See also: Stories from the Heritage Trail.
Download an Excel file with more information.
The Fremantle Cemetery Heritage Trail is marked by an impressive stone entrance and a distinctive pebbled path, and lined with the headstones that were brought from the older Skinner St cemetery.
I'm pretty sure that, apart from a few reinterments, the stones on this Trail are almost all of those brought from Skinner Street - about 135 of them.
[The Metropolitan Cemeteries Board decided to give seven of the most precious stones for an installation at the [[../../schools/fremantleprimary.html|Fremantle Primary School]] (on Brennan Street). They are in an unsecure, public space - only only block from the psychiatric ward of Fremantle Hospital in Alma Street - where they could and probably will be trashed by a psychopath or tagger vandal. The stones include the earliest Fremantle gravestone, which was placed in the Alma Street Cemetery on the grave of [[../../people/morrellmaryann.html|Mary Ann Morrell]] in 1832, and also the memorials to two of [[../../people/wrayhenry.html|Henry Wray]]'s children. These seven memorial stones should immediately be removed to the relative safety of the Fremantle Cemetery. They are supposed to represent the location of the cemetery which was formerly there, but only one of the stones (Morrell's) was actually at that cemetery. The others were first installed at the Skinner Street Cemetery.]
The earliest memorial on the Heritage Trail is Robert Logue's, from 1857, followed by John Higham's, 1858, and William Oakley's, 1859. However, there are dates of death after 1898 (such as that of [[../../people/holdsworth.html|Lionel Holdsworth]], 1901), showing that there were burials after 1898 in the Skinner Street Cemetery, even tho the current Fremantle Cemetery opened in that year - in cases where family members were laid to rest together.
After the 'entrance', the 'Trail' is simply just one straight path lightly 'paved' with fine gravel pebbles of an orange colour (which could do with a top-up, by the way, to maintain the distinguishing colour).
My arbitrary numbers are simply to help me arrange the record in order from the west end of the Trail to the east. I'll link my photographs of the records on the gravestones with the surnames on this page.
First Section, 'Rockery Walk' - to Humble Avenue
1. M. Samuel Caporn d. 1868 & wife Ann d. 1869
2. James Gilbride d. 1897 & Albert d. 1898, both in infancy
3. Anne d. 1897 & Edward Langridge d. 1898
4. Arthur Oxenham d. 1899
5. Annie Sutton Baston d. 1871 @ 3
6. Samuel Nugent d. 1886
7. Wm Smith d. 1860 at sea Escort @ 27 days
8. James Mills d. 1896
9. Joseph Happ d. 1899 @ 13 days
10. Harold Blackman d. 1898 @ 27
11. Arthur Turton d. 1887 @ 16
12. Robert McElroy d. 1894 [centre of path]
13. Francis Farmer d. 1873 @ 2
14. Donald Munro d. 1878 @ 35 of National Bank
15. James McMahon d. 1867 @ 7 months
16. Thomas Bradshaw d. 1892 & wife Hanorah d. 1880
17. Margaret Nash d. 1875 @ 27 & infant d. 1874
18. Margret Connor d. 1879
19. Michael O'Loughlan d. 1894 drowned
20. James Casey d. 1874 @ 48
21. James Garraty d. 1895 @ 34
22. Maria Matthews d. 1894
23. Peter Abercrombie d. 1863 @ 45
24. Henry Elsdon d. 1864 @ 38 & young sons
25. Alfred Ballantyne d. 1898 @ 28 (cross in centre of path)
26. Hannibal Sheeran d. 1899 @ 28
27. Richard Clark d. 1896 @ 33 & infant son
28. Ellen Lewington d. 1868 @ 7, burnt to death
29. Henry Vincent d. 1869 & daughter Amelia d. 1871; v. [[../../people/vincent.html|Henry Vincent]] page
30. Emily Webster d. 1868 @ 23
31. Alice Barrett Lennard d. 1887 @ 29 & infant son & mother
32. James McCahey d. 10 May 1895 aged 75, from Co. Monaghan, Ireland
33. Charles Halfhide d. 1898
34. William Longstaff d. 1899 @ 36
35. James Williams d. 1897 @ 29
36. Mary Casey d. 1896 @ 29 & infant daughter
37. Lyndon Gibson d. 1896 @ 31
38. Rose Colgan d. 1896
39. William Baker MLA d. 1893
40. Henry Boden d. 1861 @ 43
41. Neil Galbraith d. 1899 @ 50
42. John Higham d. 1858 @ 41 (husband of [[../../people/higham.html|Mary Higham]]) (This is the second-earliest date on this page, Robert Logue 1857 being the earliest.)
