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While death is universal, it is also individual and personal. Funeral rituals and customs reflect our deepest held beliefs about the purpose of our existence. They can also embody the values and expectations of broader society. 

The early arrival of Dissenters (Christians not aligned to the Church of England) and nonconformists (non-Christian religions) made for a diversity of beliefs in colonial South Australia. In this fertile ground of religious freedom, faiths of all persuasions flourished. 

South Australia’s first settlers retained a strong connection with the spiritual traditions of their homelands. This is reflected in the holy books they brought with them and the churches, mosques and synagogues they built here. To maintain their cultural identity, many also sought to secure a separate section of West Terrace Cemetery for the burial of their adherents.

Follow the Beliefs, Attitudes and Customs interpretive trail and discover how faith and tradition have shaped West Terrace Cemetery from colonial times to present day. 

Explore the rich diversity of religious communities in South Australia, and their fascinating funeral customs. 

Imagine the pomp and pageantry that existed during the Victorian era (1837-1901) and contrast this with the thousands of people buried without ceremony in unmarked graves. 

See how in more recent times, scientific developments and changing social attitudes have affected the way we understand death and the grieving process.

Beliefs, Attitudes & Customs Self-Guided Tour

## Religious Freedom helps diversity to flourish

> **Look closer:** As you complete this tour, notice how the design of monuments changes over time and between different faith groups in the cemetery.

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Colonial South Australia was an attractive destination for people facing religious persecution in their homelands. It was founded on ideals of religious freedom and the separation of Church and State. Migrants would be free to worship as they pleased, without the interference of an official State religon.

While the Anglican Church (the official English religion) was the majority faith in the new colony, the early arrival of Lutherans, Afghan Muslims, Jews, Quakers and Dissenters (non-Anglican Protestants) made for a diversity of beliefs. As these communities flourished and built places of worship, they created the City of Churches as Adelaide is known today.

## Making Room for Difference

***Divided along religious lines***

For all the religious groups in the colony, funeral rites and burial practices were an important expression of their beliefs about life, death and the hereafter. To maintain their distinct identity in the new colony, many groups wanted to manage the burial of their adherents according to their own traditions and customs. This had implications for the management of West Terrace Cemetery.

At first, cemetery management was a low priority for the fledgling government. In the absence of other arrangements, the Anglican Church assumed control over burials, following the appointment of John Monck as cemetery sexton in 1837 by Anglican Colonial Chaplin, Charles Beaumont Howard.

Almost immediately, other religious groups lobbied the government for the allocation of their own section of cemetery land. The first division of the cemetery was granted to Jewish community in 1843. A separate Catholic cemetery was established on adjacent land in 1845. These sections were later joined by Quaker, Afghan, Druze and Islamic divisions, reflecting the religious diversity of the colony.

The cemetery’s division was the subject of great controversy and saddled the cemetery with the issue of divided management. The Cemetery eventually came under single management in 1976 when the religious groups relinquished control of their sections to the State Government. However, these groups are still consulted prior to interment in their allocated sections.

City of Churches

## The inner light of God shines in everyone equally

> **Look closer:** Edward Gibbon Wakefield, known as the ‘founding father’ of South Australia, was a Quaker. This might have encouraged Quakers to migrate to the fledgling colony.

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The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) were among the first religious groups to come to South Australia. The Friends’ meeting house in North Adelaide was shipped out from England in 1840 and the Quaker section of West Terrace Cemetery was established in 1855.

Quakerism was founded in England in 1651. It is Christian in origin, but there are no fixed doctrines, ritual or clergy. Rather, Quakers believe the essence of God resides in each person equally. This “inner light” takes precedence over the church and the Bible. Quaker meetings are usually conducted in silence as a way of communicating with the divine will within.

Simplicity is regarded as a virtue both in life and in death. Headstones are basic and relatively uniform, marked only with names and dates of birth and death. Burial and cremation are both permitted. A Quaker memorial meeting is a simple occasion when anyone present who feels led, may speak. Rather than mourning, Friends emphasise the value the person had been to society. Usually a ‘testimony’ to the person’s life is written as a record.

Quaker Section

How to Use This Guide

## **As Adelaide’s main public cemetery for almost 100 years, people from all walks of life were buried at West Terrace Cemetery, bringing together the many threads of South Australia’s rich heritage in one place.**

West Terrace Cemetery dates back to the foundation of South Australia. It was established in 1837 on land set aside in Colonel William Light’s original plan for the City of Adelaide. Since then, more than 150,000 burials have taken place.

The cemetery is renowned for its ornate monuments, historic burial sites and some of the last remaining indigenous vegetation of the Adelaide Plain. It is also the site of Australia’s first dedicated military burial ground and for 22 years contained the country’s only crematorium.

In recognition of the cemetery’s historic value, it was listed as a Place of State Heritage Significance in November 1989.

The first recorded interment occurred in 1840 when formal cemetery records commenced. It is estimated that more than 500 burials occurred prior to this.

