Cemeteries
Index
Camperdown – Monumental Inscriptions
Camperdown Internment Register 1849-1853
Frenchs Forest NSW 1940-c.2008
Sydney Burial Ground – Licences to Bury 1867-1888
Sydney Burial Ground – Re-interment Register 1901
Sydney Burial Ground – Monumental Inscriptions – Transcribed in 1969
* these items are not included in database as yet
Cemetery records
BDA has received donations of monumental inscriptions for several cemeteries, including Launceston (Tas) and Mona Vale and Frenchs Forest (NSW). Transcripts of scores of others are held under copyright, ready for data entry by volunteers whose assistance would be welcomed.
The centrepiece of the collection, central Sydney’s main burial ground, functioning as a cemetery from 1819-1888, is now online.
Between 1819 and 1888 over 30,000 persons were interred in the Sydney Burial Ground (also known as the Sandhills Cemetery) between Devonshire and Elizabeth Streets, Sydney.
In 1900, when the cemetery was about to be removed to make way for the city’s new Central Station, hundreds of relatives or representatives of the deceased applied to have the remains and monuments moved to other cemeteries, creating a unique record of inter-generational connections. Most remains and memorials went to Bunnerong, near the shores of Botany Bay.
Records of burial and family applications for reinterment, along with nearly 3000 transcripts of monumental inscriptions (1819-1888), appeared in a book published by the Library of Australian History in Sydney in 2001:
Sydney Burial Ground 1819-1901 (Elizabeth and Devonshire Streets) and History of Sydney’s Early Cemeteries from 1788 by Keith A. Johnson and Malcolm R. Sainty.
The book includes the main series of records relating to the cemetery, being the Licences to Bury 1867-1888, the Re-interment Register 1900-1901(when the remains were exhumed) and details of the monumental inscriptions of 2825 monuments moved to Bunnerong Cemetery around 1901 and transcribed by the authors in 1969-1970. The text also contains an introduction and extensive history of the cemetery and, as the sub-title indicates, of earlier Sydney cemeteries.
Guide to cemeteries in the Sydney Metropolitan Area.
As part of the book Sydney Burial Ground 1819-1901, Keith Johnson compiled in two appendices reproduced here, two listings of all the greater Sydney Metropolitan Cemeteries from 1788 to 1966: Appendix 4 in chronological order of year of commencement and Appendix 5 in alphabetical order of place.
These Appendices are strictly copyrighted.
Appendix 4 Cemeteries Chronology : Greater Sydney Region
For more details refer to Appendix 5.
Year Modern Place name
1788 Sydney City – Dawes Point
1790 Sydney City – Clarence Street.
1790 Parramatta – St.Johns.
1792 Sydney City – George Street.
1806 Cranebrook – McCarthy’s.
1810 Windsor – C of E.
1814 Castlereagh – C of E.
1814 Richmond –C of E.
1814 Wilberforce – C of E. (Reg. 1826).
1818 Liverpool –C of E.
1819 Sydney City – Sydney Burial Ground.
1821 Campbelltown – C of E.
c1821 Wisemans Ferry – C of E.
c1822 Windsor – Catholic.
c1823 Campbelltown – Catholic.
c1823 Pitt Town – C of E. (Reg. 1826).
1824 Parramatta North – St.Patricks, Catholic
1825 Ebenezer – Presbyterian.
1826 Ryde – St.Anne – C of E.
1828 Sackville Reach –C of E.
1830 Cobbitty – C of E.
1832 Parramatta North -All Saints C of E.
c1832 Manly – Quarantine Station, N. Head.
1834 Regentville – Catholic.
1836 Upper Castlereagh – Wesleyan.
1837 Camden – General.
1838 Parramatta – Methodist.
1838 Penrith – C of E.
1838 St.Peters Cooks River – C of E.
1839 Appin –C of E. & Catholic.
1839 Mulgoa – C of E.
1839 Parramatta – Mays Hill – Presbyterian & others.
1839 Windsor – Presbyterian.
1840 Rossmore – C of E.
c1840 Lower Portland Head – Catholic.
c1840 Denham Court – C of E.
