Mytum, Harold

The carving and erection of permanent grave markers commenced remarkably quickly in New South Wales, but because of cemetery redevelopment in Sydney the evidence for the earliest phases is limited. In contrast, Parramatta retains its original burial ground, St. John’s, which allows fuller consideration of the earliest phases of commemoration. Within 35 years other cemeteries were established in the town, and this paper considers the changes in monument form, material and decoration across eight decades at St John’s, noting some variation at other Parramatta sites. A memorial typology developed in Britain has been applied here to allow comparative analysis. This reveals very early monument production—a form of manufacture not previously appreciated in the infant colony—followed by a rapid establishment of monumental masonry businesses and the development of distinctive styles alongside the emulation of British fashions. This study reveals the generation of an active and distinctively Australian commemorative culture, not merely a colonial copying of British fashions

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The early development of Australian cemetery commemorative strategies: insights from Parramatta

http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3116651/1/Mytum%20pp4-21%20LowRes.pdf

The early development of Australian cemetery commemorative strategies: insights from Parramatta

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