26/08/2026
If you haven’t already, check out our Deputy Mayor James Sainsbury’s post on some of the history you can find at our local cemetery.
One of the very special - and very ancient - roles of local government is caring for our cemeteries: those quiet places where we remember the people who came before us.
In Morrinsville Cemetery there is a particularly poignant memorial - a well - to five young lives lost in the Kereone School Bus Accident in 1964.
The memorial well was originally installed at Kereone School, where the school bell was rung five times each morning in memory of the five lost lives - from 1964 until the school closed in 2014.
When the school closed the Council offered to take responsibility for the memorial and, with the permission of the families, arranged for the well to be relocated to Morrinsville Cemetery.
It is a simple memorial, but knowing the story behind it makes it incredibly powerful. It is impossible to learn about that terrible accident without being affected by the tragedy, and I am proud that the Council can play a small part in ensuring that the memories of those five young people continue to be kept alive.
Our cemeteries hold so many stories - of individuals, families and events that have shaped our communities.
Morrinsville Museum is hosting cemetery tours this Sunday, with a gold coin donation appreciated. A special opportunity to discover some of the history that lies quietly beneath our feet.