1841 Prospect- C of E.
1842 Camden – C of E.
1843 Ashfield – C of E.
1843 Leets Vale – Methodist.
1844 Greendale – Catholic.
1845 Crows Nest – St.Thomas – North Sydney.
1845 Upper Colo- Comleroy Road.
1846 Pennant Hills West – Methodist.
c1845 St.Marys (South Creek) – C of E.
c1848 Campbelltown – Presbyterian.
1849 Enfield – C of E.
1849 Newtown – Camperdown C of E.
1849 Riverstone – C of E.
1850 Baulkham Hills – Pearce family.
1851 Greendale – C of E.
1851 Londonderry.
1851 McGraths Hill.
1852 Ryde – St.Charles – Catholic.
1854 Cawdor – Methodist.
1855 Lakemba – Moorfields – Wesleyan.
1855 Randwick – St.Judes – C of E.
1856 Bankstown – St.Felix – Catholic.
1856 Sackville Reach – Methodist.
c1856 Camden – Catholic.
1857 Carlingford – C of E.
1859 Emu Plains – General.
1860 Canterbury –C of E.
1860 Haberfield – Presbyterian.
1860 Smithfield – C of E.
c1862 Spencer- General.
1863 Castle Hill –C of E.
1863 Concord – Longbottom – Catholic.
1863 Lewisham – Petersham – Catholic.
1863 Rouse Hill – C of E.
1865 Balgowlah – Manly General.
1865 Dural – Methodist.
1865 Ryde – Baptist.
c1865 Richmond – Presbyterian.
c1865 Rockdale – Methodist.
1867 Gordon – C of E.
1868 Leichhardt – Balmain General.
1868 Rookwood – Necropolis. General.
1869 Smithfield – Baptist.
1869 Vaucluse – South Head General.
c1869 Campbelltown – Congregational & Methodist.
c1870 Church Point- Pittwater.
c1871 Chatswood South – Methodist.
c1871 Mona Vale – C of E.
1872 Luddenham –C of E.
1875 St.Leonards – Gore Hill General.
1876 Dural – C of E.
1877 Smithfield – General.
1877 Waverley – General.
1878 Punchbowl – C of E.
1879 Old Man Valley, Hornsby – C of E.
1881 Little Bay -Prince Henry Hospital.
1883 St.Marys – South Creek General.
1883 Smithfield – Methodist.
1888 Coogee – Randwick General.
1888 Matraville – Botany General.
1889 Luddenham – Methodist.
1889 Ryde – Field of Mars General.
c1890 Chatswood – Catholic.
c1890 Hurstville – C of E.
1893 Blacktown – Catholic.
1894 Carlingford – North Rocks Catholic.
1894 Helensburgh – General.
1894 Liverpool – General.
1895 Sutherland – Woronora General.
1898 Riverstone – General.
1899 Luddenham – Catholic.
1901 Pitt Town – General.
c1901 Brooklyn – General.
c1910 Penrith – General.
1914 Mona Vale – General.
1919 Castle Hill – General.
1922 North Ryde – Northern Suburbs. General.
1940 Frenchs Forest – General.
1962 Minchinbury – Pine Grove General.
1963 Rouse Hill – Castlebrook Lawn General.
1964 Leppington – Forest Lawn General.
1966 Kemps Creek – Catholic Lawn.
Note: The word General can imply that the cemetery is either not denominational or contains separate denominational sections.
Appendix 5 Cemeteries : Greater Sydney Region by Modern Placename
Location Name & Location Start Remarks
Appin St.Marks C of E, Church St. 1839 Adjoining church.
Appin St.Bedes Catholic, King St. 1839
Ashfield St.Johns C of E., Alt Street 1843 Adjoining church.
Balgowlah Manly Cemetery. 1865 Still in use with occasional burials.
