It is believed the first Europeans settled in Scone in 1824, the first religious service in the Upper Hunter was conducted at Segenhoe by the Chaplain of Newcastle in 1826. The first dedicated burial ground was at Kayuga, which was consecrated in 1828. The earliest recorded baptism also took place during 1828 at Puen Buen, a property owned by John Bingle by the Chaplain of Newcastle. The Anglican Diocese of Australia was not created until 30 November 1835, three years later the first sale of town allotments in Scone occurred in November 1838. They were located in Kingdom, Hill and Wingen Streets.

The Bishop of Australia, Archbishop William Grant Broughton successfully bid for three blocks of land bounded by Hill and Kingdom Streets. St Luke's Church was later built on a block that had been used as a burial ground. Although not consecrated as a grave yard until 15 July 1843 the Rev'd George Anderson M. A. a Presbyterian who had been appointed Rector of Scone-Muswellbrook officiated at the first burial recorded in the burial ground in December 1838.

The first church service in St Luke's Church was held 7 November 1841, prior to this church and funerals services had taken place at the Court House. Rev'd John Morse MA the first incumbent of the Parish of Scone set a fee of two pounds for a burial plot with an additional fee of ten shillings and six pence for fencing the grave.

The Graveyard was used by people of all denominations and when nearly all plots had been used, the owner of St Aubins a 13,000 acre Scone property, William John Dumaresq donated land fronting the New England Highway to the north of the town for a C of E Cemetery, some time later he donated adjoining land for use as an R C Cemetery.
Details relating to this graveyard were firstly recorded by Mrs Nancy Gray in her booklet A Walk around the Church Yard and then expanded by myself in History through the Windows, Memorials and Monuments of St Luke’s Anglican Church, Scone which I wrote in 2003.

Harry Willey
2011