Northam Cemetery

Statement of Significance

* Technical Accomplishment The old 19th century headstones and the symbolism and their decorative work , expressed notations of death that are very different from our 20 century ideas. For this reason alone they warrant preservation. The Northam Cemetery is built on a hill with picturesque valley views. * Demonstration of a way of life, custom, process or function Mrs Jan Goodacre, caretaker of the Northam Cemetery, writes: "If I start at the front fence and walk through the grounds I pass by the (graves of) convicts, midwives, early settlers and Irish needle--women. In other portions are the (remains of) children of the Afghan hawkers, and the hawkers themselves, The Chinese market gardeners are buried within their own section and Northam is the only town within the Avon Valley to have a section for the Chinese. By the time I reach the top I have passed by five or six generations of their descendants". Religions represented are: Anglican-Roman Catholic; Methodist; Presbyterian; Church of Christ; and religions associated with the Afghan and Chinese races. (c) Age: First consecrated 1856. Last burial 1907. * Historical significance; strong association with and important figure(s), development or cultural phase Development of Locality ; A valuable resource for historians – Family and social. The site contains pioneers associated with early European settlement in Northam and the Avon district. Important People Buried Here: 2nd Premier of WA George Throssell; Frederick Morrell - Prominent Citizen; Captain James McLean Dempster - well known citizen of Avon Valley and Rottnest Island * Environmental importance: townscape or landscape value; high degree of unity of setting. The cemetery is laid out on a hillside with peaceful valley views. It is a mellow component of the progressive landscape via the river and road. * Scientific/archaeological importance The Northam Cemetery represents great medical history, which, compared to other burial sites still remains relatively intact. Dr John Hilton describes the records of those who are buried there as of great social and medical significance. Records, particularly children's deaths, have been and are continuing to be used in medical research. * Educational / research value This cemetery continues to demonstrate significance through education and research purposes in the life of the community * Social significance w Genealogical (b) Public /Community involvement The cemetery has had a prominent presence in the town and the community holds the site in high regard and continues to value the heritage significance. (c) Attitudes & mores re burials/cemeteries. The site also has social significance to the Chinese and Afghan people. * Scarcity value: a particularly fine (or unique) example At sometime in the past the graves along the front row of the cemetery have given way to road works. Headstones listed on the cemetery maps no longer exist there. Others are located almost on the fence line, as the cemetery fence was moved back to widen Katrine Road. Further road widening is seen as an invasive threat to this scarce heritage resource. (a) Typology and/or characteristics of cemeteries. eg Afghan Cemetery in Wyndham Not only are some of the components of the cemetery particularly fine examples of 19th century stonemasonry, but the line of Chinese graves is significant, because it is the only town within the Avon Valley to have a section for the Chinese people. As the pioneer section is the only old burial site left in the township in Northam, it has environmenta] significance to the district.

Physical Description

The site is located on the north side of the Avon River, slightly west of Northam. The land, which is a part of the catchment for the river, slopes from the north to the river's edge. The road alignment of the cemetery has since been cut into the pioneer section of the cemetery through road widening, resulting in a loss of some gravesites. The soil of the cemetery is red sand. The gradient is such that surface run-off towards the river in winter and wind erosion in summer, jeopardises the structural integrity of the grave structures. The layout is generally rectangular (see site plan) but the curved nature of the street and river frontage meets the grid pattern resulting in irregular triangular lots along the boundary.

History

Assessment 1993 Consecrated 1856; earliest known burial 1856; Earliest surviving monument 1864 - 1871 The existing pioneer section of the Northam Cemetery was reserved and consecrated in 1856. Burials subsequently took place there. Prior to that, between 1848 and 1856 in the Hawes Street burial site, approximately twelve burials took place. Today this site is covered by a road intersection with no plaque or monument to commemorate its previous use. The little mounds in a nearby garden are the only proof that a burial ground ever existed at that site. The pioneer section of the Northam Cemetery does not have headstones marking the graves of the earliest burials. They were most probably wooden and have long since disappeared. The earliest marked grave is that of Rebecca Baton, who died in 1864, but it is thought that this headstone was not erected until after 1904. The headstone of Abraham Morgan, who died in 1871 is the earliest monument in the cemetery. Also buried there are humble farmers, blacksmiths and their families along with midwives and even Western Australia's second Premier. The graves of children from different races, who died in the many epidemics that plagued the early settlement and bear testimony to the difficult times shared by our pioneering families. It is comforting to know, that with foresight, the Northam Cemetery Liaison Committee passed a law within council to ensure that the graves within the cemetery would not be subject to the twenty five years tenure law, which governs most cemeteries.

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Historic Themes

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