Bolton Street Memorial Park, Colonial cemetery in Thorndon, New Zealand.

Bolton Street Memorial Park is a cemetery on a hillside between the Botanic Garden and Wellington's central business district. It was established in 1840 on 18 acres and split into Anglican, Jewish and public sections in 1851. The Wellington Urban Motorway was built through its middle in the late 1960s, and a footbridge now links the two halves.

Founded in 1840 as Wellington's first burial ground, the cemetery served different faith communities with separate sections for Anglican, Jewish, and public burials. Changes to the landscape came during the 1960s when motorway construction affected the site.

The cemetery is known for the rare heritage roses planted around many Victorian graves, some dating from the colonial era. The site also holds the grave of William Wakefield, who founded the Wellington settlement, and of other early politicians and settlers. A path named Observatory Path recalls New Zealand's first astronomical observatory, built at the top of the cemetery in 1868.

The cemetery is split in two by the Wellington Urban Motorway; the Denis McGrath footbridge reconnects the halves. Paths climb the hillside between the Terrace and the Botanic Garden, so wear shoes with grip. The route is often used as a walking link from the Botanic Garden down to the central business district.

A vault beneath the Early Settlers Memorial Lawn holds remains that were relocated during the 1960s motorway construction. This hidden chapter reveals how the expanding city worked around the burial ground while preserving it.