At least eight graves up to 150 years old have been pushed over and vandalised at a historical Auckland cemetery.

The graves were damaged at St Stephen’s Chapel near Parnell, which is a registered category 1 building with Heritage New Zealand.

Auckland’s Holy Trinity Cathedral Dean, Very Reverend Anne Mills told NZME there are 12 graves that have been significantly damaged.

“They’ve been pushed over and knocked over. They’re a combination of sandstone and marble, so they’ve shattered.

“It’s a very significant graveyard of people who have contributed to Parnell and to the development of the city, and there was huge synergy down there in the early days in the early 1800s between Māori and Pākehā.”

There are many early settlers buried there, as well as Rota Waitoa, the first Māori to be ordained in the Anglican church.

Emma Wilson Campbell, wife of Sir John Logan Campbell, the “father of Auckland”, is also among those buried at the site.

“Whenever anything is significantly damaged, senselessly, it’s always very sad,” Mills said.

“It’s people whom we remember and people who have been loved and are loved by their families.”

She said a small group of volunteers maintain the site, “they’re extremely distressed, they’re also distressed because of the lives that are represented beyond the damage, that people can just desecrate them really and and obliterate them with no respect”.

Volunteer Rosemary Cormack told the Herald it was a terrible day.

“All the volunteers, we’re all just numb,” she said.

“We’ve worked so hard to get it to this stage and just like that, in one night, it can be completely put back to square one.

“We’ve only just finished paying the restorer for the last lot of restoration he did two weeks ago.”

Cormack said the group of volunteers has been working for five years to repair the graves.

“I have been fundraising for and getting grants from the council... I’ve had two grants last year and the year before from the council for the repairs of the graves.”

Auckland Council manager of area operations Martin Wong said it was aware of the destruction.

“This is a disgraceful act and our hearts go out to the descendants of those lying in rest here.”

The council manages the land, gardens and trees at the closed cemetery site but does not look after the graves.

The graves are private property owned by the descendants, Wong said.

“We will assist to sensitively tidy up the damage and assist the police with their inquiries.”

He said the graves are maintained by volunteers, whose efforts have been helped by two Auckland Council grants over the past six years.

Police received a report of wilful damage at the cemetery at St Stephen’s Chapel, Parnell, just after 5pm on July 7.

Police said it has been reported that “eight gravestones have been pushed over and broken up”.

Anyone with information can update police online now or call 105 using the reference number 250707/2117.

The council is also investigating significant damage to the council-owned toilets at Judges Bay, where sinks, taps and toilets were removed over the weekend, Wong said.