Restoration of gravestone of pioneer settlers, George Petoni, Emma and Annie Carter

We are fundraising to restore the grave of pioneer settlers, George Petoni Carter (b.1840), his wife, Emma Carter (b.1848) and their eldest daughter, Annie (b.1866).

This grave is 100 years old this year as George died in 1919. It is in serious need of restoration with the headstones weathered with age, and a cracking and a collapsed floor.

We want to restore this grave site to recognise the Carter’s place and contribution as early Pakeha settlers and for future generation’s sense of place in time and history.

George's family came to New Zealand on the Aurora, the first immigrant ship to Wellington which arrived on Petone Beach in January 1840 and George was born in Petone ten months later. George Petoni could speak fluent Maori, and was a builder/ carpenter by trade. There are buildings around Wellington still standing which George built.

Emma George's family arrived in Nelson about two years after the Carter family arrived in Petone. When Emma was 90, a reporter quoted her saying "Nelson was mainly huts and tents when my parents arrived and as soon as they landed my father built a mud hut, as did everybody else, with toi toi for the roof.” Later the George family moved to Wellington.

Their oldest daughter, Annie is also buried at the gravesite.

We want to complete the restoration in November this year with an unveiling in December to mark 100 years since George Petoni Carter passed. All fund contributors and those Carter descendants known will be invited to this event. The date for this event will be sent once we have finished fundraising at the end of October.

Who is leading this fundraising project?

This project is being led by two descendants of George and Emma’s children; Eddie Bisdee (George and Emma’s great grandson through their 8th daughter Cecilia, Emma Haxton (George and Emma’s great granddaughter through their 5th daughter, Gertrude.