The Bluff Hill tragedy

In a corner of Hastings cemetery is a grave at the start of a row with a simple memoriam. Douglas William Barr - accidentally killed Bluff Hill.
It doesn’t tell even a fraction of the tragic story.
Douglas had a new car - a Chevrolet sedan and he had gone to pick up Mina Clare Kauter from an evening out on Bluff Hill.
About 8pm Douglas was driving slowly - going according to witnesses about 15mph - along the breakwater road heading toward the port on May 12, 1930 when the cliff above them gave way.
Two men on the breakwater crayfishing and the Harbour Board’s watchman were having a chat facing the cliff face when they heard a crack then a huge portion of the mostly limestone rock face fell - straight on to the car just coming round a bend.
The watchman immediately went to call for help while the other two men rushed to the rock fall.
An inquest was told the car could barely been seen but they managed to get Douglas out, although it was clear he was already dead.
But reaching Clare was more difficult, her side of the car was almost completely covered. Arriving police began to help, with everyone having to dodge more falling rocks.
Finally a doctor arrived and found Clare was still alive - but she passed away before she could be moved to an ambulance.
The inquest found Douglas had his skull fractured while Clare had nearly every bone in her body broken.
There had been concern about the cliff face for a while - it had been cracked for some time - but it had been thought it would need bad weather for it to be a problem rather than a long dry hot spell.
As workmen began clearing it was estimated that 1660 tonnes of rock had fallen.
The inquest jury gave a verdict of accidental death but recommended that the local council appoint someone to keep an eye on the condition of the cliff face, since there was a heavy traffic road just below.
Less than a year later, the 1931 7.8 earthquake would result in the same cliff face giving way.
While Douglas is buried in Hastings Cemetery, Clare is buried in Park Island under the name Nita Clare Kauter.​