St John's Cemetery, Parramatta, Historic cemetery in Parramatta, Australia
St John's Cemetery is a burial ground in Parramatta located at the intersection of O'Connell Street and Aird Street, containing over 3,700 graves surrounded by an early brick wall. The site features a large collection of memorials spanning different periods of Australian history.
Established in 1790, the cemetery is the oldest surviving European burial ground in Australia. It preserves more than 50 graves of First Fleet members, the initial European settlers who founded the colony.
The cemetery shows the diversity of early Australian society through its graves of people with British, French, German, Danish, Indian, and Chinese backgrounds. These burial sites tell stories of the different communities that lived in the colony's early days.
The cemetery is open during daylight hours and you can park for free at Westfield Parramatta Aird Street parking lot directly across the road. It is wise to check opening hours in advance and plan your visit when there is good daylight.
The headstone of Henry Edward Dodd, dated 1791, marks the oldest known grave in the country and belongs to the supervisor of the first successful wheat crop. His memorial demonstrates the important role played by lesser-known individuals in Australia's early colonial days.
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