Local Government
Rottnest
Region
Rottnest
Rottnest Island
Rottnest
Rottnest
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Classified by the National Trust | Classified {HBS} | 05 Apr 1993 | ||
This old cemetery has values that are intrinsic only to a pioneer cemetery. Whilst it cannot be denied that it is no longer in and original condition, having suffered the neglect of so many pioneer burial grounds, and more recently the inevitable clean-up by well-intentioned by misguided authorities. It nevertheless still retains heritage value that needs to be maintained. At this site there is more history below the ground than there appears to be above. Being a colonial burial ground and the major European cemetery on Rottnest Island it would contain Historic, Social, Genealogical and Botanical significance.
Although the original cemetery (which was surrounded by a local stone wall) has greatly decreased in size, the reserve has within and alongside, some old conifers and tuart trees.
Assessment 1992 Dates from 1850's. Last known burial 1899 Earliest surviving monument 1862 - most monuments are not inscribed Dating from the 1850’s the old colonial cemetery is the last resting place of a supposedly large number of people. Today almost nothing remains of the once walled cemetery on Rottnest Island. The few graves still in existence are hard to identify as whatever is left of their inscriptions has become almost illegible. Conjecture and imagination have played their part in suggesting who rests there. One graveis said to be that of a convict with would not be surprising as in 1838 -39 Rottnest Island was proclaimed a penal settlement. Others of a more romantic bent, however, have claimed that the nameless plain flat stone is that of a young seafaring Dutch or French naval officer who was killed whilst fighting a sword duel by a fellow officer on the then unsettled island. The names of thirteen of the people buried there are known. The number of children bears witness to the harsh conditions on the island in the early years. The memorial plaque and the present fencing of the cemetery were provided and erected by the Winnit Club in October 1972.
| Library Id | Title | Medium | Year Of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6606 | Register of historic burial sites as at June 1988. | Report | 1988 |
Urban Open Space
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Original Use | MONUMENT\CEMETERY | Cemetery |
| Present Use | MONUMENT\CEMETERY | Cemetery |
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