Waverley Cemetery, Sydney

The Waverley Cemetery is a 130 year old graveyard located in the Bronte suburb of Sydney. It has well preserved Victorian and Edwardian monuments and has the graves of many prominent Australians.

The Waverley Cemetery covers forty one acres and was established in 1875. The first burial was in 1877. It is a self funded establishment. Neither the government nor taxpayers pay for the upkeep of the graveyard. It earns income from the sale of burial plots, memorials, grave furniture, urns, plaques and headstones. Cremation memorials are also available at the cemetery. It was the first in Australia to stop burials on Sundays and has the distinction of being the first cemetery to introduce computer search facility where visitors can find burial records from a database for a small fee. There are only 3000 plots remaining at the graveyard and it receives nearly 80 reservations annually.

Famous people who were buried in Waverley Cemetery are the poet Henry Lawson, Jules Archibald the founder of the magazine called the Bulletin, Australia’s first Prime Minister, Sir Edmund Barton, eminent sportspersons and over 200 war graves of soldiers who died in various conflicts where Australia played a significant role. It is a major Sydney attraction and many visitors come to admire the grave sculpture and to enjoy the breathtaking views from the cemetery.