Pioneers’ stories are all we have left OPINION

• Author: Jesse Wood
• Published date: 09 December 2021
• Publication title: Te Awamutu Courier

Alf was a distant relation of mine and a prominent figure within rugby circles so I decided to visit his grave site and take some photos

Stratford that prides itself on being the Taranaki Pioneer Village, yet the Stratford District Council turned its Pioneer Cemetery into a “memorial park” during the 1980s, getting rid of the vast majority of headstones — ironic when they want to preserve the pioneer history elsewhere in the town.

The Pioneer Cemetery was Stratford’s first, opening in 1886, with the last recorded burial in February 1975, although the cemetery closed some 65 years previous but anyone who had bought their plots already could still be buried at any time.

The only current cemeteries left in the Stratford region are the Kopuatama Cemetery (first burial recorded in July 1906) and Midhirst Cemetery (first burial being in September 1934).

In the Wednesday, January 18, 1984 edition of the Stratford Press, this was published: “The Stratford Borough Council intends to convert the old Stratford Cemetery in Regan Street to the Stratford Pioneer Memorial Cemetery. The council wants the area to be appropriate to the memory of the early pioneers who founded the district and now rest there.

“While the majority of the grave surrounds are in a state of disrepair and will require removal, there are examples of stonemasons’ art which will remain in strategically placed positions. A memorial wall with built-in seats and containing the names of all interred will be erected at the northern end of the area. All remaining land will be sown in lawn and planted in shrubs.

“The council believes the proposal will provide for quiet relaxation for those who contemplate the past and remember those who created the beginnings of this district. The proposal is presently being advertised and required by law and any person wishing to object must do so prior to March 23.”

Around 30 of the gravestones were gifted to the Taranaki Pioneer Village after consultation with families while others had fallen into disrepair.

Alf was laid to rest here on December 16, 1907, at the age of 41, after suffering from an illness.

Although it was more than a century ago, Alf played a big role in New Zealand rugby and is still recognised through the Alf Bayly Memorial Trophy, yet there is no exact spot to represent where he was laid to rest.

The Alf Bayly Memorial Trophy is given annually to a Year 7-8 student in Taranaki who displays outstanding playing ability, leadership and sportsmanship.

The...