1836

Willie, the child of James Goodman was the first person to buried in Melbourne, Port Phillip District. He was buried on 13th May 1836 at Burial Hill, today the Flagstaff Gardens. This site was only used for about 8 burials. A monument can be found to this small group in the gardens.

1837

Bounded by Queen Streetto the east, Peel Streetto the west, Franklin Streetto the south, and Fulton Street(which no longer exists) to the north, the OldMelbourneCemeterywas established in 1837 in West Melbourne. The first person to be buried on this site was also a child. He was Frederick William Craig, the infant son of Skene Craig. The history of theOldMelbourneCemetery ties in with that of the Queen Victoria Market, which was adjacent to it,

1853

As Melbourne grew, this site was recognised as being too small and the Melbourne General Cemetery (or new Cemetery), that we know today, in Carlton, was established by an act of the New South Wales parliament in 1850 and was opened on 1st June 1853. TheOldMelbourneCemetery was divided into areas according to religious denominations. Two acres each were given to the Church of England, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics and one acre each was given to the Jews, Quakers, Methodists and Independents. Later, half of the Quaker area was given to the Aborigines.

1864-1867

The cemetery had been closed in 1854, re-opened in 1864 for the sale of new plots, re-closed in 1867, with the final burial taking place in 1917. It was closed permanently in 1922. A Crown grant was passed providing land for a general market on 4th March 1867. Today’s meat hall dates back to 1869.

1878

When the market first expanded in 1878, it was the Quaker/Aborigine area near Fulton Street which it acquired first. The 2 grants that provided more land for the market, were dated 1878 and 1880 (see Queen Victoria Market Lands Act 1996 – Act No. 78/1996 at www.dms.dpc.vic.gov.au), and in the

1880’s

Legislation was passed requiring all bodies in theOldCemeteryto be exhumed.

1913-14.

Transcriptions of legible headstones made by G. P. Townend. As a gentleman in the late 60’s he saw the importance of making a record of these markers.

1920-22

From 1920-22, 914 graves with identifying monuments were re-interred at Fawkner, Kew, St. Kilda, Cheltenham and the MelbourneGeneralCemetery. Many of the headstones crumbled when shifted. At this stage, the cemetery was in a terrible state of neglect, with very long grass.  Identification of the burial plots was made difficult because the register of burials prior to 1866 was lost or destroyed. Many graves were unmarked. Others had ‘headstones’ of red gum, which had weathered away.

As there were about 10,000 burials on the site, there still remain approximately 9,000 people buried under the sheds and car park of the Queen Victoria Market. Every time work is carried out at the market, bones are disturbed. A memorial to these people stands on the corner ofQueen StreetandTherry Street.

1924

Isaac Selby wrote a book called “Old Pioneers Memorial History of Melbourne

1996

In 1996, the previous Crown grants were revoked and the Queen Victoria Market Lands Act 1996 came into being.

 

REFERENCES

Marjorie Morgan’s book, “The Old Melbourne Cemetery 1837 – 1922″ published by the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies in 1982, has names of people buried there from transcriptions of legible headstones made by G. P. Townend in 1913-14.

Isaac Selby wrote a book called “Old Pioneers Memorial History of Melbourne” in 1924,

Royal Historical Society of Victoria’s Historical Magazine, Volume 9, No. 1, pages 40-47 has an article on the cemetery.

“Melbourne Markets 1841-1979, the story of the fruit and vegetable markets in the City of Melbourne” (Footscray, 1980), edited by Colin E. Cole