43. Bartholomew de Lucey d. 1881 & infant grandchild
44. George Ellis d. 1892
45. Ernest Taylor d. 1885 @ 21
46. Margaretta nee Oliver d. 1886 & husband Lionel Holdsworth d. 1901; v. [[../../people/holdsworth.html|page for Lionel Holdsworth]]
47. Edward Oliver d. 1893 also Mary Jane Oliver d. 1904 and 'buried' at sea
Second Section, 'Bridge Walk' - Humble to Higham Avenues
48. Louie Rosser (Maria Louisa Fanning), wife of Alfred Gra Rosser, d. 1896 @ 38 (?)
49. Francis Martin, 'late engineer in charge of the working railways of WA', d. 1895 @ 39
50. Wm Grey Gerring d. 1896 @ 43
51. Frank Peterson, 1912 @ 23 (?) & Edith d. 1902 @ 6
52. Samuel Nugent d. 1896 @ 30
53. Ann Carroll d. 1897 @ 70
54. Clara Wilkins d. 1896 @ 33 & Edwin Wilkins d. 1897 @ 35
55. Susanna Wells d. 1877 @ 70
56. Marrianne Watson d. 1895 @ 37
57. Albert Hall d. 1897 @ 32
58. Elizabeth Marion Mather d. 1897 @ 66
59. Frank Thompson d. 1873 @ 3 weeks
60. John Hawkins d. 1885 @ 74 & Mary Hawkins d. 1884 @ 83
61. Mary Anne Armstrong d. 1861 @ 20 (?)
62. Philip Webster d. 1893 @ 64 v. [[../../people/webster.html|page for Philip Webster]]
63. Ada Sharpe d. 1883 @ 5
64. Mary Parker d. 1865 @ 13 (?) & George Parker d. 1877 @ 47
65. Madge Tallboys d. 1895 @ 14 days
66. Grace Johnston d. 1895 @ 24
67. Charles Metcalf[e] Grain d. 1860 @ 3, son of Lt-Col. Edward M. Grain (a Captain at that time). The child was born in Chelsea and had arrived in the colony via Sultana in 1859, the year before his death.
68. John McRae d. 1893
69. William Edmund Oakley d. 1859 @ 63 & Mary Ann d. 1969 @ 70 (This is the third-earliest date on this page; 1857, Robert Logue, is the earliest.)
70. Francis Peter McDonald d. 1897 @ 27, custom officer
71. Minnie Isabel Reddell d. 1892 & Capt John Alfred Reddell d. 1899 @ c. 60 & their son Leslie Harcourt Reddell d. 1899, murdered near Broome by the mutinous crew of the Ethel. See the [[../../people/reddelljohn.html|relevant page]].
72. Henry Steele d. 1897 @ 36, drowned
73. Hannah Elizabeth Owston d. 1893 @ 62, second wife of [[../../people/owston.html|William Owston]]
74. Ambrose Lawrence d. 1896
75. Robert Logue d. 1857 @ 37; earliest date on this walk
76. Peter Dandie d. 1867 'who (with the harbourmaster [[[../../people/harding.html|James Harding]]]) and his crew was drowned in the port of Fremantle June 23rd 1867; having in the discharge of his duty put off to a ship in distress. To commemorate the event this stone was erected by public subscription.' Cf. 79 Price and Akers.
77. James McKay, d. 6 Sept 1878 @ 37; stone now illegible apart from the name
78. Julia Davis d. 1 Sept 1878 @ 67; this stone is now broken in two, with the top half lying on the ground
79. Isaac Price and Samuel Akers d. 1867 'who (with the harbourmaster [[[../../people/harding.html|James Harding]]]) and his crew were drowned in the port of Fremantle June 23rd 1867; having in the discharge of their duty put off to a ship in distress. To commemorate the event this stone was erected by public subscription.' Cf. 76 Dandie.
