Tour of Richmond Cemeteries

15 April 2021

Rediscover some of the Hawkesbury’s lesser known cemeteries on an excursion to some of Richmond’s historic cemeteries – the Presbyterian Cemetery and the old Catholic and Methodist sites. Richmond’s Presbyterian Cemetery was established in the 1860s, with over 100 headstones recording over 280 names.

One of the notable monuments that will be part of the tour belongs to the Bowman family who were well-known in the Hawkesbury. George was responsible for building the Church in West Market Street which he donated to the Presbyterian Church. He was Richmond Council’s first mayor in 1872 and was also a representative in the Legislative Council in the 1850s.

The other cemetery to be visited will be the General Cemetery, now known as the Richmond Lawn Cemetery. These older portions have some unique and interesting headstones including James ‘Da’ Sullivan who is buried in the Catholic section. He died in 1948 in his 102^nd year, with no less than 125 descendants.

Join us on this driving and walking tour and discover some of the stories behind those buried in these historic cemeteries. The tour will be held on Wednesday, 5 May and repeated on Saturday, 8 May from 9:30am to11:15am. Cost is $10 and bookings are essential. Visit www.eventbrite.com/o/hawkesbury-library-service-11842492197 or call 4560 4460 to book your place.

Organised by Hawkesbury Library Service, the tours are being held as part of the annual Australian Heritage Festival run by the National Trust during April and May. This is Australia’s biggest festival of heritage and culture. For more details visit www.nationaltrust.org.au/ahf