It’s been a decade coming but the new niche wall for the interment of ashes at Tenterfield Cemetery has been officially opened, adding a stunning landscaped feature to the facility with its accompanying rose garden and seating area.
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In unveiling the wall, mayor Peter Petty said a new niche wall/rose garden has been on the drawing books as part of the Tenterfield Cemetery Master Plan since 2008.
After council resolved in February 2015 to adopt the plan David Stewart drove the project up until his retirement from council earlier this year, when Heidi Ford took over in close collaboration with council’s Open Space, Regulatory & Utilities supervisor Mark Cooper.
The wall was designed by Calvin Grogan (then working at council) with construction in February/March 2017 by local bricklayer Onelio Meneguzzi. Earthworks were undertaken by David Kelly, garden edging by Rhombus Contracting, and John Cusack did the paving.
Following some rain, the plants were ordered from Caroline Robinson’s Blue Hills Nursery and planted by Parks & Garden staff in October.
“The cost for works associated with the Fred Pavel Memorial Wall and Memorial Rose Garden is approximately $21,500 using local tradies,” Cr Petty said.
Council received the first application for interment of ashes in May 2017, sadly for Mr Meneguzzi’s daughter Giselle.
By the end of 2017 the first row and half of the second row had been filled or reserved, and to date 22 of the 72 niches have had ashes interred or reserved.
Interment plots around the Memorial Rose Garden will now be allocated, with the first reservation just received.
The Fred Pavel Memorial Wall
Formerly referred to as the New Niche Memorial Wall, councillors agreed earlier this year to a suggestion for it instead to be known as the Fred Pavel Memorial Wall.
Fredric Thomas Pavel was born in 1947 and passed away on May 18, 2014. He was born and bred in Tenterfield, and was the grandson of the first Tenterfield saddler Charles H Pavel, who is interred in the Old Church of England Section of the Tenterfield Cemetery (Row I Lot 1, killed by a bull).
A truck driver by trade, Fred later in life pursued family tree history which included cataloging cemeteries in the New England and Mid North Coast district. He contributed to the local area by researching and producing two very detailed publications: Deaths Recorded for Tenterfield Shire & Beyond’ Volume One: Tenterfield Cemetery and Deaths Recorded for Tenterfield Shire & Beyond’ Volume Two: Cemeteries Surrounding Tenterfield.
Both publications are sought by the community on a regular basis. They are soon to be revised and made available through the diligent work of his co-author, Judith Allport-Selden.
Mr Pavel also took hundreds photos of monumental headstones in the Tenterfield Cemetery. In the naming of the niche wall, Mr Pavel is considered to be very deserving of being recognised for his works.
