How to access ACT cemetery and burial records online and in the Library.

Background

The Australian Capital Territory (formerly the Federal Capital Territory) was formerly established as a separate territory from New South Wales in 1911. Burials in this region prior to its establishment as the site for Australia's capital would have been recorded as in New South Wales.

Current cemeteries and crematoria

There are currently three public cemeteries in use in the ACT. These are located at Gunghalin, Hall and Woden.

The Canberra Cemeteries website provides a search facility to locate the names, graves or memorials for people who are buried or whose ashes or memorials are located in these three cemeteries.

NORWOOD PARK CREMATORIUM

The website of the Norwood Park Crematorium also provides a search facility to locate cremations.

Older cemeteries and gravesites

Several locations of closed cemeteries and early graves also exist in the Canberra region. These include:

  • Bulgar Creek
  • Cuppacumbalong cemetery
  • Herbert grave at Naas (Grave of William Herbert and his two grandchildren)
  • Lanyon Station
  • Parkwood Graves
  • Reid Cemetery
  • St John's Churchyard Cemetery
  • The Oaks burial ground
  • Weetangera Methodist Cemetery
  • William Farrar's Grave, Lambrigg (A heritage tour of Tuggeranong: Tharwa & Lanyon, a self-guided tour)

In the Library

Anglican Parish Registers

The Anglican parishes of the Canberra-Goulburn area were initially part of the Diocese of Sydney. In 1863 a separate diocese of Goulburn was formed  and in 1950 became the Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn. The Diocese includes 59 parishes.

Parish registers for this Diocese and others are available on microfilm in the SAG Parish Register collection. See our Newspapers and Family History zone Information Desk for guide. Now available on open access those registers which include burials are listed below:

Image
St Johns Churchyard Canberra 1844-2010

Salisbury, Jean.  2011,  St. John's Churchyard Canberra : 1844 - 2010  / Jean Salisbury Canberra

Image
Grave of William Farrer, with trees, Lambrigg Station

1906,  Grave of William Farrer, with trees, Lambrigg station, Australian Capital Territory, ca. 1906 [picture]
< http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn4656282 >

FURTHER RESOURCES

Online

The following resources should be of interest to those wishing to know more of the history of gravesites in the ACT:

Rural Graves in the ACT (pdf)

Historic cemeteries and rural graves in the ACT

Not sure where to start?