Rookwood Cemetery, while not the oldest Australian Cemetery, it is in fact the largest. It's three hundred hectares also makes it the largest in the southern Hemishere, with one the largest Victorian sections in the world. Established in 1867, it also houses artefacts including headstones from Sydneys earlier cemeteries. These early cemeteries being in poor or less than suitable locations, were overtaken by development. They include:

* The old burial ground in George Street (also known as the Town Hall Cemetery or Cathedral Close Cemetery);
* Devonshire Street Cemetery;
* Petersham Roman Catholic Cemetery; and
* Balmain Cemetery.

In it's 135 years of continual use, almost a million people have been interred within its boundaries. These interments are a cross section of our Australian community, with the representation of a diverse range of cultural groups. Funding is via these denominational trusts, no government funding is procured. Because of it length of operation many heritage factors, become involved. The heritage grounds, plants, headstones and monuments, let alone the genealogical information and the Australian social history.

The Friends of Rookwood have taken on the role as heritage caretakers of this Australian Treasure, in our place. Please support them in their role. Visit their website, just click the banner below.