‘Lost for Words’: Bruce McLaren’s Grave Vandalised in West Auckland
Graves belonging to New Zealand racing icon Bruce McLaren and his family have been repeatedly vandalised, leaving relatives and fans shocked and heartbroken.
The memorials at Waikumete Cemetery in West Auckland honour McLaren — who died in a crash at Goodwood in 1970 — his wife Patricia, his parents, and his sister and brother-in-law. All were targeted in a string of senseless acts of vandalism.
“We are lost for words as to why anyone would do this,” the Bruce McLaren Trust wrote on social media.
Graves Covered in Gold Paint and Damaged
Grave restorer George Stewart-Dalzell, who regularly cares for headstones at Waikumete, first discovered the damage on September 30.
“Before we even got there, you could just see all of this gold paint all over the stones,” she said. “I felt like I wanted to cry… I was just devastated.”
Stewart-Dalzell said toy cars had been glued to the top of Bruce and Patricia’s grave, and that the headstones were covered in gold paint and bleach. The words “Until we meet again Darling”, which had been blacked out after Patricia’s death in 2016, were refilled in gold.
Nearby graves — about 14 in total — were also affected, suggesting a single person was responsible.
“Someone has obviously decided the graves were in a sad state and thought they were helping,” she said. “They’ve destroyed ceramic portraits and done significant damage.”
Stewart-Dalzell spent weeks carefully removing the paint, but said the vandal returned multiple times, even tearing off protective wrapping meant to shield the site.
The graves are now wrapped.
McLaren Family ‘Very Upset’
Michael Clark from the Bruce McLaren Trust said McLaren’s daughter, Amanda McLaren, was devastated.
“First and foremost, Bruce McLaren is Amanda’s dad. She’s as upset as anyone would be if their parents’ graves had been disturbed like this,” Clark said.
He described the vandal as “probably not well in the mind” and urged them to “leave the graves alone and get some help.”
Clark said the Trust planned to find a way to thank Stewart-Dalzell for her restoration work, despite her refusal to accept payment.
“These wonderful people that restore the graves refuse to take anything. We’re going to defy that. They’re doing wonderful work for nothing.”
Council Condemns the Vandalism
Auckland Council confirmed it was aware of the incident.
“We strongly condemn the actions of the individuals who carried this out,” said Nikki Nelson, the council’s Manager for Cemetery Services.
Nelson said vandalism is a recurring problem across Auckland cemeteries, which are open to the public at all times, making prevention difficult. CCTV cameras operate at Waikumete, Manukau Memorial, and North Shore Memorial cemeteries, and the public is urged to report any suspicious activity to police.