East Perth Cemeteries — Attraction in East Perth

From the establishment of the first cemetery in 1829 to the closure of the seven cemeteries in 1899 almost all of the people who died in Perth, from the wealthy and prominent to the poor or unknown, were buried here.

Over the years more than 90% of the grave headstones and markers were lost through decay, neglect or wanton destruction. The remaining 800, however, now conserved by the National Trust, offer a unique opportunity to explore Perth’s early years. The headstones tell stories of bravery, tragedy, illness and accident; of success and suffering.

In the middle of the Cemeteries stands a simple Gothic chapel designed by colonial architect, Richard Roach Jewell. Built in 1871 as a mortuary chapel, St Bartholomew’s became a parish church in 1888. After a period of neglect, it is still a consecrated church, used for regular church services as well as weddings and other religious events.

Originally located on the edge of the town, the Cemeteries today are a tranquil haven within bustling inner...

Western Australia does not have a lot of history compared to Europe of even the United States, so it is good that they are trying to preserve the stonemasonry and metalwork masterpieces on this sacred ground. One thing that I did find disturbing was that I passed it one night, and on the grounds there were bright lights and people partying. They were on the north side of the chapel. I think it was a Fringe Festival event. It seemed really incongruous to me. Not only was it a desecration of the memorial site - I also noted (when I went past a few days later) that someone seemed to have used a sharp instrument to incise swirling patterns on the bad of some of the white headstones. I had never noticed them before. Basically it was vandalism. I assume that the National Trust of Western Australia must have approved of this event. I don't know if they still have these events, but if that is the way that Western Australians do things then that is...

It may seem odd to some that visiting a cemetery is even a thing but they are interesting places to walk around. Technically East Perth Cemetery is a Graveyard as it is in the grounds of a church. Personally I find that old cemeteries hold a lot of history and East Perth certainly does. There are many surnames that may be familiar to locals like Stirling and Monger. The nominal fee allows for the up keep of the grounds. currently $10 Adults, $7 Concession, $5 children (5 and up, under 5s free). Also, at the time of writing this the cemetery is only open on Sundays between...