Cornelian Bay Cemetery
Cornelian Bay Cemetery is a cemetery in Cornelian Bay, Tasmania, Australia. It is the oldest cemetery in Tasmania that remains in use.[1]
It was opened in July 1872 on a section of the former Government Farm.[2] It met with public opposition due to the distance from central Hobart, but was selected due to the planned closure of more central cemeteries.[3] It was closed for new burials in 1983 when the Kingston Cemetery opened, but was reopened in 1996, with re-surveying in the 1990s identifying more potential burial plots.[4][5]
The cemetery features sections for various Christian denominations, a Jewish section, as well as sections for war graves, a veterans' garden of remembrance, and crematorium gardens. A crematorium opened in 1935, and was replaced with a new facility in 1993. The cemetery once had a paupers' section, but this was closed in 1935. The cemetery features a number of historic buildings, including the former Caretaker's Residence.[4][6][7][5]
It was variously managed by the Hobart Cemetery Trust (until 1961), Hobart City Council (1961-1982) and the Southern Regional Cemetery Trust (1982-2008). The cemetery was privatised by the Lennon Labor government in 2008, which leased it to funeral company Millingtons for fifty years. This reportedly followed the former trust running at a deficit in 2006-07.[8][9]
The cemetery was once connected to Hobart city by the former Hobart tram system.[10]
In March 2021, The Mercury reported concerns regarding poor maintenance of graves at the cemetery.[11]
References
- ^ "A walk through Tasmanian history at the Cornelian Bay Cemetery". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Cornelian Bay Management Plan". Hobart City Council. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Milestone passes quietly at cemetery". The Mercury. 18 October 2002.
- ^ a b "The History of Cornelian Bay Cemetery". Southern Regional Cemetery Trust. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Chance to bury grave concerns". The Mercury. 6 October 2011.
- ^ "Cornelian Bay Cemetery Caretakers Residence, Queens Walk, New Town, TAS, Australia". Australian Heritage Database. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Construction at Hobart Garden of Remembrance". Vetaffairs. June 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Funeral costs under review". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 June 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Cemetery Trust loss". The Mercury. 24 October 2007.
- ^ Walch's Tasmanian almanac for 1935. J. Walch & Sons. 1935.
- ^ "Mother describes her heartbreak over cemetery's lack of grave maintenance". The Mercury. 14 March 2021.