Survivor Support and Recognition Fund – Lake Alice Unmarked Graves

Aramoho Cemetary entrance

In June 2024 the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry delivered its final report Whanaketia – Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light.

One of the report’s recommendations was for the New Zealand Government to set up a fund for:

  • Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and community groups to deliver support and services to survivors of abuse and neglect in care; and
  • Local Authorities to care for unmarked graves.

The fund is administered and supported by Community Operations Hāpai Hapori, in partnership with the Crown Response Office.

Whanganui District Council submitted a funding application in March 2026 and has been successful in securing funding to memorialise unmarked graves associated with former Lake Alice residents at Aramoho Cemetery.

We’ll be working with local communities, tangata whenua and relevant organisations to ensure this work is carried out in a sensitive and culturally appropriate way.

Would you like to be involved or have knowledge of any unmarked graves?

If you have knowledge of unmarked graves, or would like to be involved in future planned unveiling or blessing ceremonies, please email yourcouncil@whanganui.govt.nz

Questions

Have all the unmarked graves been identified?

We are confident we have identified all graves within Aramoho Cemetery where the deceased died while in state care. The majority of these graves already have headstones in place to honour those buried there. Twelve of the graves, however, are unmarked, and these are the focus of this project.

Of the 12 unmarked graves, we are currently searching for family or whānau contacts for 11 of them, with one family already identified.

These are:

  • GINN Frank
  • MURRAY Andrew
  • RUSH Eric Davey
  • MOFFITT Alfred William
  • CLARKE George
  • PAPAKURA Jack
  • JENKINS Bert
  • BONVALLETT Arnold
  • VASS Alexander
  • YOUNG Alfred Frederick
  • EMERSON Frederick Mervyn

If you are aware of any unmarked graves or concerned your family member might not be included, please contact yourcouncil@whanganui.govt.nz. 

What if I have information regarding an unmarked grave?

Please contact the council using this email yourcouncil@whanganui.govt.nz and we can assist with investigating the grave site.

What if I don’t have a family member but would like to be part of the commemoration process?

We welcome the community to be part of our commemoration process so please reach out to the council using the email yourcouncil@whanganui.govt.nz

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