The Rev Coffey, the vicar of St Mark’s Church from 1876 to 1907, was a fervent letter writer, and Wellington City Archives have digitised a number of his concerned citizen letters.
This one dated September 1892 addressed to the Cemetery Committee finishes with:
“I also desire to call attention to the unintentional slight put on “the Cross” by causing one to be erected as a finial over the urinal in Karori Cemetery. Could not this be removed as it is not a place there”.
He writes again in May 1893:
“I also asked Mr Williston to remove the cross finial which is placed over the urinal at Karori Cemetery. This should not have been places there – unless it was intended to mock and denigrate the sacred symbol. I am sure this was not intended by the designer”
We don’t know how his correspondence was replied to, as there are no records of “conveniences” at Karori until 1922. Hopefully the offending finials were removed, as Rev Coffey lies on the main road fronting the Church of England section, and wouldn’t want to offend his view.
Coffey Plot: Ch Eng/A/86
