The Dead Heart of Coogee Randwick General Cemetery
Randwick General Cemetery (RGC) is located at the junction of Arden Street and Malabar Road, Coogee. The main entrance is opposite Arden Street and the
cemetery extends along Malabar Road and around the corner to Moverly Road where there is another entrance, where nearby is the cemetery's (usually unattended)
office. The view down from Arden Street, looking over the sandstone and metal walls and iron gates is quite spectacular. The cemetery is crowded with evenly
spaced headstones and monuments.
Randwick General Cemetery Gates at Arden Street & Malabar Road
"The King George V. Memorial Gates"
The cemetery used to be known as the Long Bay Cemetery because it was located on Long Bay Road. When the ship MV Malabar sank at Long Bay in 1931, that
suburb was renamed "Malabar" and the road became Malabar Road.
St Jude's Cemetery next to the Anglican Church of Randwick was the local area's first cemetery established in 1858 and became the burial ground for the who's who
of early Randwick. A local dispute developed about land dedicated in the heart of Randwick for a general cemetery, being earmarked for Anglican burials only
at the instigation of Simeon Pearce, first Mayor of Randwick and a devout protestant. As a result, the portion of the cemetery that is now Alison Park
in Randwick reverted to parkland in 1864. Randwick needed somewhere to bury its dead!
Randwick Council purchased 8 acres at Coogee in November 1872, and a "General Cemetery" was dedicated in 1873 for burials of all denominations. The first burial
at Randwick General Cemetery occurred on 10 September 1874. In November 1936, Randwick Council installed a pair of heavy, ornate iron gates, and
decided to call them "The King George V. Memorial Gates" in honour of the late king. The cemetery is still owned and operated by Randwick City Council.
Randwick General Cemetery
Monumental Mason
There was a branch of the monumental masons, Ross & Bowman, who carried on their business on a small corner site opposite the cemetery at what is now
a residence at 380 Arden Street, up until the 1970s. As a schoolboy in the early 1960s, I watched in amazement as workers used what seemed like rudimentary equipment and tools, lift, cut
and carve huge pieces of rock into headstones. You can still see the Ross & Bowman inscription on many of the graves and monuments.
Sports Car Smashes into Cemetery
In the early hours February 6 2018, the driver of a black sports car travelling at speed up Arden Street lost control of his vehicle and ploughed through
parts of the heavy sandstone walls and came to rest about 10 metres inside the cemetery. The driver escaped serious injury but a number of graves and their
headstones were seriously damaged. The damage caused by the impact can still be seen on some of the graves and is witnessed by the freshly hewn sandstone blocks
in the repaired wall near the main entrance.
Famous Coogee People Buried
Many famous and interesting figures associated with Coogee are buried there, including:
Alam : Monsignor Louis Alam (1863 - 1944), a Maronite Catholic Priest from Lebanon, who having retired from his priestly duties in Lebanon,
settled with relatives who ran a business in the NSW country town of Dunedoo. The town's Roman Catholics were in need of a priest, and though he could only
speak Arabic, he found himself ministering to their needs unconcerned about the lack of a common language. He also had relatives living at 190 Oberon Street
and for this reason was buried at RGC (RC K plot 64)
Bannerman Charles (1851 -1930) was a famous test cricketer who is credited with scoring the first century in test cricket, and his wife Mary Ann (1865 -1936). CE Section FF Plot 29.
Read more about Charles Bannerman and his family.
Catley : Charles Catley (1825 - 1914) was a Coogee pioneer, sometimes referred to as the "Father of Coogee". He lived in his home
known as Cauliflower Hall in Brook Street, after the vegetable he grew in his local market gardens and on which he built his wealth.
READ MORE. He is buried in the Anglican Section "a" , plot No. 33, next to his wife who predeceased him in 1906.
Chapman: Sir Austin Chapman (10 July 1864 - 12 January 1926) was an Australian politician who served in the House of Representatives as the Member for Eden-Monaro from 1901 until his death.
