Can I get a memorial bench in Wellington?

Installing a seat, bench or picnic table in a public place can be a beautiful way to memorialise a loved one.

It can provide a memorial for someone who has been buried or cremated elsewhere. The natural burial ground at Mākara is a beautiful place to return a loved one’s remains to Papatūānuku, but it does mean that, as the native plantings grow up and flourish, it becomes difficult or impossible to find the exact place of their burial. Sometimes we feel a need to go to a place that provides a feeling of physical nearness to a loved one. A seat or other “furniture” can provide that point of contact. And by returning to a special place, we can revisit memories and feel connected to the spirit of those who have gone on ahead.

My Dad’s ashes are buried in the grounds of our family church in Dunedin. When I go back to my hometown, I stop by and sit there, looking out over the hillsides to St Kilda beach and the ocean beyond, and think about the past. But since my Mum moved up to Wellington, I don’t return to Dunedin all that often.

Being far from my Dad’s earthly remains has become less difficult over time, but when I feel I want to connect with his memory, it helps me to place myself somewhere that feels connected to how he was in life. One of those places in Wellington (although he never lived here) is the Basin Reserve – because my Dad, being an old-school Englishman, loved cricket. The atmosphere of a cricket game is all it takes to bring a smile and a feeling of connection.

I won’t be attempting to place a memorial bench in the Basin Reserve, but I have helped families who want to have a piece of memorial furniture in a special place in Wellington. If you can’t get to your loved one’s final resting place, perhaps a piece of memorial furniture or a memorial plaque would help to create a place of meaning where you can feel connected to them.

If there’s a place in Wellington that holds a special meaning for you and a person who has died, you may be able to install a piece of commemorative furniture there.

Rules and regulations for memorial seats

Wellington City Council manages our public spaces for us and have formulated some rules and regulations for memorial furniture. You do have to go through an application process with them. They’ll assess:

• the location – some places don’t have room for more seats (like Plimmer Park or Pukeahu) or are deemed unsuitable (like some parts of the South coast)
• the available space – there might be room for a small bench in some places, or even a full picnic table in others
• the proposed design – the materials used and the look-and-feel of the seat needs to suit the environment and match the other furniture in the area

WCC has standard suppliers who provide approved furniture. They’ll manage creation and installation of the furniture, and creation and installation of a plaque.

It usually takes around 6 – 10 weeks from family booking a seat with the Council and the seat + plaque going in. Installation is weather dependent, but it does happen all year round, so whenever there’s a break in the weather and the team has available time, they’ll get this work done.

How do I get a memorial plaque?

Plaques are usually about 8x25cm and can house about 20 words.

The memorial seat and plaque will be created and maintained by the Council, but what is actually on the plaque is over to you. While you don’t have to stick to an exact formula for what to write on your plaque, the text will need to be family-friendly and fit for public consumption.

After the 20 years the seat generally is in need of replacement or major repair. The original family who paid for the seat has the first right of re-donating for another 20 years. It they don’t want to do this, the plaque will be returned to them, and once the seat is repaired or replaced it would become available for another family.

A living memorial

If a seat does feel quite right, or is too costly, there’s always the option to plant a native tree in memory of your loved one. While there may not be a plaque or written marker, the work of digging, planting and seeing life flourishing still provides a meaningful memorialisation.

There’s a Commemorative Forest at Mākara Cemetery, where native forest is being re-established both at the Natural Burial Ground and elsewhere in the cemetery grounds.

There are also other re-forestation projects underway around Wellington, supporting our native birds and insects, supporting healthy biodiversity, and greening our city spaces. The Council coordinates planting, provides seedlings and ensures that planting is set up for success. Find out more.