The cemetery gates are open 8:00am - 5:30pm April to September, and 7:30am - 7:30pm October to March. Dogs are not allowed. Please bring a pen.
The cache is not at the above co-ords, which mark one of the entrances to the cemetery. It is suggested that you park here and walk up the path to the first waypoint.
To the right of the path you will see the cemetery's morgue. This red brick building was constructed in 1903 and used until 1946. It is unusual to find a morgue in a New Zealand cemetery; this one was constructed following outbreaks of diphtheria, typhoid, and scarlet fever in Dunedin.
A little further up the path, also on the right, you will see an information board which outlines some of the history of this cemetery. Keep going; you're now half-way to the first waypoint.
Waypoint 1: Rev. Thomas Burns
As with all waypoints, reception isn't the best so you may have to search around for the right grave. This one's not too hard to spot.
Thomas Burns arrived in Dunedin aboard the Philip Laing in 1848. He soon established the presbyteries of Dunedin, Clutha, and Southland, before helping establish both Otago Boys' High School and Otago Girls' High School. Burns was also on the founding committee of the University of Otago, and was Chancellor from 1869 until his death in 1871.
At his final resting place, Burns' neighbour is Douglas Grant, a man who was lost at sea at age 2C.
Waypoint 2: William Downie Stewart
Downie was a 19th century politician and a lawyer, who emigrated to Dunedin aboard the Robert Henderson in 1861. He entered parliament in 1879, where he was offered the position of Attorney-General (which he declined). After retiring from parliament in 1890, Stewart was appointed to the Legislative Council.
Stewart's son, William Downie Stewart Jr., was Mayor of Dunedin from 1913 to 1914 and Minister of Finance from 1931 to 1933. He was also a lieutenent in the Otago Regement from 19F4 to 19F8.
Waypoint 3: William Cargill
William Cargill arrived at Port Chalmers aboard the John Wickliffe in 1848. Four years later he was elected Superintendent of the Otago Province, when it was granted self-governance by the Constitution Act of 1852.
Cargill was elected to Parliament in 1855. He resigned in 1859, a year before his death. His name features prominently in southern New Zealand: Invercargill, Mount Cargill, and Cargill's Corner are all named after him. A monument was built in his honour in 1864, and is visible at The Exchange a few metres from the 'We Are Not Alone' geocache (GC1038Q).
Cargill's wife outlived him, dying in 18D1.
Waypoint 4: David MacGibbon
David was the first person buried in the Southern Cemetery. He was interred a week before the cemetery officially opened. At that time the area was known as 'Little Paisley', in reference to several weavers' businesses which had operated there in the preceding decade.
One of David's sisters, Jeannie, was born on A1 December 1844.
Waypoint 5: Bendix Hallenstein
Born in Germany in 1835, Bendix Hallenstein moved to England in 1852 to learn English business methods from his uncle. Five years later, he followed his brothers to Australia where he opened a clothing store near the Victorian goldfields.
In 1863 he moved to New Zealand, where he opened a store in Invercargill. Stores in Cromwell, Arrowtown, and Lawrence soon followed. He was Mayor of Queenstown from 1869 to 1872, during which time bridges were built across the Kawarau and Shotover rivers.
He established New Zealand's first clothing factory in Dunedin in 1873, before opening a store in the Octagon. By 1900 there were 34 Hallensteins' clothing stores throughout New Zealand.
Hallenstein also served as German counsul in Dunedin from 1893 until his death in 1905. He was buried in the Jewish section of the Southern Cemetery, hence the Hebrew script on his grave. Hallenstein's eldest daughter's husband was also interred here, after he died on B9 June 1946.
Waypoint 6: Mun Goon
Upon arrival from China in the 1860s, Chinese gold-seekers were segregated to live in their own Chinese camps. Due to segregation, they were not allowed to be buried in conventional cemeteries unless they had done deeds that were viewed favourably by locals. Wasteland outside cemetery boundaries was instead given to the Chinese for a fee.
In 2002 the New Zealand Government officially apologised for suffering caused by the poll tax on Chinese immigrants. The Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust allocated $25,000 to begin restoration of the neglected and vandalised chinese headstones in the Southern Cemetery, including that of Mun Goon.
Chinese headstones record the county and village of birth at the top. The date of death is written in the left column, the birth year or other longevity information in the right column, and other information about the deceased in the centre column. Mun Goon was born in Tai Bol Village, Poon Yue County. He was 65 years old when he died on 5 June 1898. There are E letters in the English spelling of his family name.
The cache is a black 125 mL snaplock container, located at S 45° 53.ABC E 170° 29.DEF
Further information about this cemetery is available at the archived cache Local History 101, Dunedin. Thanks daywalk and Sgt_Wilson for the heads-up!
Note: I plan to retire this cache at the end of June 2015.