Rookwood Necropolis

 

Rookwood Cemetery is a large and historic cemetery on Crown land dedicated for this purpose. Necropolis means 'city of the dead' and that is exactly what it is. Rookwood has its own postcode. It is reported that about a million people are buried there. In its early days, dating from the 1860s, Rookwood was on the western outskirts of Sydney and was serviced by its own railway stations. The cemetery was divided into separate denominational areas based on the 1861 census.

Interesting statistics:
  • 3 Flower shops
  • 8 Indoor chapels
  • 5 Outdoor chapels
  • 3 Mausoleum
  • 3 Cafe/function areas
Contact relevant management unit

Now there are essentially 5 separate and independent cemeteries operating on the site although this is not clear when visiting the cemetery. All of the cemeteries are managed by community-based reserve trust boards. In addition, there is a privately managed crematorium and the Commonwealth War Graves. You need to contact each management group separately. Co-ordinated management of Rookwood in undertaken by the Joint Committee of Necropolis Trustees. Numerous attempts to merge the cemeteries into one managemet unit have failed. The following links provide information and contact details.

* Rookwood Angican and General Cemeteries ... more info
* Rookwood Catholic Cemetery ... more info
* Rookwood Independent Cemetery ... more info
* Rookwood Jewish Cemetery ... more info
* Rookwood Muslim Cemetery ... more info
* Rookwood Crematorium and Memorial Gardens ... more info

Friends of Rookwood

Some of the older areas of Rookwood and some of the historic graves are in disrepair. The Friends of Rookwood is a community-based organization interested in the restoration of one of the best surviving examples of a Victorian gardenesque cemetery in the world. See their website.

Sydney War Cemetery

Map

There are two entrances to Rookwood. The Strathfield entrance off Centennial Drive is shown on the map below. The Lidcombe entrance is off East Street. Necropolis Drive runs through the cemetery and links the two entrances. As a suburb in its own right, the streets in Rookwood are shown in street directories and it is definitely worthwhile using a map to help you find your way around!


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