Griffiths & Hill Streets, Separate denominations.
Balmain (see Leichhardt)
Bankstown St.Felix Catholic, Chapel Road. 1856 Adjoining church.
Baulkham Hills Pearce family, Old Northern Rd. 1850
Blacktown Catholic, Patrick St. 1893 Built over for Westpoint Centre.
Botany (see Matraville).
Brooklyn General. c.1901 Still in use.
Camden General. Southern Rd & Druitts Ln. 1837
Camden St.Johns C of E, Menangle Rd. 1842 Adjoining church.
Camden St.Pauls Catholic. Cawdor Rd. c.1856
Camden (see Cawdor).
Campbelltown St.Peters C of E. 1821 All denominations in earliest years.
Campbelltown St.Johns Catholic. 1823
Campbelltown St.Davids Presbyterian. c.1848
Campbelltown Congregational & Methodist. c.1869
Camperdown (see Newtown).
Canterbury St.Pauls C of E, Church Street. 1860 Adjoining church.
Carlingford St.Pauls C of E, Marsden Road. 1857 Adjoining Catts Nursery.
Carlingford North Rocks Catholic Cemetery, 1894 Still in use.
Cnr. Parma & North Rocks Rd.
Castle Hill St.Pauls C of E. 1863 Adjoining church.
Old Northern Road.
Castle Hill General, Gilbert Road. 1919
Castlereagh C of E, Church Street. 1814
Castlereagh Wesleyan, Lees property. 1836
Upper
Cawdor Methodist. 1854 Adjoining church.
Chatswood Catholic Cemetery, Archer St. c.1890 Built over c.1925.
Chatswood Sth Methodist Cemetery, c.1871 Adjoining church.
Cnr. Pacific Hwy &Mowbray Road
Church Point Pittwater Cemetery. c.1870 Small Anglican & Methodist.
Cobbitty St.Pauls C of E. 1830
Concord Catholic Cemetery, Longbottom. 1863 Used until 1913. Now a park. Monuments
moved to Rookwood.
Coogee South Randwick General Cemetery, 1888 Still in use.
Malabar Road & Roper Street.
Cooks River (see St.Peters).
Cranebrook McCarthy’s Private. 1806 Became a small general cemetery.
Crows Nest St.Thomas North Sydney 1845 Mainly C of E. Last burial 1950.
Denham Court St.Mary the Virgin C of E. c.1840
Dural St.Judes C of E, Old Northern Rd. 1876 Still in use.
Dural Methodist, Derriwong Road. 1865
Ebenezer Presbyterian. 1825 Adjoining church.
Emu Plains Nixon Street. 1859 Various denominations.
Enfield St.Thomas C of E, King Street. 1849 Adjoining church.
Field of Mars Wellington Road. 1889 Still in use. Separate denominations.
Some monuments from Gladesville Hospital
& St.Anne’s Ryde relocated here.
Frenchs Forest Hakea & Ashworth Ave 1940 General Cemetery. Still in use.
Gordon St.Johns C of E, Pacific Hwy. 1867 Adjoining church.
Gore Hill (see St.Leonards).
Greendale Catholic. 1844
Greendale St.Marks, C of E. 1851
Haberfield St.Davids Presbyterian, 1860 Adjoining church. Small cemetery.
(the Ramsay family), Dalhousie St.
Half Moon Reach(see Lower Portland Head).
Haslems Crk. (see Rookwood).
Helensburgh General, off Park Street. 1894
Hornsby C of E, Old Man Valley. 1879
Hurstville St.Georges C of E, The Avenue. c.1890 Adjoining church..
Kemps Creek Lawn Cemetery, Western Road. 1966 Formerly Sydney Catholic Garden Cemetery –
now general. Still in use.
Kingswood (see Penrith).
Lakemba Moorfields Wesleyan Cemetery. 1855 Moorfields Road. Adjoining church.