He held Ministerial office in the Deakin and Bruce governments and had a significant role in the selection of Canberra as the national capital site. His impressive family home of Eden-Monaro at 306
Maroubra Road was completed in 1927 and still stands. He is buried with his wife Catherine (1866 -1934) in CON Vault No. 1.
Clarken: Jim Clarken (1876 - 1953) volunteer lifesaver who, with Harold Baker, helped save the lives of many surfers caught in a rip at Coogee on 28th January, 1911. Buried in the
Catholic section M, plot 44. READ MORE
Coughlan : Milton Singleton Coughlan (1904 - 1922) died as a result of a shark attack at Coogee Beach on the 4th February 1922. He shares the grave with his
father, Thomas Lloyd Coughlan (1865 - 1939) who died as a result of injuries he received resisting a robbery at the Randwick Military Hospital Post Office.
(CE vault plot 84). READ MORE
Cunningham: Lucien Lawrence "Lou" Cunningham (4 June 1889 - 23 March 1948) was the local state MP for Coogee from 1941 to 1948. He is buried in the Catholic Section M, plot 94.
Dagworthy : Jack Dagworthy (1908 - 1962) who survived the March 1925 shark attack at Coogee Beach with the loss of a leg. (Catholic Vaults - Plot 11). READ MORE
Dan : George Nicholas Elias Dan (1914 - 1964) the son of Lebanese immigrants and clothing manufacturer who became Mayor of Randwick from 1949 to 1950. (CE vault plot 29).
Dick : John Vincent Dick (1893 - 1969), who was Mayor of Randwick from 1938 to 1940 and 1945 to 1946, after whom the "John V. Dick Reserve" at Coogee is named, and his wife Alma, (RC M plot 87).
Fewtrell: Sydney Fewtrell (1881 - 1923 ) was the First Officer of the ill-fated S.S. Sumatra which sank in a storm near Port Macquarie in June 1923 with all hands lost. His body was washed ashore near Crescent Head.
He was buried in an elaborate ceremony conducted by his fellow Masons. (Church of England, Section E, plot 15). Read More about Sydney Fewtrell.
Gannon : Mervyn Gannon (1901 - 1922) died as a result of a shark attack at Coogee Beach on 3rd March 1922 (RC C plot 116).
Grant : Edward Charles Ogilvie Grant (1885 to 25th April 1940). Grant Reserve Coogee is named after him. He was a community activist during the 1920s and 1930s and an
Alderman on Randwick Council from 1929 to 1931. (C of E, Section GG, Plot 8). His wife Berth Jane Grant nee Watson (c1885 to 1952) was on the committee of the McIvers Women's Baths
and is buried in the adjoining plot no. 9.
Gregory: Sydney Edward "Syd" Gregory (14 April 1870 – 1 August 1929) renowned Australian test cricketer who at the time of his retirement had played a world-record 58 Test matches
during a career spanning 1890 to 1912. He lived at 6 Hendy Avenue, Coogee. He and his wife Mary, and other members of his family, are buried in the Anglican section BB, plots 17 and 18.
Harris : George Frederick Harris (1854 - 1954) was a noted Welsh artist who migrated to Sydney with his family in 1920 where he established a successful portraiture business. He was
the father of noted Australian artist Pixie O'Harris, and uncle of the disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris. His wife Rosetta (1875 -1946) is buried in the same plot. The headstone is notable for its
carving of an artist's palette and brush. (CE F 68) You can read more about George F. Harris and his family.
Hobson : Charles Hobson (1857 - 1926), who was responsible for building and operating the Coogee Palace Aquarium, is buried with other members of
the Hobson clan in vault 101 at Randwick General Cemetery. His son, Albert Hobson, (1898 to 1945) who caught and displayed the shark in the famous
"shark arm murder case" is also buried at Randwick General Cemetery in a different spot. (CE FF plot 5).
