South Head General Cemetery becomes Heritage Listed

MEDIA RELEASE

From the moment you walk through the impressive bronze entry gates, it is no surprise South Head

General Cemetery has officially been listed on the State Heritage Register.

South Head Cemetery, located on Old South Head Road in Vaucluse, opened in 1845 and had its first interment in 1869. Today, over 6,000 gravesites and memorials span the four acre site.

In the early 1940s, the management of South Head General Cemetery passed from a private trust to Waverley Council.

A number of notable people have been laid to rest in the cemetery including Sir Edmund Barton - Australia's first Prime Minister, Sir John Robertson - former Premier of New South Wales, Members of the Packer family, including Robert Clyde Packer and Frank Packer, author Frank Clune, brewer Edmund Resch, former Archbishop of Sydney - John Charles Wright, former Lord Mayor of Sydney - Sir Richard Watkins Richards, cricketer Victor Trumper and many more.

“This cemetery is an outdoor archive of genealogical, biographical, historical, architectural, artistic and demographic information.

“Listing on the State Heritage Register recognises this place is of particular significance to New South Wales and enriches the community’s understanding of the State’s history.” Said Acting General Manager Cathy Henderson.

It is the first general public cemetery in the eastern suburbs which means it does not have sections reserved for particular religious denominations.

It also has considerable aesthetic values including its position overlooking Diamond Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Its eclectic collection of intact funerary monuments of various eras contributes to its landmark vales.

“We are so pleased to have received this acknowledgement. It is such a special place for not only the families who have loved ones buried here, but also the community.” Cathy Henderson said.