Guided Tour of Bolton Street Cemetery
This is a special opportunity to learn about Wellington’s first cemetery and the history of early buildings that were once within it.
Hear about the historic ‘time ball’ procedure which was used to provide a time service to the town from January 1870 until its site was taken over in 1906 for the tomb of Prime Minister Richard Seddon.
Find out about the original mortuary chapel — replaced by the replica chapel, now the Bolton Street Cemetery Museum.
Hear the stories concerning the cottage (now gone) built for the Public Sexton, and the other cottage (pictured), built on Bolton Street for the Anglican Sexton in 1857, which is still in good condition and which we will visit as part of the tour.
Our guides will also talk about the disruption caused by the construction of Wellington’s urban motorway in the 1960s.
Booking is required.
Location: Bolton Street Cemetery: Meet at Kinross Street entrance to cemetery. Tour ends at Bolton Street entrance.
Duration: Approximately 1 hour
Maximum number of participants: 20
Cost: $10 pp
Contact: For the Friday tour, please contact Kate on kate_fortune@hotmail.com or 021 109 4001 if required. For the Saturday tour, please contact Jennifer on jennifer.button.nz@gmail.com or 021 024 52650 if required.
Health & Safety: Not suitable for wheelchairs. Please wear sturdy shoes as some paths are steep and can be slippery. Care is required.