Aylmer May Cemetery is a place where colonial medics, heartbroken captains, and forgotten dreamers rest. Why did a band of Zambians fight to save this decaying relic? Step inside and meet the ghosts of a nation’s past.
There lies a cemetery, a sanctuary with crumbling headstones and tales of colonial pioneers, beyond Lagos Road into Rhodes Park, Lusaka, where the Aylmer May Cemetery Trust stands. This place is not just a resting place but a place that preserves stories from Zambia’s colonial history. It is named after Dr Aylmer May, the first Chief Medical Officer in Northern Rhodesia. Intriguingly, the cemetery's site was once a malaria prevention centre. The cemetery closed to burials in 1958 and is now the final resting place of thousands of soldiers, settlers and dreamers and is a registered National Heritage Site.
The Murray Memorial Chapel and Restoration Trust
The main attraction of the cemetery is embodied by the Murray Memorial Chapel at its heart, a tribute to Audrey Murray, the young wife of Captain Thomas Murray. The Chapel was built in 1927 in honour of Audrey, who died at only twenty-five years old from the burst of her appendix shortly after she arrived in Zambia. Today, the chapel remains one of Lusaka’s most poignant historical landmarks, with visitors to the cemetery still leaving flowers on her tomb.
In 1991, the Aylmer May Cemetery Restoration Trust was formed with a mission to preserve history. The Trust was funded by donations and volunteer citizens like Quentin Allen and Martin Clark. Their work included cataloguing over a thousand graves and restoring the Murray Memorial Chapel. Some graves only have initials, and the Trust to this day searches archives to give these souls their names back. The ‘Tree of Life’ mural that watches over those who rest is an original Gabrielle Ellison art piece, commissioned by the Trust.
The cemetery also holds other landmarks that tell the tales of the past: the Memorial Wall, where ashes are interred; the meditation labyrinth; and the Lechwe Trust Garden, which offers a place to reflect and connect with the past.
When to Visit Aylmer May Cemetery
As one of the few preserved colonial cemeteries in Zambia, Aylmer May Cemetery offers a unique glimpse into Zambia's history. The cemetery is open to all every Tuesday to Sunday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Caretakers unlock the chapel for visitors to view Audrey's tomb and restored altars. While full burials no longer take place, families can inter ashes in family plots or the Memorial Wall.
Aylmer May Cemetery is more than a graveyard; it's a place that whispers history, as every weathered headstone tells a tale to be remembered. Forever sacred, this living monument invites visitors to come hear its stories and carry them on.
