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Some interesting finds have been made in the North Eastern corner of the Cromwell Cemetery.

Several new graves have been located using ground penetrating radar as part of a heritage sites review being carried out by the Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust, in collaboration with various other groups and agencies.

Friends of the Cromwell Cemetery has also spent the past eight months tidying up the deteriorating site and recently applied for funding for rabbit-proof fencing.

Group member Katie Seymour said last week Southern Geophysical was able to make a discovery of what appeared to be graves of paupers. 

They had intended to work on the North West corner where Chinese miners from the Otago Gold Rush were buried, but the technology was restricted by tree roots. 

3000 miners converged on the Dunstan Goldfields, and after 1866, a further 4200 Chinese came.

The cemetery was established in 1888 and about 53 Chinese Miners have already been located.

Cemetery records show the last Chinese burial in Cromwell was in 1921, representing the end of the Cromwell Chinese era.

The Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust heritage sites review began in 2020, in collaboration with the Cromwell Community Board, and the Central Otago District Council.

It involved archaeologists, students and volunteers revisiting well known heritage sites and updating the records for the national archeological database Archsite. 

Meanwhile, the Friends of Cromwell Cemetery would be presenting its application to the CCB today (Tuesday 6th) for the rabbit-proof fencing through the Long Term Plan (LTP).

The aim of the group was to respect those passed by being restored to a well maintained and cared for site.

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