RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => Australia => Australia Lookups completed => Topic started by: Jaki on Sunday 16 October 05 06:31 BST (UK)
-
Hi
Could someone with access to the Rookwood Cemetery cds please check to see if there is a listing for a Ivy Lillian Fantom who died in 1949. Have fingers crossed that she is there.
Thanks
Jaki
-
Jaki,
Have checked the Rookwood Cemetery CD, unfortunately I can find no entry for Ivy Lillian Fantom who died in 1949. This just means there was no headstone to be transcribed. She could still be buried there without a headstone or she could have been cremated. Maybe a letter to the cemetery might bring you some results.
Sincerely
Maur
-
Thanks Maur
Will contact the cemetery.
Jaki
-
Some good news folks. I was at Rookwood a few days ago. There are plans to place the internment database online soon. No idea if it will be free or pay for view.
I visit the cemetery from time to time (its a 10 minute drive for me). I'll let you know if I find out anything more.
-
Hi spunkymungbeans,
That is great news, I know from death certs. that I have lots of rellos buried there, but only a few are on the transcription DB.
I would like to hear from you when you are next going to Rookwood, as I have one or two Methodist graves which I would love to have pictures of. I was only there last weekend but ran out of time after searching the Catholics and Independents for several hours!! Living in Canberra it's virtually a daytrip for me and I rarely get the luxury of a free day to do that :-\ ;D
Cheers
Prue
-
I love visiting Rookwood. How about I visit every 2 weeks or so?
Just give me the names, dates of birth and religion (if possible), as the graves are divided into separate sections, and each section has its own office and database.
I just have to get my camera working. It seems to be sucking the life out of batteries at an enormous rate at the moment. I'll need to go shopping for some lithium batteries.
Cheers
Leonie
-
OK - the plan is a trip to Rookwood Wednesday (weather permitting), so I'm taking requests.
I'll try to take photos, but if the camera is playing up you will still get the grave transcription and any information from the internment database.
Cheers
Leonie
-
Hi Leonie,
Thanks for this, here is what I have from the Rookwood Transcriptions CD:
Name: HAYNES Charles L B
Date of Death: 11 August 1961
Age: 85
DOB: -
Transcription: Our father
Denomination: Methodist
Section: 1a
Row: 14
Grave: 194
Name: HAYNES Rachel J
Date of Death: 9 June 1959
Age: 81
Transcription: Our mother
Denomination: Methodist
Section: 1a
Row: 14
Grave: 194
As you can see, I have the transcriptions so all I would like, if your camera behaves ;D is a photo or two.
Thank you so much for this, I hope you have fun out there!
Prue
-
Camera ready.
Anyone else need a grave visited speak now.
Leonie
-
Hi Leonie
If you get a chance could you see if you could find an entry on the database for Ivy Lillian Fantom. She was born 29 June 1911 and died in 1949. I think her religion was Church of England. Am not sure if she was buried in Rookwood but have ruled out Woronora.
thanks
Jaki
-
Hello Jaki,
I took the liberty of having a look through the Rookwood CD for your Ivy FANTOM but sadly drew a big fat zero :( In fact, there was no-one of that surname at all.
Bear in mind, though, that the Rookwood Transcriptions CD contains only transcriptions. It is possible that your Ivy was buried in Rookwood, but has no marker, or that the marker is not inscribed.
There must be a burial index somewhere for Rookwood - can anyone else help with that?
Prue
-
If she was like the rest of the family there will be no headstone. Am not even sure she is buried at Rookwood. She was my grandmother and don't want to upset my mother by ordering the death certificate at this point.
Have looked for an index on the net but have not been able to find anything at the moment and don't even know if one exists.
Jaki
-
There must be a burial index somewhere for Rookwood - can anyone else help with that?
Each section in the cemetery has its own office and its own set of registers (lovely old written volumes that are often over 100 years old). They are in the process of updating their databases and making sure that the registers and indexes are in sinc. The registers contain information on every internment and cremation at Rookwood and so is far more extensive than the various transcription indexes that have been done, by SAG for instance. At the moment you have to go to Rookwood itself to get this information.
The indexes contain the name, section, row and grave number as well as the date of internment.
