Tour of Windsor Cemeteries

23 August 2023

Rediscover some of the Hawkesbury’s lesser-known cemeteries on an excursion to Windsor’s historic Catholic and Presbyterian cemeteries.

The Catholic Cemetery is one of the oldest Catholic cemeteries in the state and was established by the early 1830s. It is also one of largest denominational cemeteries in the Hawkesbury with over 450 graves recording almost 1000 names.

Participants will visit a variety of headstones including the politician James Augustine Cunneen who died in 1889 after accidentally falling down a flight of stairs. A more poignant headstone is that of Catherine Eather and her five children who tragically drowned in the disastrous 1867 flood. The headstone was erected by her ‘Affectionate Father.’

The other cemetery on the tour is the Presbyterian Cemetery, a smaller site with just over 100 graves with 230 names recorded, and in use by the mid-1830s. Some of the interesting people buried in this cemetery include Mary Neilson who operated a chemist and newsagency in the town in the 1860s and Robert Dick, elected in 1871 as Windsor’s first mayor.

Come along and learn more about the prominent figures as well as the everyday folk buried in these cemeteries and discover their unique stories. The tour will be held on Saturday, 16 September from 9:30am to 11am. The cost is $10 and bookings are essential. Visit http://hawkesburylibrary.eventbrite.com or call 4560 4460 for more information.