Manwaring : Alfred Manwaring was killed in an accident in April 1913 when a pile of timber from a house he was demolishing on the
corner of Vicar Street and Coogee Bay Road fell on him. (Presbyterian B plot 7)
Rowe : Anges Campbell Rowe (1847 to 1937) who was the mother of Ivo Rowe after whom the rock pool at the end of Bunya Parade is named.
Though her address at death was 177 Paddington Street, Paddington, her son and his family lived nearby at 13 Evelyn Street.
(Church of England, D, Plot 30).
Scott-Waine : Cecil Scott-Waine (1888-1964) died aged 76, was a founding member of Coogee Surf Club. He was also an accountant and one of the
founders of the retailing and department store giant of Woolworths. He is buried in Church of England Vault section 76, plot 144.
See : Sir John See (1845- 1907), a wealthy businessman and Mayor of Randwick from 1880 to 1882 and 1886 to 1887. He was a
member of the NSW State Parliament from 1880 to 1907 and Premier of the State from 1901 to 1904. He died at his family home of Urara
in Milford Street, Randwick (now used as the Milford House Nursing Home). He grave is one of the most prominent with a striking pyramidal
headstone on the south-western high side of the cemetery (Anglican aa - vault) along with his wife Charlotte and other members of his family.
Stone: Louis Stone (1888-1935) died aged 63, was a teacher at Coogee Public School in the 1930's and a noted Australian writer and author of the acclaimed
novel Jonah. He is buried in a Methodist Vault No. 71. His wife Abigail Stone (nee Allen) is also buried here and died in 1951 aged 79. She was a member of the
notable Allen family involved in music publishing.
Streeton : Charles Henry Streeton (1828 - 1902) died aged 102 and his wife Mary E. Streeton (1830 - 1916) were the parents of renowned Australian
impressionist artist Sir Arthur Streeton. They lived at 194 Carrington Road, Coogee in a house recently demolished and redeveloped as an apartment
building. Their son, Arthur, is one of Australia's best known and loved painters and is celebrated along with Charles Conder and Tom Roberts on the
Impressionists' Seat at the north end of Coogee in Dunningham Reserve. The seat sculpture commemorates their coastal painting from that point. (CE W plot 81)
Trautwein : Theodore Charles Trautwein (1869 - 1955) publican and hotel broker, who was the owner of Coogee's Oceanic Hotel for much of its life, and his
wife Kathleen (1879 - 1951) are buried at RC H plots 32,33. READ MORE
Walder: John Walder and his family, part of the firm of 'Walder's' which was responsible for the prominent building of Walder's Corner at Clovelly Road and Arden
Street, are buried here in the Congregational part (Section D, plot 12). READ MORE more about John Walder and his Family
Ward : Edward John "Eddie" Ward (7 March 1899 - 31 July 1963) - firebrand Labor politician who represented the East Sydney electorate in the Federal Parliament from 1931 until his
death in 1963. A government minister during the Curtin and Chifley Governments, he was an important mid-20th century political figure. He is buried in the Catholic General Section with his
wife Edith Martha (1903 - 1979) - (RC Gen E plot 14).
Wylie : Henry Alexander Wylie (1861 - 1929), who set up Wylies Baths in 1907 who lived in Neptune Street Coogee near the baths. (CE W plot 2)
Yeldham : George Henry "Harry" Yeldham (1821 - 1911) came to the gold fields of Victoria in 1854, then set up a successful Sydney coaching business. One of the first
residents of Vicar Street, Coogee. (CE Section S, plot 31).
References
Cripps, Ian, Randwick General Cemetery Historical Monograph No. 4, Randwick & District Historical Society, 1986.
Adams, Warwick & June, Randwick General Cemetery: burials from 10 September, 1874 to 22 November, 1983, Randwick & District Historical Society, 2000.
'King George Memorial' The Sun Wed 25 Nov 1936 . Page 17
