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Most cities do have a town hall,
A place for a function or ball;
But what of all sorts
were those people's thoughts,
when they built over bodies and all?
A place for a function or ball;
But what of all sorts
were those people's thoughts,
when they built over bodies and all?
PECULIAR PLACES
and other destinations
Old Sydney Burial Ground
Sydney town hall
With all of the land they had to choose from, you have to ask yourself why? Why would you build a Town Hall over an old burial ground?, same with the Vic. Market, why?
Old Sydney Burial Ground
Most burials from 1793-1822 in Sydney were at the Old Sydney Burial Ground, under what is now the Town Hall. Sydney Town Hall sits on the site of what was once the principal cemetery of NSW. Dating back to the 1790s, the site is commonly called the Old Sydney Burial Ground.It is also known as the George Street Burial Ground, the Cathedral Close Cemetery and, retrospectively, the Town Hall Cemetery. The site, on the outskirts of town, was chosen by Governor Phillip and the Reverend Richard Johnson in September 1792. It was decided this place would not affect the health of the living and could remain a place of quiet seclusion (that worked real well!). In 1812, Governor Macquarie authorised the extension of the burial ground to the north and west, and granted a site for a new church, St Andrew’s, next door. With the extension, the burial ground covered just over 2 acres. http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/aboutsydney/historyand |
Once closed, the cemetery was neglected. By 1837 many of the headstones had been vandalised. Unpleasant smells arising from the grounds became unbearable in hot weather. Many blamed clandestine burials and grave robbers opening graves to steal leaden coffins. It was also recorded in a committee report that men utilised the old burial ground to answer the call of nature.
Some of the bodies were exhumed, but few people could remember who was buried there, or where. No plans or registers of the cemetery were kept and few headstones remained. Little is known about the actual exhumation process, although evidence suggests it began in April 1869 and was completed by September the same year. The remains that could be found were moved to the Church of England cemetery's new Necropolis at Haslem’s Creek – now known as the Rookwood Necropolis.
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The Syd Gazette & NSW Advertiser 25 Nov. 1804
Members of the 46th, 48th and 73rd regiments were buried in the
Old Sydney Burial Ground. The First Christian Burials in Sydney: 1788
http://users.tpg.com.au/shammell/old-bury.htm |
7 Aug 1837 The Sydney Herald
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Old Sydney Burial Ground- Sydney Town Hall
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In 1974 during excavations for the Town Hall shopping arcade, a number of brick vaults, one of which contained a coffin, were uncovered. The proposed excavation of a services basement in the western half of the Peace Hall led to archaeological investigations being conducted beneath the Town Hall in 2007/2008. Archaeological excavation was undertaken in January 2008 and a total of 66 graves were recorded, with some areas being excavated in late 2009 as they were inaccessible at that time.
Sydney's Historic Cemeteries
http://www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/cemeteries.html
Sydney's Historic Cemeteries
http://www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/cemeteries.html
Sydney Town Hall- Architectural images
http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/cbd/cbd3-001.htm
http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/cbd/cbd3-001.htm
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), Tuesday 13 July 1858
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THE CITY OF SYDNEY--
THE STORY OF ITS GROWTH FROM ITS FOUNDATION TO THE PRESENT. 16 June 1900 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71382395/ BUILDING HISTORY- Town Hall
http://www.sydneytownhall.com.au/discover-learn/ SYDNEY'S FIRST TOWN HALL
The building on the right with the two vehicles out front, was the first Town Hall http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22997505 Sydney Mail and NSW Advertiser 1 July 1903
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The Sydney Town hall Organ
History brought to life again, thanks to TROVE newspaper articles (NLA)