McCARTHY'S CEMETERY at Cranebrook, NSW
The oldest Catholic burial ground in NSW, McCarthy’s Cemetery is not associated with a church building, but evolved from a private burial ground to a consecrated cemetery, always with a strong community focus.
In 1806, a time when Catholicism was not officially recognised in the colony, ex-convict settlers James and Mary McCarthy buried their daughter Elizabeth at the southern end of their Cranebrook property. The land was consecrated in the 1830s, and became a cemetery for many Catholics in the Castlereagh community - one of the first in Australia.
It is of State significance as a rare example of a highly intact rural community cemetery and for its ongoing connection with the community and families, who continue to visit and use the cemetery.
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