OLD PIONEERS SECTION
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| Fawkner Memorial Park
is home to a notable collection of historic graves, dating from the
early days of Melbourne's settlement. Redgum, sandstone and even imported
cast iron headstones are used to create fascinating monuments in this
historic section. |
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These graves led a chequered past before finding
permanent rest at Fawkner Memorial Park. The Flagstaff Gardens in
Melbourne's CBD was the site for the city's first cemetery. In 1837,
burials from this site were transferred to a position just south
of the Queen Victoria market. In 1852 a new, larger cemetery was
opened in Carlton.
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| Within fifty years both
cemeteries were close to capacity and new cemeteries were developed
in outlying areas. In 1902 a new cemetery was established in Springvale,
closely followed by the opening of the New Melbourne General Cemetery
(now Fawkner Memorial Park) at Fawkner in 1906. |
| The Old Pioneers
section at Fawkner Memorial Park comprises 220 graves dating from
the 1840s transferred from the Old Victoria Market cemetery site in
1922. Among these reinterments are the remains of John Batman, the
founder of the City of Melbourne. Batman landed at Port Phillip on
29 May 1835 and within the week had negotiated with Aborigines for
the white settlement of the land, declaring "This will be the
place for a village". |
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