STATEMENT OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE

Architecture/Environment:
A small cemetery displaying headstones dating from 1870. The majority of headstones are semi-circular in shape and the graves defined by cast iron fencing. Majority of headstones masoned in Adelaide. The oldest portion of the cemetery is situated on a rise enabling them to be the dominate feature. The large tree adjacent to these graves requires replacement.

History:
The earliest marked grave is of Simon McDonald (1870) who was one the first landholders in Pooncarie and the first licensee of the “Pooncarie Hotel”. Others include that of Charles Barritt, renown landholder and pioneer. Administration on the cemetery provides an important reminder of the hardships of pioneering life and isolation including tragic drownings and family epidemics.

Recommendation:
Conservation by inclusion in the Local Environmental Plan. Maintenance of grounds and headstones. Replacement of dead tree by a suitable similar species.

References:
Lans & Smith, ‘The History of Pooncarie and District’

Photographs: (Film/Frame Nos: 0908/2)

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