160 Years of History

Twenty-nine acres were reserved in 1853 and in December 1854 the first Trustees were appointed. Having officially opened to the public on 21 September1855, it was to be another three weeks until the first recorded interment took place. On 14 October 1855 at 4:30pm, Joanna/Johanna Wallace Manson a ten month old baby to John Wallace Manson and Joanna née Cunningham was laid to rest in a solemn ceremony in the Methodist public section officiated by Reverend Bickford. She died from dysentery the previous day. The first unrecorded burial was on 3 Jul 1855 of John Alexander who was buried as a poor man; place of interment was to be marked on a map but was never recorded.

Other First Burials Of Other Denominations Within The Cemetery

Presbyterian – Malcolm Taylor – 24th October 1855

Malcolm was aged 19 years when he died of dysentery. He was the son of Angus Taylor and Annie nèe McMullen. His occupation was that of a labourer.

Church Of England – William Henry Boutflower Cardin – 2nd November 1855

William was born in the West Indies about 1838 to William Augustus Cardin and Amelia Isabella Mortimer nèe Salmon. Together with his mother and sister, Harriet Amelia Sophia they came to Melbourne aboard the Duke of Bedford in February 1852. William was accidentally drowned by the upsetting of a boat in Hobsons Bay off Pic Nic Point. His occupation was that of a Chemist.

Roman Catholic – Ellen Kelly – 4th December 1855

Ellen was aged 6 months when she died of Water on the Brain. She was the daughter of Patrick & Nancy Kelly.

Baptist – Martha Amelia Nichols – 11th December 1855

Martha was born in 1855 at Moorabbin and was aged 9 months when she died of dropsy. She was the daughter of William John Nichols and Martha Ann Kimber.

Independent – Harriet Kidgell – 14th June 1856

Harriet was aged 46 when she died of pleurisy the daughter of James & Elizabeth Henshaw and the wife of Henry who was an Independent Minister.

Other Denominations – George Oldham – 6th March 1859

George was aged 30 when he died of apoplexy he was a labourer of Cheltenham.

Jewish – Robert Isaacs – 4th February 1909

Robert was aged 4 days when he died, he was the son of Alex Joske Isaacs and Isobella nèe Solomon.

Lawn – Walter Thomas Fletcher – 17th July 1952

Walter was born in 1870 in Sydney NSW and was aged 82 years when he died, the son of Walter Thomas Fletcher and Bertha Griffin nèe Williams and husband of Elizabeth Jacobs whom he married in 1900.

Vault – Betty Francesconi – 26th November 2011

Age 90, the wife of Marco Francesconi

Red Brick Lawn – Helena Elizabeth Reid – 26th July 2012

Age 53, the wife of Douglas Reid