Toowong Cemetery
Encyclopedia
The Brisbane General Cemetery also known as Toowong Cemetery at Toowong, Brisbane
was established in 1866 and formally opened in 1875. It is Queensland's
largest cemetery
and is located on forty-four hectares of land at the corner of Frederick Street and Mount Coot-tha Road approximately four and a half kilometres west of Brisbane.
..
In 1861 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of land was set aside for a new cemetery at Toowong. In 1870 a Cemetery Trust was established with trustees James Cowlishaw, John Hardgrave, William Pettigrew
, Samuel Griffith, George Edmonstone, Alexander Raff, John Petrie
(Chairman), Michael Quinlan and Nathaniel Lade the trustees to search for alternative sites as the Toowong site was considered by some as inappropriate.
Colonel Samuel Blackall, Queensland's second Governor
, had been a supporter of the Toowong site and in his ill health indicated his desire to be buried there — this was done when he was buried on the highest knoll on 3 January 1871. Even though Blackall had been buried, the search for an alternate site continued. The search was unsuccessful however and the Toowong site was eventually was accepted as the final location. Six more burials were performed before the official opening of the Cemetery in 1875.
In April 1975 the Cemetery was full with all plots having been sold. The Cemetery was closed to new burials except for family graves. The Brisbane City Council started a project to remove hundreds of worn, forgotten headstones in the three major city cemeteries. Old, neglected monuments were removed from Toowong, Lutwyche and South Brisbane cemeteries and trees and shrubs planted. The long term aim of the scheme was to return the cemeteries to open space with a parkland atmosphere. It is thought approximately 1,000 memorials were removed from Toowong.
The Cemetery was reopened for further burials in 1998 with approximately 450 plots available for sale.
Currently, the Cemetery is a popular place for joggers and dog walkers, with its over-hanging fig trees and winding pathways. It has also earned a reputation for being haunted. Brisbane Ghost Tours conduct regular guided tours through the grounds of the cemetery on Saturday nights.
may well be buried there. According to Queensland Historians Jack Sim and Paul Tully, Walter Thomas Porriott was in the Whitechapel
area of London
at the time of the murders and later migrated to Australia. The headstone over his grave is only engraved with "Bessie - Died 25th June 1957 - And her Husband".
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
was established in 1866 and formally opened in 1875. It is Queensland's
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
largest cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
and is located on forty-four hectares of land at the corner of Frederick Street and Mount Coot-tha Road approximately four and a half kilometres west of Brisbane.
History
Paddington Cemetery, Brisbane's original cemetery was located close to the Brisbane city near the northern end of the William Jolly Bridge. It was bounded by Skew Street, Saul Street, Eagle Terrace and Upper Roma Street. As Brisbane expanded due to its opening to free settlement in 1842, growth was such that the cemetery was eventually surrounded by residential properties. The cemetery was moved to twenty five hectares of land between Milton Road, Hale Street, Sweetman Street and Dowse Street and was situated on the current site of Suncorp StadiumSuncorp Stadium
Lang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
..
In 1861 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of land was set aside for a new cemetery at Toowong. In 1870 a Cemetery Trust was established with trustees James Cowlishaw, John Hardgrave, William Pettigrew
William Pettigrew
William Pettigrew was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and a Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland, Australia.- Personal life :...
, Samuel Griffith, George Edmonstone, Alexander Raff, John Petrie
John Petrie
John "Jocky" Petrie was a Scottish football player who played for Arbroath F.C..He holds the record for the most goals ever scored in a senior British football game with 13 goals. This occurred during Arbroath's famous 36–0 victory over Bon Accord F.C...
(Chairman), Michael Quinlan and Nathaniel Lade the trustees to search for alternative sites as the Toowong site was considered by some as inappropriate.
Colonel Samuel Blackall, Queensland's second Governor
Governors of Queensland
The Governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level....
, had been a supporter of the Toowong site and in his ill health indicated his desire to be buried there — this was done when he was buried on the highest knoll on 3 January 1871. Even though Blackall had been buried, the search for an alternate site continued. The search was unsuccessful however and the Toowong site was eventually was accepted as the final location. Six more burials were performed before the official opening of the Cemetery in 1875.
