Botany Cemetery
|
Botany Cemetery – More
Correctly, Eastern Suburbs Memorial
Park
 After our drive along the Prince of
Wales Road to ogle at the port, we took the hill and turned right into the
massive graveyard - our aim, to find the early graves of the first settlers in
Australia. No idea where to find them and due to the size of the cemetery we
stayed in the dry of the car and followed the thin roads from right to left. We,
by random chance, began with the Catholics.
 From up here we
could look across the graves down to the port
below.
 The
1950’s.
 The
Anglicans.
 Down by the
port.
  The Brigidine
Nuns.
 Some not so well
cared for.
 A recent
husband with a place set aside for his wife.
 Mile upon mile of
gravestones.
  Every colour from
white to black.
 Furthest away
from the port, facing toward Sydney.
 1960’s.
 The Jewish
area.
  At the top once more we drove past
the Catholic mausoleums, then the Italian Families.
  The Memorial
Garden and Crematoria.
  Main road. Lovely to see families
picnicking with their loved ones.
Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park is a cemetery and
crematorium at Matraville, New South
Wales, in the eastern
suburbs district of Sydney, Australia. Land was
dedicated as a cemetery site in 1888, with the first interment recorded on the
21st of August 1893. Since then, more than 65,000 people have been buried here
[tiny number compared to the world’s biggest cemetery of ten million in Iraq – a
must visit]. The crematorium was opened in 1938. The
memorial park incorporates Botany Cemetery, Eastern Suburbs Crematorium and
Pioneer Park.
Then we found what we were looking for, the really old graves. Amazing to think these graves are so old yet we have seen modern ones in poor condition, even fallen in. This uniquely shaped grave has stood the test of time and not fallen to pieces, even after being moved. A sad story.
Pioneer Memorial Park contains historic headstones which were relocated from Devonshire Street Cemetery in 1901 to make space for Central Railway Station. At that time, thousands of graves and 2285 tombstones of the first settlers in Australia were moved to the new cemetery at La Perouse, named Bunnerong Cemetery. In 1976, the Botany Cemetery Trust destroyed most of these historic monuments by creating a new, low maintenance lawn area. The remaining 746 headstones were reinstalled in concrete strips, unrelated to the graves below. The new lawn was named Pioneer Memorial Park. The Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park has recently started expanding burials over this lawn, with interments now abutting the few historic tombstones which were saved.
The earliest grave we saw was dated 1814.
A final look back at Pioneer Memorial Park.
We drove across the road to the Western Suburb Memorial Park and saw recent gravestones, a new burial place and an area being made ready.
We always find our favourite. This plaque reads: Give Yourself an Upper Cut. Cop That.
We made our way home in the now pouring rain. Crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge with a packed train to our left. Down the one hundred and nine steps after a really busy day. I lost both games and went on strike. Sitting up in bed it was Bear’s choice of film, he chose Nanny McPhee and served me with a chunk of green peril and two pickled onions, smashing. Bear went to sleep before me so I snuck the final half hour of Babe then settled to a good nights sleep.
ALL IN ALL SIMPLY GIGANTIC OVERWHELMING IN SIZE |