## The Constant Threat of Closure

For much of its early history, West Terrace Cemetery provoked considerable public and religious debate. There were frequent controversies, accusations of mismanagement and threats of closure.

Many of Adelaide’s early citizens objected on public health grounds to having a cemetery so close to the city. People were quick to blame it for any outbreak of disease or foul odour emanating from the city’s south-west.

As early as the 1880s, West Terrace Cemetery was considered too small to keep up with the demands of a growing population. Several alternative sites for a new cemetery were put forward, but no agreement was reached.

Prior to 1861 there was no systematic approach to burials and record keeping. The cemetery’s burials prior to 1840 were not accurately recorded and remain unknown.

Defending themselves from the backlash, early cemetery sextons complained they were deprived of the resources needed to run the cemetery properly.

## Denominational Division

The distinctive denominational division of West Terrace Cemetery began in 1843, when a separate area was granted to the Jewish community. Over time, exclusive sections for Catholics, Quakers, Mohammedan/Afghan and Syrian Druses have been allocated.

The cemetery’s division reflected the wishes of certain religious groups to manage their own affairs. But it saddled the cemetery with the issue of divided management, and attracted opposition from those religious groups against the introduction of an established Church to the Colony.

## Monumentation & Symbolism

The remarkable diversity of monuments at West Terrace Cemetery reflects heavily the prevailing beliefs, attitudes and traditions of nineteenth century society. They also serve as a document of the social, cultural and demographic changes in South Australia.

As attitudes toward death and burial changed so did monumental design, giving way to larger, more complex monuments. Such grand and imposing headstones were mainly confined to the prominent and wealthy, while those unable to pay for a funeral suffered the anonymity of an unmarked grave.

## Natural Heritage

West Terrace Cemetery has provided a refuge for more than 20 rare and endangered native plant species that have long been cleared from the Parklands and Adelaide Plain. These include:

•         Quandong (Santalum acuminatum)

•         Mallee Box (Eucalyptus porosa)

•         Native Apricot (Pittosporum phylliraeoides)

•         Umbrella Wattle (Acacia ligulata)

·         Black-Anther Flax-Lily (Dianella revoluta)

•         Berry Saltbush (Atriplex semibaccata)

The remnant vegetation is an important part of South Australia’s biodiversity, with seed collection programs conducted by various institutions to re-introduce these species to their original habitat.

There are also many introduced species, reflecting different cemetery planting practices and fashions over time – mainly cypresses, pines, elms, olives and palms.

## A Brief History of West Terrace Cemetery

**1837**

Surveyor-General, Colonel William Light and his survey team planned the City of Adelaide; 32 acres on the south-western fringe are allocated for a cemetery. John Monck was appointed the cemetery’s first sexton by Colonial Chaplin Charles Beaumont Howard (1807-1843).

**1839**

A Board of Trustees is appointed to oversee the cemetery’s management.

**1843**

A Jewish section is established. This is the first of the cemetery’s denominational divisions.

**1845**

A Catholic Cemetery is established on land adjacent to the northern boundary of the main public cemetery. It had its own entrance and was initially fenced off from the original cemetery.

**1854**

Captain Arthur Henry Freeling, Surveyor-General (1849-1861), set out a plan for the cemetery’s main roads and paths, bringing order to the cemetery and forming the layout we see today.

**1871**

Smyth Memorial Chapel is built as a memorial to the Very Reverend Father John Smyth.

**1903**

Australia’s first purpose-built crematorium is opened.

**1904**

The unused northeastern portion of the cemetery is returned to parkland in exchange for 20 acres to the west of the original cemetery site, taking the western border of the cemetery as far as the railway line. This is the most significant change to the size and layout of the cemetery.

**1920**

Australia’s first dedicated military burial ground, the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) Cemetery is established.

**1959**

The Adelaide Crematorium ceases operations

**1976**

The West Terrace Cemetery Act brings the whole cemetery under Government control. Prior to this, sections of the cemetery were administered by the various religious denominations.

**1979**

Plans were approved to convert West Terrace Cemetery back to a memorial park, returning the area to parkland. New plantings commenced as early as 1976. This plan was abandoned and the cemetery continues to operate.

**1996**

The Baby Memorial is unveiled to mark the burial of stillborn and infant babies buried from the 1920s to the 1980s.

**2010**

The Caroline Clark Memorial Garden is created to commemorate the lives of those buried in unmarked graves.

The Wakefield section, the first area of unused land to be developed for burial since 1944, is released.

**2019**

The Smyth Chapel undergoes extensive refurbishment

**2020**

The Promenade, the last remaining area of unused land within the cemetery, was developed and opened. Adjacent the Curators Cottage, this area previously housed a toilet block and chicken shed.

Main Entrance

## Solemnity and Decorum 

***Codes of conduct for the grieving*** 

In 18th century Europe, burials were about quick disposal of remains, not sentiment. Short term leases for grave sites and the use of single coffins for more than one body were common practices. In the 19th century, growth in prosperity and a resurgence of religiosity changed attitudes towards death and the afterlife. The deceased came to be treated with far greater reverence, and increasingly rigid codes of conduct surrounding death, funerals and mourning were introduced. 

