Karrakatta Cemetery is a metropolitan

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

in the suburb of Karrakatta in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Western Australia. Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899, the first being that of wheelwright Robert Creighton. Managed by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, the cemetery attracts more than one million visitors each year.
Karrakatta Cemetery: Rich with heritage...caring for precious memories
' . (Brochure). Government of Western Australia, Metropolitan Cemeteries Board.

Cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the ...

trees located near the main entrance are a hallmark of Karrakatta Cemetery.
The cemetery contains a

crematorium A crematorium or crematory is a venue for the cremation of the dead. Modern crematoria contain at least one cremator (also known as a crematory, retort or cremation chamber), a purpose-built furnace. In some countries a crematorium can also be ...

, and in 1995 Western Australia's first

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...

opened at the site. The entrance (known as the Waiting House) includes a structure designed by George Temple-Poole.

Notable people

Notable people interred within Karrakatta Cemetery include: *

William Baldwin William Joseph Baldwin (born February 21, 1963), Note: While birthplace is routinely listed as Massapequa, that town has no hospital, and brother Alec Baldwin was born in nearby Amityville, which does. known also as Billy Baldwin,is an America ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

politician * Jean Beadle, Australian feminist, social worker, and Labor Party member *

Simon Cain Simon Cain (19 May 1938 – 1 May 2019) was an English-Australian actor, horse breeder and art gallery owner. Biography Initially attending Banstead Residential School, Simon and his brother Barry were sent to Australia in 1950 for school ...

, actor, horse breeder and Aboriginal art gallery owner *

Edith Cowan Edith Dircksey Cowan (' Brown; 2 August 18619 June 1932) was an Australian social reformer who worked for the rights and welfare of women and children. She is best known as the first Australian woman to serve as a member of parliament. Cowan h ...

, social reformer, first Australian woman to serve as a member of parliament *

Elsie Curtin Elsie Curtin (' Needham; 4 October 1890 – 24 June 1975) was the wife of John Curtin, the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Biography Curtin was born in Ballarat, Victoria to parents Annie and Abraham Needham. From 1898 to 1910, she lived in ...

wife A wife (plural, : wives) is a female in a marital relationship. A woman who has separated from her partner continues to be a wife until the marriage is legally Dissolution (law), dissolved with a divorce judgement. On the death of her partner, ...

of John Curtin *

John Curtin John Curtin (8 January 1885 – 5 July 1945) was an Australian politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Australia from 1941 until his death in 1945. He led the country for the majority of World War II, including all but the last few ...

, 14th

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...

* Sir

John Dwyer John Dwyer may refer to: * John Dwyer (Australian judge) (1879–1966), Australian judge * John Dwyer (baseball) (active 1882), American baseball player * John Dwyer (field hockey) (born 1928), Australian Olympic hockey player * John Dwyer (medici ...

KCMG, Chief Justice, Lieutenant-Governor, buried with Lady Emily Louise Dwyer. * Sir

John Forrest Sir John Forrest (22 August 1847 – 2 SeptemberSome sources give the date as 3 September 1918 1918) was an Australian explorer and politician. He was the first premier of Western Australia (1890–1901) and a long-serving cabinet minister i ...

, 1st

Premier of Western Australia The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role of the prime minister of Australia at a federal level. The premier leads the executive bra ...

Joseph Furphy Joseph Furphy ( Irish: Seosamh Ó Foirbhithe; 26 September 1843 – 13 September 1912) was an Australian author and poet who is widely regarded as the "Father of the Australian novel". He mostly wrote under the pseudonym Tom Collins and is best ...

, author * Dame Alexandra Hasluck, author and wife of Paul Hasluck * Sir

Paul Hasluck Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck, (1 April 1905 – 9 January 1993) was an Australian statesman who served as the 17th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1969 to 1974. Prior to that, he was a Liberal Party politician, holding min ...

, 17th

Governor-General of Australia The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia.Heath Ledger Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor and music video director. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to ...

, actor (ashes) *

Matthew Locke Matthew Locke may refer to: * Matthew Locke (administrator) (fl. 1660–1683), English Secretary at War from 1666 to 1683 * Matthew Locke (composer) (c. 1621–1677), English Baroque composer and music theorist * Matthew Locke (soldier) (1974–2 ...

, soldier (ashes) *

Paul McGinness Paul Joseph McGinness, (14 February 1896 – 25 January 1952) was an Australian flying ace of the First World War, credited with seven aerial victories. He was a co-founder of Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services (Qantas). Earl ...

, co-founder of

Qantas Airways Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the List of airlines by foundation date, world's third-oldest airline sti ...

