Stepping back in time || Our cemeteries, what lies beneath

People travelling along Bridge Street can see the tall clumps of bamboo growing where the cemetery was situated, measuring only about 35m x 15m. Hopefully this will one day become a Heritage Site.

Burial processions to the old cemetery were generally referred to as "walking funerals". William Telfer Jnr., in his 'Wallabadah Manuscript', describes how in one funeral there were about 400 mourners walking two-abreast, the funeral cortege extending for about a quarter of a mile. Whilst he reported that 105 people were buried there, we still do not have a complete list of those buried.

This first cemetery was reported to be completely filled by 1850, although some burials continued for up to another 13 years, until the opening of the West Tamworth Cemetery. The disastrous 1864 flood, worsened by the original path of Goonoo Goonoo Creek being alongside the cemetery, certainly led to the cemetery's eventual deconsecration. Following the flood some surviving headstones were transferred up onto the hill alongside the original St Pauls Church, and at least three of these were taken out to the West Tamworth Cemetery - those of James Robson (1845), ThomasBurke (1848) & Andrew Telfer (1858).

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Although the original plan (see today's graphic) for the replacement West Tamworth Cemetery was made in 1856 by B.C.Flide, the official dedication didn't occur until July 16, 1863. There are now 15 headstones in the Cemetery that predate the Official Opening, so it is probable that burials were occurring there from when Flide's 1856 plan was submitted. Apart from the transferred headstones, these early ones include Thomas Goodman (42 yrs) - 1856; Sophia Davis (18 yrs) - 1856; Ellen Hobbs (3 mths) - 1859; Mary Jamieson (42 yrs) - 1859; John Ahern (47 yrs) - 1859 & Eliza Flemming (1 yr 11 mths) - 1859. Of the 10 headstones from the 1840's/1850's the average burial age is 32, the youngest 3 months and the oldest 58.

Around 10 buried in the original part of the West Tamworth Cemetery reached their century, with Connell McHue and Ida Cohen both passing away at 102. It is interesting that one person buried there - William Tuck Turner, was born in 1785, 2 years prior to the departure of the First Fleet, dying at 84 in 1869. There was a spike in burials there in 1878 and 1879, 19 & 25 respectively, compared to 1876 (7), 1877 (9) and 1880 (8). The year 1864 appears to be the only one where there were no recorded burials. Of the 6 000 + monuments, Smith is the most predominant headstone surname, occurring 87 times, with Maunder (45), Davis (38), Page (38), Taylor (37), White (36), Jones (35), McDonald (35), Wilson (32), Maher (30) & Moore (30), also well represented.

The original area of the Cemetery off Wallamore Road (now Showground Road) was 3.2 hectares, with another 4.4 hectares added in 1935. At first the various religious denominations had their own cemetery trusts to care for the graves, but in 1966 this was superceded by the Control of Cemeteries Amendment Act, whereby Tamworth City Council assumed responsibility for all cemetery maintenance.

At one time a local entrepreneur decided to build a cafe opposite the cemetery entrance, advertising his business as being dedicated "to all bereaved returning from funerals." He also announced that he had "weeping" facilities, including special rooms for those who wanted to "weep in private". Aligned to a different purpose, with for many years a post-and-rail fence enclosing the Wallamore Road Cemetery, a citizen once used the railing to promote their alcohol aversion view with a prominent sign stating - "Drink Britten's Beer and You'll Soon Be Here !"

Early headstone scrutiny amplifies that falls from horses were a common cause of death, as was in particular infant mortality. Albert King's family had 6 children dying up to 10 years of age from 1874 to 1887, the 10-y-o being drowned in the Peel River in 1887. The Lewis family lost 7 children all under 1 year (5 hours to 9 months) over a 14 year period from 1870 to 1884.

An attempt was made to start a North Tamworth Cemetery, but soon abandoned after two burials where Moore Creek Motorbike Speedway was later located - a teacher, Mr Williams, and in 1905 Isabella Macarthur Goodwin. The clay soil proved too difficult to provide proper sites for future burials.

Tamworth War Cemetery, on the western side of Forest Road approaching the Tamworth Dump entrance, holds 27 male and 1 female, all buried during war flight training in Tamworth during the period 1942-1946.

Evergreen Memorial Park opened in 1963, with the Crematorium opening in 1975. The names were changed in 1985 to Lincoln Grove Gardens on the Gunnedah Road/Oxley Highway. The Lawn Cemetery, adjoining the original West Tamworth Cemetery section, now extends along Showground Road to Jewry/Dampier St.

The oldest existing headstones in small Tamworth District village cemeteries date back to Attunga -1872; Bendemeer - 1887; Bowling Alley Point -1871; Currabubula -1876; Dungowan -1908; Moonbi -1872; Nundle -1853; Somerton -1885; Winton -1900.

The oldest existing headstones in several private and property cemeteries include - 'Bective' - 1875 ; 'Goonoo Goonoo' - 1856; 'Hanning' (Bendemeer) - 1853 ; 'Bendemeer' - 1872; 'Ascot' (Timbumburi) - 1910; 'Hallsville' - 1901; 'Moonbi' - 1859. Private cemeteries are also believed to have existed in Tamworth's Brisbane, Fitzroy & Darling Streets.

We are now celebrating Heritage Week, a week in which Tamworth Historical Society has for many years conducted a Local History Walk through various parts of Tamworth. In 2007 and 2012, the Walk was through the West Tamworth Cemetery, off Showground Road, and this is to be repeated this coming Sunday, May 1, the final day of Heritage Week. The Cemetery Walk commences at 9am, going through to 12 noon, with Morning Tea midway for a gold coin donation.

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