Balmain Cemetery


Balmain Cemetery was a cemetery in Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia. The Pioneers Memorial Park now stands in its place.

History

When the estate of Balmain was laid out in 1852, concerns were raised about the failure to reserve land for a cemetery and for parkland.
In August 1863, a meeting of local residents sought to establish a cemetery in Balmain. It was proposed to fund the development of the cemetery by residents subscribing £1 entitling them to one grave plot. The government would then match the funds raised by the community. The land would be apportioned into sections for different religions with some land reserved for general use. Although the majority were in favour of the idea, there was opposition to the plan, based on objections of hygiene, the poor use of land, and that it might impede the development of a future highway.
Permission to enable the creation of a cemetery was passed by Parliament in 1864. The Balmain Cemetery Company was established in the 1860s and purchased a block of land bounded by Derbyshire Road, Allen Street, Norton Street, and William Street. The Balmain Cemetery Company applied for rights over the property in 1880. The cemetery opened in 1868. In 1886 the cemetery was transferred to the Leichhardt Municipal Council.
The cemetery was closed in 1912 with over ten thousand burials.

Pioneers Memorial Park

For the next two decades, a proposal to redevelop the cemetery as a public park was debated. In 1941, it was decided to replace the cemetery with parkland. The plans were advertised and families were invited to arrange for re-interment of bodies or removal of memorials. As a consequence, the memorial to Robert Towns was relocated to Castle Hill in Townsville. The memorial for Edmund Blacket and his wife Sarah were relocated to Camperdown Cemetery.

Notable people buried in Balmain Cemetery