Unused Tram Hearse at Linwood Cemetery

Ever wonder why there are still tram lines visible here in Linwood Cemetery? They're right there, under the tar-sealed road, leading from the Butterfield Avenue car park. You see, a tram line used to stop right inside the cemetery grounds before it ended on what's now Pages Road.

This is the fifth oldest public cemetery in Christchurch, opening its gates in 1884. Even though it's old, it's still used for ashes interment, Hebrew Congregational burials, and if there's space in existing family plots. Over 20,000 burials have taken place here. The very first one, in July 1884, was the Sexton's wife, which happened even before the cemetery officially opened.

The Christchurch City Council actually built a tram hearse, at some expense for the time, and it’s right here. But it's believed that it was never actually used.

Some of the human remains from the Jewish Cemetery on Hereford Street were reinterred here after the Hebrew congregation sold their old burial ground. There was a memorial put in place for those reinterred, but it was badly damaged in the February 2011 earthquake.

After the Sexton's house was removed in the 1980s, the cemetery faced neglect and vandalism. To help preserve it, the Friends of the Linwood Cemetery, a charitable trust, was formed. They work to maintain the site and promote its heritage. In 2006, the Christchurch City Council also created a Conservation Plan for the cemetery.

This cemetery is the resting place for many notable residents. That includes 13 Christchurch mayors, several Members of Parliament, bishops, ministers, and even the Peacock family, who are known for their philanthropy and the Peacock Fountain in the Botanic Gardens.

You'll find Linwood Cemetery on Butterfield Avenue, behind Bromley Park, which is off Buckley's Road. It’s connected to the city center and New Brighton by bus routes.