Cooktown Cemetery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cooktown Cemetery |
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Cooktown Cemetery, 2010
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| Location | Charlotte Street, Cooktown, Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1874 - 1920 |
| Official name: Cooktown Cemetery | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 8 April 1997 |
| Reference no. | 601147 |
| Significant period | 1874-1920 (fabric, historical) 1874- (social) |
| Significant components | pathway/walkway, memorial/monument, fire box, gate - entrance, cemetery, fence/wall - perimeter, track, grave surrounds/railings, headstone, burial/grave, trees/plantings, sign, grave marker, denominational divisions, shrine, well |
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The Cooktown Cemetery is a special place in Cooktown, Queensland, Australia. It is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical site. People have been buried here since 1874, shortly after Cooktown was founded. It shows the interesting mix of people who lived in this area long ago.
Contents
A Look Back: The Cemetery's Story
The Cooktown Cemetery has been used continuously since 1874. The oldest marked grave belongs to Rev. Francis Tripp, who died in May 1874. Records show over 3,000 burials have taken place here. Many different nationalities and religions are represented. This reflects Cooktown's past as a busy port for the Palmer River goldfields.
Cooktown's Gold Rush Boom
Cooktown grew very quickly in the 1870s. It became a major port and supply center for gold miners. Within months of its start in 1873, the town had many shops and businesses. Thousands of people passed through Cooktown on their way to the goldfields. Many Chinese people also came to the Palmer goldfields through Cooktown. They set up businesses and became an important part of the town.
By the 1880s, Cooktown was thriving. A railway was built to Laura, helping the port grow even more. Cooktown became a center for mining, pearling, and other industries. It was also a main port for trade with New Guinea. Even when gold mining slowed down, Cooktown remained a busy town.
Finding the Right Place for Burials
When Cooktown was first settled, people were buried on a ridge above Charlotte Street. However, this area was later planned for buildings and roads. The first Cooktown Hospital was even built on some of these burial blocks. People worried about health risks from the shallow graves near the hospital.
In 1874, a surveyor was asked to find a new, proper cemetery site. A 15-acre area south of town was chosen. It seems some burials had already happened there. The Cooktown Cemetery was officially declared in June 1875. Five trustees were chosen to manage it, representing different religious groups. The cemetery was fenced, and gates were put up.
Setting Up the Cemetery
In 1876, the cemetery became more organized. A sexton (cemetery caretaker) was hired. The grounds were divided into sections, likely for different religions. Roads were made through the cemetery. Rules and regulations for the cemetery were also put in place.
The cemetery was well cared for in the 1800s. People praised the improvements made to the paths and flower beds. Visitors were asked to keep dogs out of the grounds.
Diverse People, Diverse Graves
The cemetery shows the many different people who came to Cooktown. There are graves of French, Chinese, English, Swedish, Germans, and South Sea Islanders. Chinese people were a large group, making up about one-sixth of the burials between 1877 and 1920. Many Chinese people buried here were later taken back to China. The Chinese community built a special shrine in the cemetery in 1887 to honor their dead.
Challenges and Care
Over time, as Cooktown's importance declined, the cemetery fell into disrepair. Grassfires caused damage. In the 1940s, the Cook Shire Council took over managing the cemetery. In recent years, efforts have been made to care for the cemetery. A large sign was put at the entrance, and some important graves have been restored. The Cook Shire Council started a conservation program in the mid-1990s.
The cemetery also has two graves of soldiers from World War I. They died after the war ended and are recognized by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
What You Can See: Cemetery Description
The Cooktown Cemetery is a large area, about 9.72 hectares (24 acres). It is located southwest of the town center. The front of the cemetery faces the Cooktown-McIvor River Road. There is a sign at the entrance that tells visitors about the cemetery.
The northern and southwestern parts of the cemetery have native plants. These include Melaleuca trees, Eucalyptus trees, and Pandanus palms. Most of the over 3,000 burials are in the southern and eastern parts. This is because a large granite rock formation takes up much of the reserve.
