Story: Death and dying

Scattering ashes

Scattering ashes

Harvey Warren chose to spread the ashes of his father at the Trentham racecourse in Upper Hutt on 22 February 1977. Ashes are scattered at sea, in national parks, buried in private gardens or spread on the lawns of public cemeteries. Families may bury the ashes of family members around family gravestones or take their remains to the countries from which they originated. Often a shrub or tree is planted when ashes are buried or a garden developed in memory of the person who has died.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Evening Post Collection (PAColl-0614)
Reference: EP-Social-Customs-Funerals-01

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Ruth McManus and Rosemary Du Plessis, 'Death and dying - Cremation', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/30425/scattering-ashes (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Ruth McManus and Rosemary Du Plessis, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 16 May 2018, updated 1 Nov 2023