"ABOMINATIONS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 267, 10 November 1937, Page 9

"ABOMINATIONS."

CITY'S CEMETERIES.

SACRIFICE GF BEAUTY.

OIOWDED AlfD HEGLECTED.

"They are Httle better than a racket." "Perhaps time will bring them beauty, but they do not possess it to-day." "The only cemetery in Auckland which has real beauty is the oldest, in Grafton Gully, which is not so crowded as the others, and trees have been allowed to grow up and soften its appearance." These were the comments of leading Auckland architects in interviews to-day on the appearance of the city's cemeteries. They appealed for a more artistic treatment, the planting of trees, the aToiition of fences and concrete enclosures around graves, and the laying out of a large part of the areas in lawns. Some of the best known cemeteries they spoke of as "abominations." The draught-board layout almost universally adopted, they considered, had lost any value« it possessed because the harmony and uniformity of the plan were lost in the disharmony of the tombstones and other features.

Unsightly Irregularity. "It Is the irregularity and appearance of neglect that make them so unsightly," •aid Professor C. R. Knight, professor of architecture, at Auckland University College. "The disharmony in the graves is not in keeping with the harmony of the squares in the layout. A better effect would have been secured if the authorities had not been so concerned about making the greatest possible use of the sites, but the designs are so prepared that every square foot of land nrit required for drives and paths ie offered for sale. The result is that the areas produce the maximum of revenue, and everything else is sacrificed. Professor Knight remarked that the undulating slopes of Waikumete could have been laid out as an attractive park

for burial purposes, but nothing had been done to adapt the design to the curved contours of the land, or to plant corners in trees and shrubs, which would relieve the crowded monotony in the general appearance. At Hillsboro', Waikaraka, Purewa and other cemeteries there had been the same neglect of natural features, and a resulting aggregation of marble headstones of varying size and design which offended against every artistic idea. Beautiful Sura Cemetery Park. One of the most beautiful cemeteries he bad seen, he said, was that on the slopes overlooking the harbour at Suva. Laid out in grase lawns, with beautiful ornamental and flowering trees, it was a combination of park and garden, and was one of the show places of the city Another beautiful cemetery, of a different type, was that at Washington. U.S.A., planned for military purposes and possessing a pleasing symmetry and order. Yet Professor Knight was against the setting up of uniform standards as a general practice. There was a danger, he said, that planning, wbich was becoming almost a modern craze, would be carried too far. The general policy in British countries in the past had been to allow the maximum of freedom to individuals, and the sentiment of the people would probably be opposed to advanced measures of control. At the same time, modified restrictions would bring a great increase in beauty, and in time the public would approve such measures. He mentioned Grafton Gully at an example of the improvement which could be brought about when trees were protected and allowed to grow. Perhaps the newer cemeteries might approach that appearance in two or three generations.

Exploiting the Sites. "They are little lees than a racket," said Mr. R. A. Llppincott, when asked for his opinion on Auckland's cemeteries. "The authorities buy the land «t a low price and they sell it at £6000 or £7000 an acre, and they don't take care of it. The cemeteries look untidy, and even the roadways are not kept in proper order. There would not be so much cause for complaint against the high prices of grave cites if, in return for the fee«, there was a guarantee of perpetual care, but in many cases the surrounding! soon fall into neglect,"

Mr. Lippincott, who spoke with knowledge of advanced cemetery development in the United States, said the most modern cemetery he had seen wa« one where the tombstones were flush with the surface of the ground, and lawnmowers could be run over the whole of the grassed area. The appearance was that of a most beautiful perk. Scope for Park-like Effects. An authority with knowledge of many of the smaller cemeteries in New Zealand, said there were some notable exceptions which showed what could be achieved by care and attention, and he mentioned the cemetery at Tararu, near Thames, which was called "the garden of sleep," and was one of the district's picturesque spots. Numerous visitors had been impressed by its beauty and tidiness, and its appearance had been enhanced recently by an attractive entrance and gates. Nearer Auckland, the comparativelyj new cemetery park at Papatoetoe, overlooking an arm of the Manukau Harbour, it was stated, represented an attempt at enlightened treatment, with the ultimate aim of creating a combined garden and park-like effect. The opinion was expressed that there was wonderful scope around Auckland, and. indeed, throughout New Zealand, for the development of areas of this type.