I will ask at the offices tomorrow whether they have merged the various sections databases or whether they are still separate. I'll let you all know what the plans (if any) are.
Leonie
-
I just have to get my camera working. It seems to be sucking the life out of batteries at an enormous rate at the moment. I'll need to go shopping for some lithium batteries.
Cheers
Leonie
Leonie
You should use rechargeable batteries (NMH). Have 2 sets. A whole lot cheaper than ordinary batteries in the long run. I find they are the only batteries to have. Last a lot longer. Be aware though, there are different kinds of rechargeable. You need to get the ones that are 1500 or higher. You will not look back.
Hope this helps.
Reg
Canberra
-
The rechargables I have don't work anymore. They were fine for a while but now don't recharge. I've got some nice titanium long-life batteries for the time being. Fingers crossed they last for a while.
Leonie
-
I spent a few hours with my daughter at the cemetery this morning and took pictures.
[NOTE for next time: Take hat and sunscreen.]
-
First up:
Ivy Lillian Fantom who died in 1949
She is buried in the Church of England section of Rookwood, Section 16, grave 958. There was no monument to photograph.
She was buried on 8 March 1949.
Here is a copy of the map of the Anglican section, with section 16 highlighted in pink:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d34/leonieprice/Rookwood/8f438b75.jpg
-
Next on the agenda: Haynes
I first visited the Independent Section Office and confirmed the burial information. Rachel appears in the index as "Rane Jane Haynes". The only way they will correct the register if with the production of the death certificate.
But not to worry. Charles was interred on 21 August 1961 and Rachel's ashes were buried in the grave.
Here is a photo of the grave:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d34/leonieprice/Rookwood/01689a8b.jpg
Here is the gravestone:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d34/leonieprice/Rookwood/2de3fd0f.jpg
This is a photo of the plaque for Jean Guinn which is also on the grave:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d34/leonieprice/Rookwood/100_0379.jpg
If you like, next time I'm out there I'll get the cremation date information for wife and daugther.
Cheers
Leonie
-
Thanks for that Leonie.
Jaki
-
Hooray! Thank you Leonie! That's wonderful. Rachel and Charles were my great-grandparents, and Jean was my mum's aunt. If you are out that way again, and are in the Independent section, and are not otherwise busy, I would like very much to have the cremation info, it it's not too much trouble, please. Thank you!
Are there offices located in each section of Rookwood? Do you know when they would be open - or is there a website related to Rookwood that I could look up to see?
Thanks again, I really appreciate it, especially when yesterday was so hot.
Prue
-
It was a pleasure, Prue. I love rambling around Rookwood.
Each section has its own office and they have not linked up their databases. In fact the Crematorium's office doesn't have its registers online at all. If you want details of a cremation you need to know the exact year, as there is a register for each year, with entries recorded by the first letter of the surname. Not in alphabetical order either, so they have too scan the whole list.
Despite this I found that the crematorium was a good place to look because most of the ashes were deposited in the Niche walls or Memorial Gardens and the plaques there have the same information you would get on a gravestone, and in some cases, more. I took some photos of plaques at the Memorial Garden and they were very clear. Also no problem with the letters weathering, which is a problem with sandstone gravestones.
Give me half an hour and I'll scan in a map of where the Hayne's grave is located.
Cheers
Leonie
-
Here is a map of where the Haynes grave is located:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d34/leonieprice/Rookwood/methodist.jpg
-
Great stuff, thanks for all that info Leonie, and also the scan. I will have to make another trip to Rookwood sometime soon. I only had an hour or so last time, and found the two graves I was looking for, but would love to have a wander around the old Anglican bit with all the marvellous vault tombs - incredible stuff!! I also have several ancestors from the old Sydney burial grounds in the city, whose remains were moved to Rookwood when the railway lines were being put through the city. I would love to find out where they were buried (I assume in a mass pit).
Thanks again!
Prue
-
I just found this article about the Old Burial Grounds.
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/history/foundations/BurialGround.html
Apparently they only moved the bodies they absolutely had to and did not try to match bodies to gravestones. They just erected a monument without any names or information. They are still finding bodies from the old burial ground today.
Leonie