Churchyard
“It is a hallowed place with a truly peaceful atmosphere, not only because of its old graves which make their own particular contribution, but also because of the quality of its planting and the natural life this attracts. Together with the stone church, these give St Mary’s a special place among churchyards in Taranaki and beyond.”
Ko ngā whenua o te whare karakia, he maha ngā āhuatanga kua pā ki konei: he māra i ngā wā i mua i te taenga mai o te Pākehā, he urupā mai i te tau 1842, he wāhi whakaharatau hōia mō ngā tau 10, he pātiki hoki mō ngā kau me ngā hōiho e timotimo haere nei i waenga i ngā rua tūpāpāku, tae atu ki te tau 1890s. Ko tētahi āhuatanga tino mīharo ko te whānui o te wāhi nei. I te tau 1861, i ngā Pakanga ki Taranaki, ka rāhuitia e te Kāwanatanga te tanu tūpāpāku ki Ngāmotu, e wātea ai mō ngā rākau e tū ana ki reira i ēnei rā. I konei, ka hono ngā ao e rua e tuari ai te iwi taketake me te iwi tauhou i te whenua kotahi, he whakaara i te whakaata me te noho tahi.
The churchyard surrounding the Cathedral has been many things: a garden in pre-colonial times, a cemetery from 1842, an army exercise ground for 10 years, and a paddock for bullocks and horses who grazed around graves until the 1890s. A defining feature is the open space. In 1861, during the Taranaki Wars, the government prohibited all burials in New Plymouth, leaving room for the now-historical trees. Here, two worlds come together as native and settler share the same soil, inviting reflection and reconciliation.
