History of cemetery published

The history of the Burkes Pass Cemetery, and the people buried there, has been preserved in a booklet produced by The Burkes Pass Heritage Trust.

The booklet, On a Bronze Tussocked Terrace, is the culmination of about 10 years research.

‘‘It tells of people’s lives which were woven into the landscape like flax or the strands of wool in tartan cloth worn by those who first traversed the pass,’’ trust chairwoman Jane Batchelor said.

‘‘They are now part of the hills and golden tussock surrounding this tranquil cemetery, sheltered by mature oaks and conifer trees.’’

Former resident Liz AngeloRoxborough was inspired by her walks in the cemetery and amassed a large amount of information which the trust hoped to produce in some form, Batchelor said.

‘‘We were unsure initially what sort of form this project would take – whether it would be a published format or information on a website, or a map.’’

When Angelo-Roxborough moved to Dunedin, Batchelor picked up the project and developed it further.

‘‘I decided a booklet was the best way to go, and added some context and background about the setting, where the cemetery was and how it came to be.’’

The booklet contains a brief history of the township and the cemetery, with stories, poetry and photographs of people from a range of backgrounds, gender and ages, and occupations including landowners, workers and climbers.

One person featured is Mr A B Smith of Rollesby Station, who donated the land for the cemetery and who sadly lost his 19-year-old son, John, as a result of an avalanche on the Rollesby Range.