Historic Graves and Monuments
Opepe Memorial
At Opepe, on the Napier-Taupo Road, is a tiny cemetery containing five graves. Only two of the graves are war graves, containing the bodies of several members of the Bay of Plenty Cavalry who were killed in a surpise attack by Te Kooti's advance guard on June 7th 1869. The other three graves are of settlers who died after the New Zealand Wars had ended, but the Ministry for Culture and Heritage has assumed responsibility for the care of those graves as well.
Opepe Cemetery
The totara headboards are the original ones, which have been repainted several times over the years. However, they were showing the effects of time, and it is suspected that water ingress was causing the paint to peel and crack. With the help of Department of Conservation staff, the headboards were dismantled and removed from the site on 14 June 2010; they were then transported to Manawatu Museum Services for expert repair and renovation.
Drying out the wood properly will take several months but it is hoped that the headboards will be back where they belong by the end of this year, and that after this restoration they will remain in good order for many years to come. Temporary signs have been installed at the cemetery and down by the Napier-Taupo Road until the headboards return.
Wear and tear over time