Volunteers Save Australia's Oldest European Cemetery

When Judith Dunn pulls on her gardening gloves at St John's Cemetery in Parramatta, she's not just trimming grass. She's protecting stories that date back to 1790, when convicts built Australia's oldest surviving European burial ground.

The 83-year-old historian is one of 10 dedicated volunteers who call themselves "tombstone tourists." They spend weekends hand-weeding around ancient headstones and clearing pathways through native grasses that grow waist-high between the graves.

Tucked between modern apartment blocks in Parramatta, the cemetery holds remarkable history. Seventeen members of the First Fleet rest here, along with pioneers who gave their names to seven Sydney suburbs including Pymble, Harris Park, and Wentworthville.

The graveyard hasn't operated as an active cemetery since the 1890s, which means no income for upkeep. For over a century, volunteers have been its only caretakers.

Warden Ian Grady organizes monthly working bees where volunteers garden by hand to avoid damaging the precious headstones. But they face modern challenges too, from clearing dumped rubbish to removing discarded needles.

A group of 10 migrant parishioners led by Anglican minister Harrison Xu recently joined the effort. "We come here as people with different cultures and congregations," Xu said, celebrating how the shared work brings newcomers together while honoring Australia's earliest European settlers.

Why This Inspires

This story shows how ordinary people can protect extraordinary history when institutions fall short. These volunteers aren't waiting for someone else to care. They're showing up month after month, proving that dedication matters more than deep pockets.

Their efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Heritage New South Wales awarded a grant to create a formal conservation management plan by 2027, which will outline specific steps for preserving individual tombstones and repairing the massive red brick wall built by convicts.

The wall alone needs over $10 million in restoration. Workers will need to remove and relay bricks using mortar made to the original 1790s recipe.

But for volunteers like Dunn, the investment is worth it. "We should look after our pioneers," she said. "Every stone here tells such wonderful stories."

Thanks to these devoted caretakers, those stories won't be lost to time.