Leets Vale Methodist, Chaselings Road. 1843
Leichhardt Balmain General Cemetery, 1868 In use to 1912. 10,900 burials. Converted to
Norton Street. Pioneer Park 1941 with no memorials.
Leppington Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens. 1964 General cemetery, still in use.
Camden Valley Way.
Lewisham St.Thomas, Petersham Catholic, 1863 Last plots sold 1884. Last burials 1925. Then Thomas St. Lewisham Hospital. Monuments to Rookwood.
Lidcombe (see Rookwood).
Little Bay Prince Henry Hospital Cemetery 1881 Quarantine cemetery for hospital.
Liverpool St.Lukes C of E, 1818 All denominations in early years.
Lachlan St & Hume Highway.
Liverpool Maclean St & Elizabeth Drive. 1894 Separate denominations, still in use.
Londonderry Richmond Road. 1851
Lower Portland St.Roses Catholic, c.1840
Head Half Moon Reach.
Luddenham St.James C of E, Northern Rd. 1872
Luddenham Methodist, Northern Road. 1889
Luddenham Catholic. 1899
Manly (see Balgowlah).
Manly Quarantine Station, North Head c.1832 3 distinct cemeteries.
Matraville Botany Cemetery. 1888 Originally 29.5 acres. In 1974 the 25 acres, containing remains from the Sydney Burial Ground in 1901 were added. Still in use.
(Now called Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park).Military & Bunnerong Roads.
Mays Hill (see Parramatta).
McGraths Hill High & Charles Streets. 1851
Minchinbury Pinegrove Memorial Park, 1962 General. Still in use.
Great Western Highway.
Mona Vale St.Johns C of E, Pittwater Rd. 1871 Adjoining church.
Mona Vale General Cemetery, Mona Vale Rd. 1914 Still in use.
Moorfields (see Lakemba).
Mulgoa St.Thomas C of E. 1839
Narellan St.Thomas C of E, Richardson St. c.1858
Newtown Camperdown C of E. Cemetery, 1849 17,962 burials, last in 1950.
Church Street. Adjoining St.Stephens Church.
North Ryde Macquarie Park Cemetery, 1922 Formerly Northern Suburbs, still in use.
Delhi Road. Separate denominations.
North Sydney (see Crows Nest).
Northern Suburbs (see North Ryde).
Parramatta St.Johns, O’Connell Street. 1790 Mainly C of E., all denominations prior to 1825.
Parramatta Methodist Cemetery, 1838 Now a Memorial Park.
Cnr. Buller and Ross Streets.
Parramatta Mays Hill Cemetery, Cnr. 1839 Presbyterian from 1839. Baptist 1849.
Great Western Hwy & Steele Sts. Other Protestant denominations followed.
Parramatta St.Patricks, Catholic 1824 Now a Memorial park.
North Cnr. Church St. & Pennant Hills Rd.
Parramatta All Saints, C of E. 1832 Small cemetery.
North Cnr. Brickfield& Fennell Streets.
Pennant Hills Methodist Cemetery. 1846 Adjoining church. Small cemetery still in use.
West New Line Road.
Penrith St.Stephens C of E. 1838
Penrith Copeland Street. c.1910 Separate denominations.
Petersham (see Lewisham).
Pitt Town St.James C of E, Old Pitt Town Rd. c.1823 Registers commence 1826.
Pitt Town Old Stock Route & Avondale Rd. 1901 General?
Pittwater (see Church Point).
Portland Head (see Ebenezer).
Prospect St.Bartholomew C of E, Ponds Rd. 1841 Adjoining church.
Punchbowl St.Saviour C of E, 1878 Adjoining church.
Canterbury Road.
Randwick St.Judes C of E, Avoca Street. 1855 Behind Church.
Randwick (see Coogee – South).
Regentville St.Johns Catholic. 1834
Richmond St.Peters C of E, Windsor St. 1814 All denominations in early years.