The main part with marked graves is an open, grassy area. You can see some trees here, including frangipani and coconut palms. These might be from early plantings.
Cemetery Layout and Memorials
A cast-iron fence with spear-shaped stakes runs along the front of the cemetery. The original main gates have been replaced by a metal chain. From the entrance, a road goes northward and then splits. One path leads to the Chinese Shrine. The other goes to the eastern boundary. These paths divide the cemetery into sections for different religions. These include Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Church of England, and Methodist. There are also sections for Jewish, Buddhist, Islamic, Aboriginal, and other groups.
The graves in the grassy section are mostly Christian. They are usually lined up facing east-west. About 300 memorials are scattered throughout this area. They are made of sandstone or marble, and some have ironwork. Many of the headstones belong to important people from Cooktown's past. These include doctors, religious leaders, merchants, and civic leaders. Graves of working people are often unmarked today. Many of the stone memorials were made in other cities and shipped to Cooktown. Some famous stonemasons created these memorials. Many graves in this section have fancy cast-iron railings. The most detailed railings are around the graves of the Sisters of Mercy.
Some notable graves include:
- Mrs. Mary Watson, who died of thirst on Lizard Island in 1881.
- Albert Ross Hovell, a well-known sailor.
- Elizabeth Jardine, whose husband founded Somerset on Cape York Peninsula.
- Mother Mary de Sales Meagher, who started the Sisters of Mercy Convent in Cooktown.
- Albert McLaren, who founded the New Guinea Mission.
- Brinsley Guise Sheridan, a police magistrate.
- Rev. John Hutchinson, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Cooktown.
- Dr. H Kortum, Cooktown's last German consul.
- A 1907 memorial to French sailors who died of yellow fever.
The Chinese Shrine
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To the west of the main grassy area, you can find a small group of Jewish gravestones. There are also some Aboriginal graves marked with sapling branches. North of these is the Chinese Shrine. This shrine is a rectangular concrete platform. At one end, there is an upright concrete tablet with Chinese writing. It says, "Respect the dead as if they are present." Other writings give the date the shrine was built (1887) and say it was put up by the Chinese community of Cooktown. In front of the tablet is a low concrete altar. People would place food offerings here for the spirits of the dead.
The platform is surrounded by a concrete edge and a fancy cast-iron railing. Beyond the platform are two ceremonial fire-boxes. These are made of fire bricks and cement. People would burn paper prayers and "temple money" in them. This was believed to help spirits on their journey to the afterlife.
Why This Place is Important
The Cooktown Cemetery is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it's very important to Queensland's history.
- It shows how Queensland's history developed. The cemetery has been used since 1874. The thousands of burials show the many different groups of people who helped build Cooktown in the late 1800s.
- It has rare features. It is one of the only cemeteries in Queensland with a Chinese shrine inside it. This shrine is a rare and well-preserved example of its kind.
- It can teach us more about history. The cemetery is a unique source of historical information. Studying it can help us understand more about Cooktown's past and its diverse community.
- It is a good example of a cemetery. It shows how cemeteries were typically organized. It has sections for different religions and a variety of headstones. These show how people honored the dead over many years.
- It is beautiful. The cemetery has a special beauty. This comes from the different monuments and iron railings, the hilly land, and the tropical plants. The Chinese shrine, with its simple design, is also very beautiful.
- It is important to the community. The Cooktown Cemetery has a strong connection to local residents. It reminds them of the town's exciting history. It is also linked to the families who helped build Cooktown. It is seen as a major tourist attraction in Far North Queensland.
- It is connected to important people. The cemetery is associated with many notable people and families. These individuals helped shape Cooktown's history and the stories of pioneering life during the gold rush era.
Images for kids
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Cooktown Cemetery, 2010
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Coastal paperbark trees at Cooktown Cemetery, 2015
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The grave of Mrs. Mary Watson, 1986
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The Chinese shrine, 2010
