The Southern Cemetery was the first Public Cemetery in Dunedin. It was Opened in 1858.The cemetery had separate sections set aside for Presbyterians, Anglicans, and Roman Catholics, as well as a Jewish section. The 1860s saw a major influx of people into the city due to the Central Otago Gold Rush, including a large number of Chinese from Guangdong; a separate Chinese section to the cemetery was added in the years that followed. A large proportion of New Zealand's early Jewish immigrants are buried in the cemetery's Jewish section. In all, some 23,000 burials were recorded at the Southern Cemetery. Much of the cemetery is in a poor state of maintenance, though there are plans to repair some of its more damaged areas.