The Fallen Ones

I had a lovely day out with blipper, Flying. After some lunch we took a walk around one of Christchurch oldest cemeteries. It was so sad to see some many graves and headstones badly damaged because of the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. This collage is some of the toppled headstones.

History of the Linwood Cemetery
Linwood Cemetery is the fifth oldest surviving cemetery in Christchurch. It was opened in October 1884 as a response to concerns about the health implications of burying people in the inner city. The area where the cemetery was built was originally lupin-covered sand dunes well outside the city and near the Corporation rubbish dump.

The first person buried in the cemetery was Sarah Freeman which is all the more significant as she was the Sexton's wife, and died in July 1884 whilst the cemetery was still being prepared.

Those buried at Linwood Cemetery include at least thirteen Christchurch mayors, several members of parliament, bishops and ministers, and the Peacock family whose philanthropy included the iconic Peacock Fountain in the Botanical Gardens. Many original settlers from the First Four Ships are buried here. 54 Commonwealth war graves (50 from World War I and 4 from World War II) and memorials to over 300 ANZACs are found at Linwood Cemetery. Linwood Cemetery is important not only for its notable person graves, but that everyone buried there is significant to the development of the Christchurch and New Zealand we know today.  For information on the Cemetery.