East Perth Cemeteries at Martellup on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country

East Perth Cemeteries sits in an area known as Martellup, on a sandy hill overlooking Western Australia’s capital city. In 1829 this was the site of the first colonial burial ground in Perth, when a general cemetery was established. This was followed by six more different denominations, plus one for felons, until the closure of the eight cemeteries in 1899. More than 10,000 people who died in colonial Perth are buried here, from the wealthy and prominent to the poor and unknown. A simple Gothic church, designed by colonial architect Richard Roach Jewell, stands in the middle of the Church of England Cemetery. Built in 1871, St Bartholomew’s is the only example of a mortuary chapel constructed in Western Australia. It became a parish church in 1888 and was almost doubled in size after extensions in 1900. St Bartholomew’s remains a consecrated church and significant conservation was recently carried out. It is still used for church services, weddings and other religious events. Since the closure of the Cemeteries, the majority of the grave headstones and markers have been lost through decay, neglect, vandalism and well-intentioned ‘cleanups’. The remaining 800 however, now cared for by the National Trust, offer a unique opportunity to tell and explore stories of bravery, tragedy, illness and accident, of success, suffering and loved ones lost.