Overview
- The Bruce McLaren Trust confirmed that headstones for Bruce, Patricia, and McLaren’s parents at Waikumete Cemetery were sprayed with gold paint, with toy cars glued to Bruce and Patricia’s grave.
- Damage was first discovered in late September by volunteer restorer George Stewart-Dalzell of The Grave Guardians, who reported bleach damage to a sister’s family grave and similar paint on nearby headstones.
- Volunteers wrapped the memorials to protect them for repairs, yet the perpetrator is believed to have returned multiple times and removed the protective coverings.
- The Grave Guardians have offered to undertake restoration, and the stones remain wrapped and not available for public viewing during the work.
- Auckland Council urged people to report incidents to police, noting CCTV is in place but full coverage is impractical across Waikumete’s vast grounds.