St John's Cemetery - Parramatta

St John's cemetery, Parramatta, is the oldest burial ground in Australia. It contains the remains of notable persons associated with the foundation of the colony and many graves of those who arrived with the First Fleet. The first interment is James Magee, a convict’s child, buried on 31 January 1790. The first burial marked with a stone memorial was of Henry Edward Dodd on 28 January 1791. Henry Dodd, Superintendent of Convicts at the Government Farm, is noted for growing the first successful wheat crop in the colony.

St John's cemetery site is a place of cultural heritage. Many early landholders, whose names reflect local suburbs, are buried here. D’Arcy Wentworth of Wentworthville, John Harris of Harris Park, several members of the Blaxland family, Mary Kelly of Kellyville, Mary Pymble of Pymble and John Thorn of Thornleigh are buried there. Other notable burials include Reverend Samuel Marsden, Chief Cleric of the colony, Minister at St Johns Cathedral for almost 50 years, Robert Campbell of Campbell’s Wharf and Duntroon, noted as the father of Australian commerce, two Governor’s wives, Mrs Elizabeth Bourke and Lady Mary Fitzroy, two Assistant Commissaries John Palmer and Thomas Freeman, many pioneer missionaries and seventeen marked graves of those who arrived on the first fleet.