80. Carl Heinrich Vonthien d. 1895 @ 27; tall monument standing in middle of Trail
81. Isabella Key d. 1866 @ 23
82. Peter Gallagher d. 1871 @ 36, 'sergt of HM 3rd Regt Buffs', an Enrolled [[../../organisations/pensioners.html|Pensioner]]; v. Diane Oldman's page
83. William [[../../people/img/congdonwilliam.jpg|Congdon]] d. 1865 @ 65; v. page for [[../../people/congdonwilliam.html|Wm Congdon]], who was the father of [[../../people/congdon.html|D.K. Congdon]], Mayor and MLC
84. Patrick Doolan d. 1870 @ 54, [[../../organisations/pensioners.html|enrolled pensioner]]; actually DOLAN of the 47th, who arrived on the Runnymede in 1856, and whose wife Catherine d. 1873
85. Edward Leigh Scott d. 1862 @ 52. What did he do wrong? 'Behold, happy is the man whom God corrected. Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the almighty.'
86. Elizabeth Povey Ellis d. 1871 @ 24
87. Donald McKenzie d. 1887 @ 51 & his daughter Helena d. 1884 @ infancy & his wife ('relict') Sarah d. 1906 @ 57; v. Diane Oldman's page
88. Stafford children, all of whom died in April-May 1898, children of Henry and Harriet Stafford: Viola, 13, d. 25 April, Wesley, 5, d. 31 April, and Stella, 10 months, d. 1 May
89. James Connor nd @ 3
90. Catherine Wahl d. 1872 @ 11, daughter of Joseph Henry and Henrietta Wahl [?]
91. John Downing d. 1897 @ 34
92. Patrick Lambe d. 1897 @ 82 & Mary, his wife d. 1900
93. John Sim d. 1898 @ 21
94. Ottilie Sophia Martin d. 1897 @ 29
95. Patrick Mackey d. 1874 @ 63
96. Clifford children, Edwin Lewis d. 1868 @ 14 months & Joseph Henry d. 1870 @ 9
97. Mary Hildred Forster d. 1867 @3
98. Sampson Sewell d. 1897 @ 77
99. Capt William Llewellin d. 1898 @ 58
100. Jane Manning d. 1877 @ 64 & James Manning JP d. 1898 @ 79
101. Charles Twiss Riordan d. 1895 @ 31
102. Sarah Richardson d. 1877 @ 25 & Jessie Richardson
103. Maria Elizabeth Webster d. 9Dec1862 @ 37, Webster's first wife (of three) daughter of W.J. Murray & Minnie Webster d. 17Dec1862 @ 9; v. page for [[../../people/webster.html|Philip Webster]]
104. James Maxwell d. 1885 @ 27, son of Lt-Col. James Maxwell CB
105. Frances Butchart d. 1870 @ 63 & Hugh Butchart d. 1863 @ 22
106. Amelia Thomas d. 1897 @ 49 & Florence May d. 1893 @ 2 & Alfred James d. 1886 @ 2 months
107. Jane Soden d. 1898 @ 37
108. Elizabeth (Bessie) Provis d. 1898 @ 34
109. Sarah Anne Barratt 1872-1899
110. Charles [[../../people/img/jacobcharles.jpg|Jacob]] d. 1869 @ 79 servant of [[../../people/duffield.html|John Hole Duffield]]
Third Section, 'Ruins Walk' - Higham Avenue to Wilson Drive
111. Eleanor Mary Flanagan d. 1 June 1895 @ 39 yrs 10 months
112. Bridget Sullivan d. 1897, wife of John. The stone is broken into four pieces, and the name is not on the top piece as presently stacked. There were also children in the grave, incl. Patrick d. 1888, Mary d. 1891, May d. 1894.