Richmond St.Andrews Presbyterian. c.1865
Riverstone St.Philips C of E, Garfield Rd. 1849 Adjoining church.
Riverstone General. Marsden Park. 1898
Rockdale Methodist Cemetery, Bay St. c.1865 Adjoining church.
Rookwood Necropolis. Very large cemetery 1868 Originally known as Haslem’s Creek. Still
in use. Separate denominations.
Rossmore C of E. 1840
Rouse Hill Christ Church C of E. 1863
Rouse Hill Castlebrook Lawn – General, 1963 Still in use.
Windsor Road.
Ryde St.Annes C of E 1826 Adjoining church. Very few burials after 1890.
Cnr. Church St. & Victoria Road.
Ryde St.Charles Catholic. 1852 Adjoining church.
Ryde Baptist. Dobson Crescent. 1865
Sackville Reach Methodist. 1856 Adjoining chapel erected c.1839.
Sackville Reach St.Thomas C of E. 1828
Smithfield St.James C of E, Horsley Drive. 1860
Smithfield Baptist. Horsley Drive. 1869
Smithfield General. Victoria Street. 1877
Smithfield Methodist. 1883
South Head (see Vaucluse).
Spencer General. c.1862
St Leonards Gore Hill General Cemetery. 1875 Closed April 1976.
Pacific Highway.
St Marys St.Mary Magdalene C of E. c.1845 Adjoining church.
South Creek. Great Western Highway.
St Marys Great Western Hwy. & Sydney St. 1883 Separate denominations.
St Peters St.Peters C of E, Cooks River. 1838 Adjoining church. 3,200 burials. Closed 1897.
Princes Highway.
Sutherland Woronora Genera! Cemetery. 1895 Large Cemetery, still in use.
Linden Street. Crematorium opened 1934.
Sydney City Dawes Point. 1788 Built over.
Sydney City Cnr. Clarence Street & Lane. 1790 Built over.
Sydney City Old Burial Ground. George St. 1792 In use until 1819. Removed 1868 for
construction of the Town Hall.
Sydney City Sydney Burial Ground. Between 1819 Closed 1888. Removed in 1901 for
Elizabeth& Devonshire Streets. construction of the Sydney Central Railway.
(Sandhills Cemetery). Station.
Upper Colo Comleroy Road. 1845
Vaucluse South Head Cemetery. 1869 Still in use.
Young & Burke Sts. & South Head Road.
Waverley General Cemetery. St.Thomas, 1877 Still in use.
Trafalgar & Boundary Streets.
Wilberforce St.Johns C of E. 1814 Registers commence 1826.
Windsor St.Matthews C of E, Moses St. 1810 All denominations in early years.
Windsor St.Matthews Catholic c.1822
Cnr. Macquarie St.& Richmond Rd.
Windsor Presbyterian. 1839
Windsor (see McGraths Hill).
Wisemans Ferry C of E. c.1821
Woronora (see Sutherland).
Note:
Burials may have taken place in some church cemeteries before the parish burial registers commenced. There were earlier burials on private property and by the roadside, for example convict road workers buried near where they died. Many persons were buried without clergy and were not recorded in church registers. In addition, private cemeteries existed (for example Johnston at Annandale Farm, Rowley at Kingston Farm and Lord family at St.Matthews C of E, Botany). The Rodd family vault at Rodd Point dates from c1880. The 1878 grave of William Carss is located in Carwar Avenue, Blakehurst. There are graves for the Jenkins family at Collaroy (c1900) and the Meurant family at Parklea (c1844). Some institutions and hospitals have cemeteries within their grounds, for example Kincoppal Convent at Rose Bay in Sydney.
These lists have been drawn up from secondary sources and may not be complete. The date of the first burial may be earlier in some instances than that given. We acknowledge with thanks the assistance of Richard d’Apice AM who provided some useful data and also Dr Lisa Murray of the National Trust (NSW) for granting access to the Trust’s Cemetery Index to enable us to check and, in a few instances, amend our listing.