In April 1975 the Cemetery was full with all plots having been sold. The Cemetery was closed to new burials except for family graves. The Brisbane City Council started a project to remove hundreds of worn, forgotten headstones in the three major city cemeteries. Old, neglected monuments were removed from Toowong, Lutwyche and South Brisbane cemeteries and trees and shrubs planted. The long term aim of the scheme was to return the cemeteries to open space with a parkland atmosphere. It is thought approximately 1,000 memorials were removed from Toowong.
The Cemetery was reopened for further burials in 1998 with approximately 450 plots available for sale.
Currently, the Cemetery is a popular place for joggers and dog walkers, with its over-hanging fig trees and winding pathways. It has also earned a reputation for being haunted. Brisbane Ghost Tours conduct regular guided tours through the grounds of the cemetery on Saturday nights.
Jack The Ripper
In August of 2008 Toowong Cemetery made world news with the revelation that Jack the RipperJack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
may well be buried there. According to Queensland Historians Jack Sim and Paul Tully, Walter Thomas Porriott was in the Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
area of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the time of the murders and later migrated to Australia. The headstone over his grave is only engraved with "Bessie - Died 25th June 1957 - And her Husband".
Notable people interred
- Samuel Wensley BlackallSamuel BlackallColonel Samuel Wensley Blackall was an Irish soldier and politician, who was the second Governor of Queensland from 1868 until he died in office in 1871....
, Queensland's second governor - Sir Anthony Musgrave, Queensland's sixth governor
- Frank FordeFrank FordeFrancis Michael Forde PC was an Australian politician and the 15th Prime Minister of Australia. He was the shortest serving Prime Minister in Australia's history, being in office for only eight days.-Early life:...
, politician and Prime Minister of AustraliaPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful... - Charles LilleyCharles LilleySir Charles Lilley was a Premier and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland. He had a significant influence on the form and spirit of state education in colonial Queensland which lasted well into the twentieth century.Lilley was born at Newcastle on Tyne, England, the son of Thomas...
, politician, Premier of Queensland, and Chief JusticeChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of... - Arthur Hunter PalmerArthur Hunter PalmerSir Arthur Hunter Palmer KCMG was an Irish-Australian politician and a Premier of Queensland.Palmer was born in Armagh, Ireland, the son of Lieutenant Arthur Palmer, R.N., and his wife, Emily née Hunter. Palmer was educated at Youghal Grammar School and a private tutor in Dublin...
, politician and Premier of Queensland - Samuel GriffithSamuel GriffithSir Samuel Walker Griffith GCMG QC, was an Australian politician, Premier of Queensland, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia and a principal author of the Constitution of Australia.-Early life:...
, politician, Premier of Queensland, Chief Justice, and a principal author of the Constitution of AustraliaConstitution of AustraliaThe Constitution of Australia is the supreme law under which the Australian Commonwealth Government operates. It consists of several documents. The most important is the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia... - Boyd Dunlop Morehead, politician and Premier of Queensland
- Thomas Joseph ByrnesThomas Joseph ByrnesThomas Joseph Byrnes was Premier of Queensland from April 1898 until his death, having previously served in several ministerial positions in his parliamentary career.-Early life:...
, politician and Premier of Queensland - Anderson DawsonAnderson DawsonAndrew Dawson , usually known as Anderson Dawson, was an Australian politician, the Premier of Queensland for one week in 1899...
, politician and Premier of Queensland - Robert PhilpRobert PhilpSir Robert Philp, KCMG was a Queensland businessman and politician who was Premier of Queensland from December 1899 to September 1903 and again from November 1907 to February 1908.-Early life:...
, politician and Premier of Queensland - Arthur MorganArthur Morgan (Queensland politician)Sir Arthur Morgan was the Premier of Queensland, Australia from 1903 to 1906.Morgan was born in Warwick, Queensland, the fourth son of James Morgan and his wife Kate, née Barton...
, politician and Premier of Queensland - T. J. RyanT. J. RyanThomas Joseph "T.J." Ryan was Premier of Queensland, Australia from May 1915 until October 1919 when he resigned to enter Federal politics.-Early life:Thomas Joseph Ryan was born at Port Fairy, Victoria...
