Bruce McLaren’s Auckland gravesite vandalised in repeat attacks 

The gravesite of New Zealand motorsport icon Bruce McLaren has fallen victim to a series of vandalism attacks. 

The repeat attacks at the Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland have also targeted headstones belonging to other members of the McLaren family. 

News of these attacks was first shared to Facebook by the Bruce McLaren Trust, expressing their dismay. 

“They have been sprayed with gold paint and had toy cars stuck onto them. We are lost for words as to why anyone would do this,” they said. 

“A very kind offer has been made by The Grave Guardians, a voluntary organisation that restores headstones to repair the damage, for which we are extremely grateful.

“While this work is being undertaken, the stones are wrapped and unable to be viewed.”

While some of the headstones had been covered with gold paint, someone also had tried to use builder’s epoxy to affix toy cars to it. 

Despite wrapping the headstones, George Stewart-Dalzell of The Grave Guardians explained how the gravestones were tampered with repeatedly, with the offenders removing the plastic wrap to do so. 

Speaking in an interview with 1News, Stewart-Dalzell explained how she hoped whoever was doing this, had good intentions. 

“People think that headstones are public property because they’re in a cemetery and they can do what they like,” she said.

“I look at TikTok and Instagram and there’s people using water blasters and blow torches and wire brushes and stuff like that, and I think they think they can grab some paint from the two dollar shop and come and repaint, not realising that damages the stone.”

Stewart-Dalzell hopes anyone who notices damage to any graves will report it to police instead of attempting to undertake repairs themselves.