In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, young men left their homes in Guangdong, China, and sailed to New Zealand. Over time, many became shopkeepers, merchants, laundrymen, gardeners, and labourers.
The Karori Chinese Marker Project aims to identify and honour 88 Chinese burials in the Public 2 section of Karori Cemetery—resting places that have long been forgotten beneath gum trees, with grave markers inscribed in Chinese characters, a language few can read today.
In a poignant turn of history, those once overlooked are now inspiring a new generation of volunteers to rediscover and share their stories.
Most of the individuals buried here lived in Wellington’s former Chinatown, centred around Haining Street, where they formed a close-knit community. Others came from small towns or rural areas, often to visit family or receive care at Wellington Hospital.
The initial phases of the project—locating, clearing, cleaning, mapping, and photographing the grave markers—are well underway. Ally McBride, a Friends of Karori Cemetery volunteer, is leading efforts to weed the plots and clean the marble markers. Final photographs will be captured soon.
Translation of the traditional Chinese inscriptions into English, as well as Mandarin and Cantonese romanisation, is currently in progress, requiring expert linguistic and cultural knowledge. Alongside this, biographical research is being carried out to document the lives of those buried.
An open-source website is being planned, which will allow the public to explore the history of these early Chinese settlers and locate their burial sites within Karori Cemetery.
This important work has been made possible through the generous support of the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust.
Ally McBride
August 2025
See also this Guide to Reading Chinese New Zealand Headstones prepared by Nigel Murphy.