St John's Cemetery, Parramatta

"What a great couple of hours I had at St Johns Parramatta this morning," writes Noelene Harris, a true taphophile, after visiting St John's Cemetery, Parramatta on Monday morning. "Grass was mowed and the Cemetery is in top condition...congratulations to the people involved in the upkeep.....most of the headstones were in very good condition....sorry I got carried away with the pictures....there may be a few double ups.......one of the best kept Cemeteries I've been to, on par with Bothwell in Tasmania....Love my Old Burial Grounds!" Have you visited St. John's Cemetery recently? Don't forget you can write a review about the cemetery on TripAdvisor - just click the "TripAdvisor Reviews" tab in the Menu on the left side of this page or head to http://bit.ly/stjohnstripadvisor to start writing your review. Every review you write about the cemetery will help to put St. John's Cemetery on the map for locals, interstate and overseas tourists alike!

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Re: Twilight Tour this evening (6pm) The Twilight Tour is still on tonight. Will only cancel for a thunderstorm which is dangerous in the open or steady rain. Attendees, please keep an eye on this page and your emails for further announcements. Judith Dunn Chair of the Friends of St. John's Cemetery

General Meeting + "Talking Tombstones" Lecture

We invite all members and non-members to our GENERAL MEETING and free public lecture on Saturday 25 February 2017. Membership sign-up sheets will be available for any new visitors wishing to join the Friends on the day. ($5 for individual, $10 for family). The general meeting will be followed by this free public lecture... FREE PUBLIC LECTURE: TALKING TOMBSTONES By Kerima-Gae Topp Acclaimed speaker and tour operator Kerima-Gae Topp will present “Talking Tombstones,” a collection of amazing and amusing pictures of memorials collected on her travels both within and without Australia. Kerima-Gae is an interesting and lively speaker; her presentation is sure to open our eyes to the rich variety of memorials and cultural mores throughout the world.

General Meeting + "Talking Tombstones" Lecture

Hugh Hughes: The Wheelwright Made Right

HUGH HUGHES: The Wheelwright Made Right (c.1761-1830) By Danielle Thyer Later a successful wheelwright and small business owner, Hugh Hughes was transported to the penal colony of New South Wales in 1788 for the felonious theft of property from a widow in Surrey, England. It was not the first nor the last time Hughes encountered the immutable effects of colonial legislation. At the expiration of his sentence of seven years transportation, Hughes did not return to the squalid streets of industrialising London that he traversed in his youth. Instead, he chose to settle in Parramatta, where he contributed to the development and expansion of the township, alongside his family. He died in 1830 at the age of 66 and is one of 17 First Fleeters with memorials buried at St John's Cemetery, Parramatta. Dr Danielle Thyer is an historian and completed her PhD at the University of Sydney in 2016. Her thesis, 'Reporting the “Unvarnished Truth,”' examined the rise of undercover investigative journalism in nineteenth-century New York City. "The Wheelwright Made Right" is the first of two biographies Dr. Thyer is contributing to the St. John's First Fleeters collection! This project has been supported through a City of Parramatta Community Grant. This project has been assisted by funds allocated to the Royal Australian Historical Society through the Heritage Branch of the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. #oldparramatta #parramatta #discoverparramatta #parramattahistory #parramattaheritage #history #heritage #convictparramatta #convicts #OzHist #AustralianHistory #BritishHistory #sydneyhistory #discovernsw https://stjohnscemeteryparramatta.org/bio/hugh-hughes/

The Old Parramattan

So many of the women and children who died at the Parramatta Female Factory were buried in unmarked graves at St John's Cemetery, Parramatta. The Friends of St. John's Cemetery are, therefore, dedicated to helping the Parramatta Female Factory Friends get National and World Heritage Listing for the Parramatta Female Factory. Sign this brand new petition.

St.John's Cemetery - Parramatta

Thought this video of the cemetery might get you in the mood for the Twilight Tour at St. John's Cemetery this Saturday night. Book a spot by emailing stjohnsparra@gmail.com. Bookings are essential and places are strictly limited! This is a members only tour, but membership sign-up sheets are available on the night. https://youtu.be/U-I-4kBH3DQ

Just a reminder that our Members Only Twilight Tour with Judith Dunn is happening this Saturday February 18, so if you were thinking that you might like to come along, be sure to email stjohnsparra@gmail.com for further information about the tour and / or to make your booking. Membership sign-up sheets will be available at the event. Spaces are strictly limited, so don't delay!

Become a Friend of St. John’s Cemetery, Parramatta

*MEMBERS ONLY* TWILIGHT TOUR COMING SOON! Judith Dunn OAM, Chair of the Friends of St John's Cemetery, Parramatta and author of "The Parramatta Cemeteries" book series, will be giving a special "Twilight Tour" of the cemetery later this month. But, as places are limited for this tour in order to ensure everyone has a high quality experience, it will be a "members only" affair. So, if you've been planning to become a Friend of St. John's Cemetery for a while now but just haven't gotten around to it, this is the perfect time to sign up and enjoy this perk! Click the link to get started. It's $5 for an individual and $10 for a family of 2 adults and children under 16 are FREE. https://stjohnscemeteryparramatta.org/participate/join/

Photos from St John's Cemetery, Parramatta's post

Here are a couple of photos from this morning's Australia Day Heritage Event, which began at Parramatta Park and concluded at the graves of First Fleeter's Henry Dodd and Augustus "The Baron" Alt at St John's Cemetery, Parramatta. Thank you to everyone who came along! Bryan Powyer of the Parramatta National Trust (dressed as Governor Phillip) and John Brock, NSW Registered Surveyor were the featured speakers at this event hosted by Parramatta Historical Society in association with the Parramatta National Trust and Friends of St John's Cemetery, Parramatta. Photos by David Morgan, who recently wrote about both Henry Dodd and Augustus Alt for The St. John's Cemetery Project! Learn more about Dodd and Alt by reading David Morgan's biographies here: AUGUSTUS ALT: THE BARON https://stjohnscemeteryparramatta.org/bio/augustus-alt/ HENRY DODD: THE FAITHFUL SERVANT https://stjohnscemeteryparramatta.org/bio/henry-dodd/

Fabulous insight to our history - Review of St. John's Cemetery, Parramatta, Australia - TripAdvisor

Another 5-star review of St John's Cemetery, Parramatta on TripAdvisor! Thanks so much Maree C.! https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1234132-d11895463-r453508607-St_John_s_Cemetery-Parramatta_Greater_Sydney_New_South_Wales.html#REVIEWS

Timeline Photos

Here's a little visual to help you find the starting point for the FREE Australia Day Heritage Event from Parramatta Park's "Government Farm" site, also known as "Dodd's Farm," to St John's Cemetery, Parramatta. To help you get your bearings, this photo is of the Government Farm site / starting point of the tour as viewed from Old Government House - National Trust of Australia NSW During the tour you will get to see Australia's oldest grave with headstone in situ in Australia's oldest surviving European cemetery (that of Henry Dodd, personal servant of Governor Arthur Phillip and Superintendent of the Government Farm). You'll then also see the grave of Augustus "The Baron" Alt: first Surveyor General of New South Wales. St. John's Cemetery is a site where both Founders and Survivors are buried, so this event brought to you by Parramatta Historical Society really is a fitting way to kick off your Australia Day celebrations.