as independent specialist to try and reach the next of kin of people who were buried, and we held public consultation meetings,” said Mary Patrick, the archaeologist who is advising the church.
“We asked permissions of those who we were able to contact and they wanted the remains to be cremated and they chose a columbarium. Part of the process is how we will determine how many people are buried there. There will be a memorial today and the excavation is expected to start next week,” she said.
Bishop Garth Counsell, the Bishop of Table Bay, said over time people stopped visiting it and it is now very rarely, if ever visited.
“Following the procedures laid down in the law, we advertised the public meetings.
“Those who attended voted on the way forward and we have official approval to begin the exhumations,” said Bishop WEDNESDAY APRIL 12 2017 Counsell.
“Now we want to reach out to the community once again to ensure that anyone whose ancestors may be buried get in touch with us. The exhumations will take some months, and when they are over we will invite families to join a service to mark the dedication of the columbarium.”
In the consultation process, the Athlone community strongly opposed a proposal for a service station on the land.
They voted in favour of housing of at least the same standard as the nearby housing in Athlone. The memorial will start at 10am tomorrow at the site.
Relatives of those buried in the cemetery can consult the burial records by e-mailing details to David Bailey at the Diocese of Cape Town at baileyd@ctdiocese.org.za.