It is really hard to find information on the internet about church cemeteries in Sydney. You can find websites with alphabetical lists of all cemeteries in Sydney (or indeed Australia - see: Australian Cemeteries Index), and some people have taken the time to make websites including cemeteries from their local area (see: Cemetery Records Australia) However, trying to find a list of churches which still have graveyards attached is a little bit tricky. If anyone knows of a good site (or is planning to create one!) please let me know.
Anyway, today I visited two small inner city cemeteries which I found through Cemetery Records Australia
The Canterbury City Cemeteries Online website includes a small amount of information on each of the sites I visited today and i have taken some of this for my blog (see below).
I noticed a bit of a pattern in both of the cemeteries which was a number of gravetsones that had text inlaid at the base with various readings including: "Resting", "Remembered", "Sleeping", "Thy will be done" etc. You can see these on the pictures below. I spend ages trying to work out one only to discover it was the name of those interred; "Plumridge".
Moorefield Cemetery
Moorefield Cemetery
I particularly liked this inscription on one headstone:
"This lovely bud so young & fair
called hence by early doom
Just came to show how sweet a flower
paradise will bloom"
Moorefield Cemetery
Moorefield Cemetery, Kingsgrove, NSW
"Moorefields Methodist Cemetery, Kingsgrove is located behind the church at 96a Moorefields Road, Kingsgrove (public access through Maramba Close). It is believed to be the oldest cemetery in Canterbury City with the first of over 1155 listed burials recorded on 6 January, 1855 for Emma Lees. The burial records can not be substantiated due to a fire destroying the early records in 1905.
Plots can no longer be purchased. Canterbury City Council is custodian of this cemetery and people with existing rights can arrange for relatives to be interred."
You can take a virtual tour of the cemetery or look at My Photographic Collection (soon to be updated) for more pictures of the site.
The Conservation Management Plan includes a layout of the cemetery, timeline history of the site and burial statistics amongst other information.
St Saviour's Cemetery, Punchbowl
From the Canterbury City Cemeteries Online website:
"The first recorded burial was for Catherine Elizabeth Pearson (age 36 years) on 19th February, 1878. There are many early pioneers of Canterbury City among the 1175 recorded burials"
You can take a virtual tour of the cemetery and find other information including details about the Church itself at the website.
Used the pinhole feature on my camera to take these shots
You can find out more information on both of these cemeteries from the publications of the Canterbury and District Historical Society.
