Nikao Cemetery Restoration Project Rarotonga

Due to unfavourable weather, today’s planned working bee has been postponed. ☔️

**** POSTPONED DUE TO UNFAVOURABLE WEATHER. NEW DATE ANNOUNCED SOON ****

NIKAO CEMETERY – A HUGE EFFORT BY OUR COMMUNITY and a FINAL WORKING BEE – THIS SATURDAY, 9AM–12 NOON

Meitaki maata to everyone who came together at Nikao Cemetery over the past two Saturdays to help repair the graves and headstones damaged in the recent vandalism.

Thanks to the hard work of Bobby Ryan Hansen, Aaron Hansen, Banaba Paniani, Fonteyne Nicholas, Orlando, and Teva Teaukura, the cementing and repair work has now been completed.

Teremoana Hardie, Lady Tuaine Marsters, Ty Connal, Apa Temata, Jessica from Christchurch, and the volunteers from the Latter Day Saints Church all contributed through painting and grounds cleaning.

This has been a tremendous community effort, and we are extremely grateful to everyone who has helped.

Special thanks also go to:

🇨🇰 Bank of the Cook Islands (BCI) for sponsoring the cement used to repair the soldiers’ graves.

🇨🇰 Annie Nicholas and family for sponsoring additional cement, allowing the team to continue repairing the remaining damaged graves and headstones.

🇨🇰 Teremoana Hardie and Annie Caffery for their additional donations, which will assist with paint and other supplies.

🇨🇰 Annie Nicholas (Palace Takeaway) for very kindly providing lunch for our hardworking volunteers.

🇨🇰 Aunty Nga Teao for arranging to speak on the radio on Saturday morning about the vandalised graves and headstones and helping to raise community awareness.

🇨🇰 RSA for the use of their facilities

🇨🇰 Cook Islands Investment Corporation for your ongoing support and maintenance of the cemetery grounds

ANOTHER WORKING BEE – THIS SATURDAY, 9AM–12 NOON

Now that the cement repairs have been completed, the boys will remove the timber supports and prepare the repaired graves and headstones for painting.

We are calling on volunteers to join us again this Saturday from 9am to 12 noon to help paint the repaired graves and headstones.

We already have two buckets of paint and funds towards another. We will also be getting additional rollers and painting supplies.

With plenty of willing hands, we hope that Saturday’s working bee will see all the damage to the graves and headstones repaired and the restoration work completed.

What began with the distress and anger of discovering this vandalism has brought out something much stronger: people giving their time, labour, materials, food and money to put right what was damaged.

Meitaki maata to everyone who has stood with us and helped care for the Nikao Cemetery and those laid to rest there. 🇨🇰

Please come along on Saturday if you can lend a hand. Every volunteer makes a difference.

🌺 NIKAO CEMETERY WORKING BEE – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED 🌺

Kia Orana,

Following the recent vandalism at the Nikao Cemetery, our team of volunteers, led by Bobby Ryan Hansen, Aaron Hansen and Paula Paniani, will be holding a working bee at the cemetery this Saturday morning from 9am.

📍 Nikao Cemetery – opposite the airport and beside the RSA
🕘 Saturday from 9am

A number of Cook Islands First World War soldiers’ graves were among those vandalised and need to be repaired, along with other graves and headstones that require attention.

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!

We are asking members of our community to come along and lend a hand. We would also be very grateful if volunteers or community members can assist with the following:

• Shovels
• White paint and sturdy brushes suitable for painting concrete
• Garden leaf blowers
• Wheelbarrows
• Buckets
• Extra-long hose/s capable of reaching from the RSA

We would also greatly appreciate any donations of food to provide lunch for our volunteers.

If you have any questions, please send a private message to this page or contact Paula Paniani on 58015.

A huge meitaki maata to those who have already stepped forward to support the working bee:

• Vasie from Cook Islands Investment Corporation – for the generous donation of paint, brushes and paint trays
• George George – for supplying the tents
• The RSA – for your support

We have been overwhelmed by the many kind messages and offers of assistance received since this distressing vandalism occurred. It means a great deal to all of us to see the community rallying together to repair these graves and honour the memory of those laid to rest at the Nikao Cemetery.

Meitaki maata to everyone for your support 🌺

Speaking to Pacific Waves, Walker said the vandalism was something she never expected could happen in the Cook Islands.

"Cemetery vandalism has never happened before," she said.

"We were just completely shocked and hurt and devastated because everybody there knows the amount of work that we have put into that cemetery over the last 10 plus years."

Cook Islands war veterans' graves vandalised at historic Rarotonga cemetery A historic cemetery in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, has been vandalised devastating families and local community members.

“The investigation into the recent vandalism of headstones in the Nikao Cemetery is continuing with Police following up on a lead into the incident. The work is ongoing today with witness information helping to build clarity around the damage that was discovered at the cemetery, on Monday. Police also expect the costs of the damage to be ascertained.”

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19DnGNrFpH/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The investigation into the recent vandalism of headstones in the Nikao Cemetery is continuing with Police following up on a lead into the incident. The work is ongoing today with witness information helping to build clarity around the damage that was discovered at the cemetery, on Monday. Police also expect the costs of the damage to be ascertained.

🌺 Rarotonga local heroes 🌺

Bobby Ryan Hansen, Aaron Hanson, together with their relatives, friends and other volunteers, have already repaired all of the vandalised headstones in the cancer patients’ section of the Nikao Cemetery.

They will also be holding a working bee on Saturday to repair the soldiers’ graves and other damaged graves in that section of the cemetery. More details about the working bee will be shared shortly.

We are incredibly grateful to these wonderful volunteers, who immediately stepped forward and began repairing graves as soon as they heard about this appalling vandalism.

We are also very grateful to the many members of the local community who have contacted us to express their absolute horror that something like this could happen here.

This is not something we expect to see in the Cook Islands, and the response from the community has been heartening. 🌺

With thanks to Cook Islands News for reporting on this deeply distressing and appalling situation at the Nikao Cemetery.

The more widely this is shared, the greater the chance that someone may remember seeing or hearing something, or may have information that could assist the Cook Islands Police in identifying those responsible.

The deliberate vandalism and destruction of graves and headstones, including those of Cook Islands First World War veterans, has caused enormous distress, shock and anger. These are the resting places of people’s loved ones and an important part of the Cook Islands’ history and heritage. They deserve respect.

We sincerely hope that by continuing to raise awareness, someone will come forward with information.

https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/local/crime/deeply-personal-outrage-and-heartbreak-after-headstones-vandalised-at-nikao-cemetery/

Further investigations within the Nikao Cemetery today have revealed even more vandalised graves and headstones, including those of Cook Islands First World War veterans.

We are disgusted and deeply saddened by what we are seeing. Headstones have been removed from graves, some have been broken, and a number of graves have been damaged. Most appalling of all is seeing memorials to men who served and sacrificed for the Cook Islands and New Zealand vandalised in this way.

This is an absolute disgrace, and we sincerely hope the Cook Islands Police have all the resources they need to identify and apprehend whoever is responsible for these appalling acts of disrespect.