Harewood Memorial Gardens & Crematorium is a serene place of rest and remembrance in Christchurch, set aside in perpetuity so families have peace of mind that their loved ones will always rest safe in their care. Established in 1963, the memorial gardens are a formal park of rose gardens and native plantings, with long graceful walkways, immaculate lawns, and mature trees — tended year-round by dedicated gardeners who see their work as a service to the community.
The site offers a compassionate cremation service for the people of Christchurch and Canterbury, with an elegant art deco chapel beside the gardens hosting funeral services, memorial gatherings, and cremations. Services can be live streamed for those who cannot attend. Families can choose from a wide range of memorial options for all styles and budgets, personalise plaques with photographs, graphics, and inscriptions, and pre-arrange every detail at today's prices, with payment plans by arrangement. An extensive urn range — simple scattering tubes, handcrafted artisan timber, and eco-friendly biodegradable options — along with keepsake jewellery, helps families remember.
The committed team has cared for grieving Cantabrians since 1963 and supports families through what can be a difficult, emotional journey, welcoming questions about the gardens, memorials, and cremation. Guided tours of the gardens can be requested, and a genealogy resource helps those tracing loved ones. Harewood Memorial Gardens & Crematorium is a member of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand and is part of InvoCare New Zealand, with a sister location at Canterbury Memorial Gardens & Crematorium in Linwood.
Harewood Memorial Gardens & Crematorium has quietly served the people of Christchurch and Canterbury for more than sixty years. Established in 1963, the memorial gardens were set aside as a resting place in perpetuity, so that families can have peace of mind their loved ones will always rest safe in their care. The team describe themselves as guardians to generations of Cantabrians — a role that pairs compassionate, practical support with the long-term care of a beautifully kept park.
The memorial gardens are a formal park in the truest sense: rose gardens and native plantings, long graceful walkways flanked by immaculate lawns, and mature trees that give the grounds a settled, established feel. Dedicated gardeners tend the roses and maintain the trees year-round, and they see their work as more than landscaping — beautiful evidence of the promise to care for every loved one remembered here, in perpetuity.
Many families, the team note, simply want a place where they can see the hills and feel the sun on their face. The gardens offer exactly that: a serene setting for rest and contemplation.
Harewood offers a compassionate cremation service for the people of Christchurch and Canterbury. Beside the gardens stands the Harewood Chapel, an elegant art deco building that hosts funeral services, memorial gatherings, and cremations. For family and friends who cannot travel to Christchurch, services can be live streamed, so no one has to miss the chance to say goodbye.
Organising a service, a cremation, and a memorial can be a difficult, emotional journey, and the team are upfront about that. From reception and memorial advising to the manager and cremator technicians, the support team — including manager Clinton Poole, assistant manager Joanne Knight, and memorial adviser Yvonne Jordan — bring compassion and experience to every situation, having cared for grieving Cantabrians since 1963. If you have questions about the gardens, memorials, or cremation, they welcome your call.
Within the gardens there is a wide range of memorial options for all styles and budgets, from plaques to larger monuments. Plaques can be personalised with graphics, ceramic or lasered photographs, and personal inscriptions, and a digital proof is sent so families can see exactly how the memorial will look. Every memorial is maintained in perpetuity, and once a memorial is purchased in the gardens, families are never asked for another payment.
Pre-arranging a memorial is a core part of what Harewood does: choosing the place and the way you'll be remembered, resting near loved ones, and putting your affairs in order. Details can be planned with a memorial adviser and paid for at today's prices — a deposit, then regular payments over 12 months by arrangement. You'll receive a reservation pack with a certificate, map, and terms to keep with your solicitor or family papers, and a blank plaque is placed in your chosen position until the time comes.
One detail worth knowing: the land itself isn't owned. You hold a lease to occupy your position in the garden in perpetuity, and you own your plaque and memorial.
Alongside the gardens, Harewood offers an extensive range of urns — from simple scattering tubes to handcrafted artisan timber and eco-friendly biodegradable options — and beautiful keepsake jewellery to keep a loved one close. A genealogy resource supports those tracing memorials, and guided tours of the gardens can be requested for anyone who would like to walk the grounds before making decisions.
Harewood Memorial Gardens & Crematorium, on Wilkinsons Rd in Harewood, is a member of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand and part of InvoCare New Zealand, with a sister location at Canterbury Memorial Gardens & Crematorium on Linwood Ave. To talk with the team, call 03 359 9039.