, politician and Premier of Queensland - William GilliesWilliam Gillies (Australian politician)William Neil Gillies was ALP Premier of Queensland, Australia, from 26 February 1925 to 22 October 1925....
, politician and Premier of Queensland - William McCormackWilliam McCormackWilliam McCormack , was Premier of Queensland, Australia, from 1925 to 1929.He was born in Purnam, Queensland and died in Brisbane on 21 November 1947....
, politician and Premier of Queensland - William Forgan SmithWilliam Forgan SmithWilliam Forgan Smith , generally known as Forgan Smith, was Premier of the Australian state of Queensland from 1932 to 1942. He came to dominate politics in the state during the 1930s, and his populism, firm leadership, defence of states' rights and interest in state development make him something...
, politician and Premier of Queensland - Ned Hanlon, politician and Premier of Queensland
- Steele RuddSteele RuddSteele Rudd was the pseudonym of Arthur Hoey Davis an Australian author, best known for On Our Selection.-Early life:...
, Australian Author - Percy McDonnellPercy McDonnellPercy Stanislaus McDonnell was an Australian cricketer who captained the Australian Test team in six matches, including the tour of England in 1888....
, Australian Cricket Captain - Pope Alexander CooperPope Alexander CooperSir Pope Alexander Cooper KCMG was an attorney-general and a chief judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland, Australia.-Early life:...
, Chief Justice and Attorney-General - Charles HeaphyCharles HeaphyMajor Charles Heaphy VC was a New Zealand explorer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious military award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, explorer and recipient of the Victoria Cross - GunnerGunner (rank)Gunner is a rank equivalent to Private in the British Army Royal Artillery and the artillery corps of other Commonwealth armies. The next highest rank is usually Lance-Bombardier, although in the Royal Canadian Artillery it is Bombardier....
Edward S. Webster, died in the Battle of BrisbaneBattle of BrisbaneThe "Battle of Brisbane" was violence between United States military personnel on one side and Australian servicemen and civilians on the other, in Brisbane, Australia on 26–27 November 1942, during World War II. Australia and the US were Allies at the time... - Peter JacksonPeter Jackson (boxer)Peter "Black Prince" Jackson was a heavyweight boxer from Australia who had a significant international career.-Biography:...
, boxer - Augustus GregoryAugustus GregorySir Augustus Charles Gregory KCMG. was an English-born Australian explorer. Between 1846 and 1858 he undertook four major expeditions.-Early years:...
, Australian explorer - Karl KastKarl KastSiegfred Karl Kast was a German immigrant to Australia who shot dead two doctors and unsuccessfully attempted to detonate a bomb in Wickham Terrace, Brisbane, before committing suicide.-Early years:...
, Spree killerSpree killerA spree killer is someone who embarks on a murderous assault on two or more victims in a short time in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders."-Definition:According to the...
External links
- Grave Location Search
- Official Ghost Tours of Toowong Cemetery
- Friends of Toowong Cemetery
- Photos of Toowong Cemetery — YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- National Archaeology Week - Toowong Cemetery — YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Jack the Ripper may lay in Qld cemetery: historian — The Advertiser (Adelaide)
- Church ban for trio accused of grave vandalism — The Courier-MailThe Courier-MailThe Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
- Defying vandals, Toowong cemetery resurrects temple — Westside News
- Brisbane Ladies' Coronation Brass and Reed Band outside the gates of Toowong Cemetery, 1940 — State Library of QueenslandState Library of QueenslandThe State Library of Queensland is a large public library provided to the people of the State of Queensland, Australia, by the state government. Its legislative basis is provided by the Queensland Libraries Act 1988...
- Funeral Hearse of T. J. Ryan at Toowong Cemetery, ca. 1921 — State Library of QueenslandState Library of QueenslandThe State Library of Queensland is a large public library provided to the people of the State of Queensland, Australia, by the state government. Its legislative basis is provided by the Queensland Libraries Act 1988...
- Cardinal Cerrutti, the Papal Legate, Toowong, 1928 — State Library of QueenslandState Library of QueenslandThe State Library of Queensland is a large public library provided to the people of the State of Queensland, Australia, by the state government. Its legislative basis is provided by the Queensland Libraries Act 1988...