Monty Miller Montague David "Monty" Miller, born 7 July 1839 in Van Diemen's Land (present day Tasmania), was an Australian trade unionist, secularist, and revolutionary anarchist-socialist chiefly active in the states of Victoria and, in his most productive ...

, trade unionist *

John Scaddan John Scaddan, CMG (4 August 1876 – 21 November 1934), popularly known as "Happy Jack", was Premier of Western Australia from 7 October 1911 until 27 July 1916. Early life John Scaddan was born in Moonta, South Australia, into a Cornish A ...

, 10th

William Stratton William Grant Stratton (February 26, 1914 – March 2, 2001), was the 32nd governor of Illinois from 1953 to 1961. Early life and career Born February 26, 1914 in Ingleside, Lake County, Illinois, the son of William J. Stratton, an Illinoi ...

, Chief of Air Staff(1969–1971),

Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...

* A. O. Neville, the first Chief Protector of Aborigines * James del Piano, businessman, Italian diaspora aficionado * J. W. Sutherland (1870–1946), mining engineer and metallurgist in Western Australia *

Frederick Vosper Frederick Charles Burleigh Vosper (23 March 1869 – 6 January 1901) was an Australian newspaper journalist and proprietor, and politician. He was well known for his ardent views and support of Australian republicanism, federalism and trade unio ...

, Australian newspaper journalist, proprietor, and politician *

Edward Wittenoom Sir Edward Horne Wittenoom KCMG (12 February 1854 – 5 March 1936) was an Australian politician who served intermittently in the Legislative Council of Western Australia between 1883 and 1934, including as President of the Legislative Counc ...

, Australian politicianWendy Birman, G. C. Bolton (1990
"Wittenoom, Sir Edward Charles (Horne) (1854–1936)"
pp. 553–554 in ''

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

'', Volume 12,

Melbourne University Press Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) is the book publishing arm of the University of Melbourne. History MUP was founded in 1922 as Melbourne University Press to sell text books and stationery to students, and soon began publishing books itself. ...

. * Jessie Argyle, an Aboriginal Western Australian woman who led a community space for Aboriginal people. There are also ten

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

recipients who are interred in Karrakatta Cemetery: *

Thomas Axford Thomas Leslie "Jack" Axford, (18 June 1894 – 11 October 1983) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Early life Thomas Axf ...

John Carroll John Carroll may refer to: People Academia and science *Sir John Carroll (astronomer) (1899–1974), British astronomer *John Alexander Carroll (died 2000), American history professor *John Bissell Carroll (1916–2003), American cognitive sci ...

* Sir

Hughie Edwards Air Commodore Sir Hughie Idwal Edwards, (1 August 1914 – 5 August 1982) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force, Governor of Western Australia, and an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "i ...

Robert Gee Captain (British Army and Royal Marines), Captain Robert Gee (7 May 1876 – 2 August 1960) was an History of Jews in England, English-Jewish recipient of the Victoria Cross and a Conservative Member of Parliament. Biography Born in Leicester, ...

James Heather Gordon James Hannah Gordon, VC (7 March 1909 – 24 July 1986) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Gordon was one of 20 Aus ...

* George Julian Howell *

Martin O'Meara Martin O'Meara, VC (6 November 1885 – 20 December 1935) was an Irish-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Early life ...

Clifford Sadlier Clifford William King Sadlier, Victoria Cross, VC (1892 – 28 April 1964) was an List of Australian Victoria Cross recipients, Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be award ...

Hugo Throssell Hugo Vivian Hope Throssell, VC (26 October 1884 – 19 November 1933) was an Australian soldier in the First World War who was the first Western Australian and only Australian light horseman to receive the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest awar ...

* James Park Woods

War graves

, Karrakatta Cemetery contains the graves of 111 Commonwealth service personnel of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and 141 of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, besides a Dutch naval sailor of the latter war, divided between the cemetery's various denominational plots. The

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

(CWGC) has a memorial to 15 Australian service personnel2 sailors, 9 soldiers, 4 airmenwho died in World War II and were cremated at Karrakatta Crematorium. In addition, 7 Australian personnel of the same war2 sailors, 4 soldiers, 1 airmanwho were cremated at Karrakatta Crematorium but whose ashes had been scattered or buried at places where CWGC commemoration was not possible are listed by name on the Western Australia Cremation Memorial at the separate Perth War Cemetery. CWGC Cemetery report, Western Australia Cremation Memorial, detail from casualty record.

References

External links

*
Karrakatta Cemetery
illion Graves * {{Find a Grave cemetery Cemeteries in Western Australia 1899 establishments in Australia Karrakatta, Western Australia Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in Australia

Notable people

War graves

See also

References

External links