West Terrace Cemetery
Aerial view of the West Terrace Cemetery
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| Details | |
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| Established | before 1837 |
| Location | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 34°56′4″S 138°35′6″E / 34.93444°S 138.58500°ECoordinates: 34°56′4″S 138°35′6″E / 34.93444°S 138.58500°E |
| Size | 27.6 hectares (68 acres) |
| No. of interments | >150,000 |
| Website | West Terrace Cemetery (Adelaide Cemeteries Authority) |
| Find a Grave | West Terrace Cemetery |
| Footnotes |
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The West Terrace Cemetery is South Australia’s oldest cemetery, first appearing on Colonel William Light’s 1837 plan of Adelaide. The 27.6-hectare site is located in the south-west corner of the Adelaide central business district, between West Terrace, Anzac Highway, Sir Donald Bradman Drive and the Seaford–Belair Railway Lines. Originally known as the Adelaide Public Cemetery, 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.
Throughout much of its early history the West Terrace Cemetery was plagued with controversy and mismanagement. It was the subject of much public and religious debate and was many times under threat of closure. As early as the 1880s the size of the cemetery was considered insufficient to keep up with demand.
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.
The Smyth Chapel was built in 1871 as a memorial to the Very Reverend Dr John Smyth, Vicar General, who lies buried in the crypt beneath the chapel. It was designed by E.J. Woods in the latter part of 1870 as a result of a competition conducted by the Smyth Memorial Fund and built by Peters and Jones for approximately 472 pounds.
Situated within the Catholic area, the foundation stone was laid on 18 December 1870 by the venerable Archdeacon Russell, Vicar General, and was officially opened and formally consecrated on 22 October 1871.
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Wikipedia