In Britain during the Victorian era (1837-1901), society became fascinated with the rituals and customs associated with death. Victorian society revered the “Good Death” as a worthy end to a Christian life. A Good Death was not a sudden one – it was dying at home, surrounded by family, friends and clergy, with the chance for last words to be uttered and remembered. 

At funerals, strict decorum was expected at all times, even from children. Women were often excluded from the burial ceremony because of the fear they would be unable to control their emotions. In South Australia, only the Lutherans and the Methodists included women and children in the funeral procession. 

The wearing of mourning dress became an expectation for women who had lost a loved one. There were intricate rules as to the type of mourning clothes and the duration they should be worn, depending on the relationship of the woman to the deceased. 

Family members were expected to visit the cemetery regularly to tend relatives’ graves.

## A Good Death

***The pomp and ceremony of a Victorian-era funeral***

At first, the emphasis in funerals in South Australia was still on the prompt and practical. Resources were too scarce to lavish on elaborate funeral ceremonies or monuments, and the hot climate called for quick burial to minimise odours and prevent the outbreak of disease. But as the South Australian colony grew more prosperous, funerals became a way of demonstrating wealth and social status. 

Victorian attitudes to death and the associated formal funeral rituals were imported to Australia by British settlers, although slightly modified to suit the climate, economic and social circumstances. Horse-drawn funeral processions would have been a common sight as they wove their way through city streets to West Terrace Cemetery. When a cortege passed, social norms dictated that people stop their daily business as a mark of respect. 

For state funerals, large crowds lined the procession route and shops closed. Highly elaborate hearses, plumes and pageantry were hallmarks of funerals of the rich and powerful. But even middle-class families made considerable financial sacrifices so that they could pay for a suitably formal funeral and headstone.

Funeral Practices and Customs

## The Cremation Alternative

***Changing practices and challenging assumptions***

With cremation, like many other social reforms of the late 19th century, South Australia was a trailblazer. Australia’s first crematorium was established in West Terrace Cemetery in 1903. 

By the 1880s, West Terrace Cemetery was running out of burial space and was increasingly associated with disease outbreaks. To address this, South Australian intellectuals began campaigning for the establishment of a crematorium. 

Cremation provoked vigorous religious and community debate. Its supporters claimed it was an efficient and hygienic method of disposal that was supported by modern science. But many feared that cremation would interfere with their salvation and Christian churches viewed the practice with suspicion. 

Cremation was still relatively rare until well into the 1940s. By the time cremation had become more widely accepted, the Adelaide Crematorium was outmoded and could not keep up with demand. It closed in 1959 and was demolished in 1969. A total of 4,762 cremations took place here. 

Over the course of just a few decades, cremation has changed from being controversial to commonplace – by the turn of the 21st century, four out of five Australians were cremated.

## Robert Tracey Wylde (1820-1903)

***Passionate and influential cremation advocate***

Wylde emigrated to South Australia in 1860. He established a medical practice in North Adelaide and became a highly respected and influential figure. 

In 1890, Wylde founded the South Australian Cremation Society. He championed the public health benefits of cremation, arguing that buried bodies could harbour disease and cause outbreaks. Wylde’s reputation gave credibility to his arguments and he attracted the support of prominent businessmen and politicians. With their support, South Australia passed Australia’s first cremation legislation in 1891. 

The Government lacked the resources to fund the crematorium directly but granted the Cremation Society land at West Terrace Cemetery. Through selling subscriptions and donations from benefactors the Society was able to fund the crematorium’s construction. 

When Wylde died in 1903, he was the third person to be cremated in the Crematorium. He was one of the few who chose to have his ashes buried in the cremation garden opposite the original crematorium.

Adelaide Crematorium

## Mystery and taboo of death at a distance

The spectre of death was once ever-present in the home and in the street. Before modern medicine, doctors were powerless against diseases like tuberculosis, diphtheria and gastroenteritis, which claimed the lives of people of all ages. Most spent their dying days at home, nursed by loved ones. The body was prepared for burial by the family and watched over until the funeral. 

Medical advances have extended our life expectancy as well as the manner of our eventual demise. Most people now die in hospital or aged care facilities as opposed to the home. Health professionals and funeral directors have assumed the role of managing the death and the funeral. The occurrence of death has become less frequent, even if the sense of loss and grief is no less powerful. 

In the 20th century we shed the rigid customs associated with death and grieving, in the process creating uncertainty as to the “right” way to mourn the loss of a loved one. In the face of this uncertainty, open discussion of death became taboo. 

More recently there has been an open approach to understanding death as part of the cycle of life. One of the pioneers of this change was Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross, who developed a widely accepted five-stage model of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance.

Beliefs, Attitudes & Customs Self-Guided Tour

Main Entrance

City of Churches

Funeral Practices and Customs

Behind Hospital Ward Doors

Adelaide Crematorium

Quaker Section