113. William J. Conroy d. 1887 @ 30 & his aunt Mary Herbert d. 1910 @ 86
114. Theodore Leslie Essex son of William Joseph and Mary Ann d. 3 Nov 1895 @ 3
115. George Prince d. 8 Sept 1894 @ 6 & Nellie (his sister?) d. 1891
116. William Cook d. 10 Apr 1870 @ 64
117. William Lemon Oliver d. 9 Jan 1873 @ 53 'after a lingering illness' husband of Bertha
118. John H. Duffield d. 22 May 1894 @ 75 & Sarah his wife d. 11 Apr 1908 @ 83 probably eldest son of [[../../people/duffield.html|John Hole Duffield]]
119. Henrietta Elizabeth Webb d. 17 Nov 1897 @ 12 at Cottesloe Beach daughter of Samuel & Mary Webb
120. Mary Anne Barbara Fry d. 15 July 1887 @ 38 'beloved wife of Rev. A.G. Fry minister of the Johnston Memorial Church Fremantle formerly of Sydney and the daughter of Rev. George Turner LLD of the London Missionary Society' 'to be with Christ which is far better' 'sanctified and meet for the Master's use'
121. Ellen Taaffe d. 25 Oct 1879 @ 15 & May Margaret Taafe her sister d. 15 Jan 1884 @ 17; v. the story of Charles Finnerty, in which she is mentioned, as 'Helen Taaffe'
122. William Robinson d. 8 Sept 1867 @ 56 'after a lingering illness' 'whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth' stone by Bates, Pinjarrah [sic]
123. John Sinclair d. 3 Apr 1861 @ 1 & James Sinclair d. 3 Dec 1867 @ 1 sons of Laurence & Ellen Sinclair
124. Louisa Woods d. 1869 @ 62 & her sister Sarah Hardess
125. William Cronin d. 1893 @ 38
126. Mary Parke d. 1862 @ 72
127. Robert Newton Waldeck d. 1893 @ 49
128. Andrew Elder d. 8 Apr 1869 @ 61 & his son William Richard Wardle d. 1862 @ 17 days
129. William H. Townsend d. 8 Nov 1897 @ 63; v. [[../../people/townsend.html|Townsend page]]
130. George Smith d. 23 July 1894 @ 52 'accidentally killed in Perth'
131. Joseph Bobin d. 4 Feb 1869 @ 61 & Mary Anne his wife d. 11 Mar 1870 @ 60
132. Aimee Calver d. 18 Jan 1894 @ 22 & Frederick Calver husband d. 8 June 1895 @ 30
133. Margaret Hagan d. 25 Aug 1877 @ 34 & Patrick Hagan husband d. 25 Apr 1891 @ 56; v. page for [[../../people/hagan.html|Hagans]]
134. Ommaney Atkinson Eichbaum (1867-68) was the son of Lt Col. Charles William Eichbaum (b. 1826 England) and Adelaide nee Atkinson. Charles Eichbaum was Assistant to Commissioner General (Comptroller-General) of the Convict Establishment (by then named Fremantle Prison) 1867-1870. He returned to England in 1872 and was then appointed to a civil service position in Ceylon. After six months he returned to England but retired to NZ where he died in 1893.
135. Margaret Campbell d. 1892, remainder illegible
References and Links
See also: the [[../alma.html|Heritage Garden at Fremantle Primary School]] which contains seven gravestones which should be in the Cemetery instead of in an insecure public area where they will very likely be damaged by a vandal or a psychopath.
Stephen Jones created a document dated 15 April 1981 in which he listed gravestones removed from the Skinner Street Cemetery and taken to the Fremantle Cemetery. Most of those stones (135) are now standing on the Heritage Trail in the Cemetery. (Another seven are in a 'Heritage Garden' at the Fremantle Primary School, where they in an unsecure location where they could and probably will be damaged by a vandal tagger or a psychotic.) I have taken photos of the 135 stones and made the list above. In addition, I have combined my list with that of Jones and made it available here as an Excel document. Jones lists a small number (18) of stones which are not on the Heritage Trail. According to Don Whittington, who was a member of the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board at the time, they were disposed of.
MCB History Walk[1] of Fremantle Cemetery, and map.
Heritage Week [[../heritagetour.html|tour 2014]].
This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 26 May, 2016 and hosted at freotopia.org/cemeteries/heritagetrail/index.html (it was last updated on 12 December, 2023), and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.