Whispers from the past. That’s what O’Neill’s Point Cemetery offers. It’s not just a place of rest. It’s a living history book. Right here on Bayswater Avenue in Auckland we stand before O’Neill’s Point Cemetery. Also known as Bayswater Cemetery Devonport Cemetery or even Takapuna Cemetery this site holds a wealth of stories.
O’Neill’s Point Cemetery was named for Alan and James O’Neill. Alan surveyed Takapuna Belmont and Devonport. He and his brother James a doctor purchased 71 acres at the point’s end. In 1857 Alan built a family home. This land originally belonged to Thomas Homes and William Joseph Pettit. They bought it from the Crown in 1845.
This quiet corner of Auckland holds more than just gravestones. It’s a final resting place for many. Among them are soldiers from the First and Second World Wars. There are 42 Commonwealth casualties from WWI and 12 from WWII. The cemetery also holds the remains of Beni Banaba. He was a Cook Islander who served in the New Zealand Maori Pioneer Battalion. He died in Auckland in 1917 and is buried here.
O’Neill’s Point Cemetery is a closed cemetery. No new interments are allowed. This makes it a unique piece of Auckland’s past. It is a Heritage Place Category 1 site with Heritage New Zealand. The cemetery contains Niue’s first WWI casualty. It also has the largest number of Cook Islands soldiers buried there.
So here we are at O’Neill’s Point Cemetery. This place is more than just a cemetery. It’s a monument to lives lived. A tribute to those who came before us. Take a moment to reflect on the stories whispered here. Each headstone holds a tale waiting to be discovered. Remember O’Neill’s Point Cemetery next time you are in Auckland. A little piece of Auckland’s history awaits you.