West Terrace Cemetery

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West Terrace Cemetery
West Terrace Cemetery aerial.jpg
Aerial view of the West Terrace Cemetery (also seen are Anzac Highway and West Terrace)
West Terrace Cemetery
Details
Establishedbefore 1837
Location
161 West Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, SA 5000
CountryAustralia
Coordinates 34°56′4″S138°35′6″E / 34.93444°S 138.58500°E / -34.93444; 138.58500
Size27.6 hectares (68 acres)
No. of interments>150,000
Website aca.sa.gov.au/locations/west-terrace-cemetery/ (Adelaide Cemeteries Authority)
Find a Grave West Terrace Cemetery
The Smyth Chapel in the Catholic section of the West Terrace Cemetery, built in 1871 Smythchapel.jpg
The Smyth Chapel in the Catholic section of the West Terrace Cemetery, built in 1871

The West Terrace Cemetery, formerly Adelaide Public Cemetery is a cemetery in Adelaide, South Australia. It is the state's oldest cemetery, first appearing on Colonel William Light's 1837 plan of the Adelaide city centre, to the south-west of the city. The whole cemetery is state heritage-listed, including Smyth Chapel, and it is one of the oldest operating cemeteries in Australia.

Contents

History

The Adelaide Park Lands were laid out by Colonel William Light in his design for the city in 1837. Originally, Light reserved 2,300 acres (930 ha) for a park, and a further 32 acres (13 ha) for a public cemetery. [1]

West Terrace Cemetery one of the oldest operating cemeteries in Australia. [2]

In 1843 the establishment of a Jewish burial area began the distinctive denominational division of the cemetery. In 1845 a Catholic cemetery was established on land adjacent the main public cemetery, and in 1849 a third of the public cemetery was given over to the Church of England. There was also a section for the Society of Friends (Quakers). [2]

In 1902, the first crematorium in the southern hemisphere was built, and began operating in 1903. It was the only one in Australia for 20 years.[ citation needed ]

In 1989 the cemetery was listed on the South Australian Heritage Register. [2]

The cemetery is home to around 60 olive trees which were planted in the 1860s. It is believed that the cemetery's first curator, Henry Brooks was responsible for their planting. It is believed that he worked with his friend, George William Francis, the first superintendent of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens in bringing them to the cemetery. [3] [4]

Desecration of Jewish section

In 1995, over 60 graves and headstones in the Jewish section of the cemetery were desecrated. [5] Over 1, 000 people attended a "Service of Solidarity" at the cemetery to express solidarity with the Jewish community. [5] Yehuda Avner, then Ambassador from Israel to Australia attended and read out a letter by Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin: "Given our history, our common heritage, our mutual faith, the desecration of the Adelaide Jewish Cemetery could not but touch a nerve in the emotions of us all... It revives painful associations.” [5] A message was also read by Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating, condemning the “mindless behaviour” that has “no place in a tolerant society.” [5] [6] Both the federal and Government of South Australia promised to cover the costs of restoring the damaged graves and headstones. [5] Two men were charged in connection to the vandalism. [7]

Smyth Chapel

The Smyth Chapel, located in the Catholic area of the cemetery, was designed by E. J. Woods in late 1870 as a result of a competition conducted by the Smyth Memorial Fund. It was built by Peters and Jones for approximately 472 pounds in 1871, as a memorial to the vicar general John Smyth, who is buried in the crypt beneath the chapel. The foundation stone was laid on 18 December 1870 by vicar general Archdeacon Russell, and formally consecrated on 22 October 1871. [8]

In 2019 the Smyth Chapel underwent a large restoration, with project winning the Bob Such Award for Design for Social Benefit, a Civic Trust Award. [9]

Location and description

The 27.6-hectare (68-acre) [2] site is located in Park 23 (aka G. S. Kingston Park / Wirrarninthi) of the Adelaide Park Lands, just south-west of the CBD, between West Terrace, Anzac Highway, Sir Donald Bradman Drive, and the Seaford and Belair railway lines.

It is divided into a number of sections for various communities and faiths, including two Catholic areas, as well as Jewish, Afghan, Islamic and Quaker sections. [2]

Since 2002,[ citation needed ] the site has been administered by the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority.

War graves

AIF Cemetery

With concerns from various patriotic associations about soldiers from the First World War without relatives being buried in unmarked graves in the cemetery, a deputation to the Minister of Public Works in February 1920 sought a "Soldiers Lot" not only for these soldiers but also those whose families wished to bury their "soldier loved ones" there. The minister set aside a half an acre of the Light Oval for this purpose, with a monument to be erected by public subscription and soldiers in unmarked graves to be re-interred there. [10] The first burial was in March 1920 but with slow progress of public fund raising the area was not dedicated until Sunday 10 December 1922. [11]

There are buried (at June 2014) 275 Commonwealth service personnel from both World Wars in West Terrace Cemetery whose graves are registered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. [12]

Notable interments or cremations

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References

  1. ↑ "The Park Lands". Herald. 6 September 1902. p. 7 – via Trove.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "West Terrace Cemetery History". Adelaide Cemeteries Authority. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015.
  3. ↑ Adelaide's oldest cemetery is making its own olive oil ABC. 13 September 2017
  4. ↑ Adelaide olive oil with a grave history InDaily. 19 July 2019
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Rabin Letter Read at Cemetery in Australia After Desecration The Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 17 July 1995
  6. ↑ Australian Prime Minister Condemns Attack on Cemetery The Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 10 July 1995
  7. ↑ Two Men Charged in Attack on Jewish Area of Cemetery The Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 4 September 1995
  8. ↑ "Smyth Chapel". Adelaide Cemeteries Authority. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011.
  9. ↑ McNamara, Lindy (26 February 2020). "Smyth Chapel project wins award". The Southern Cross. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  10. ↑ "Deputation to Minister". The Mail . Adelaide. 14 February 1920. p. 2. Retrieved 30 May 2012– via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "Dedication of the Soldiers' Cemetery". The Advertiser . Adelaide. 9 December 1922. p. 11. Retrieved 30 May 2012– via National Library of Australia.
  12. ↑ Adelaide (West Terrace) Cemetery, CWGC Cemetery Report.
  13. ↑ Symonds, Richard Gilbert (1810–1896) Encyclopedia of Australian Science
  14. ↑ Symonds, Richard Gilbert State library – correspondence
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