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To die would be an awfully big adventure.


Now (probably) Hobart’s most utilised public common, St David's Park was actually the site of Hobart's first cemetery. Indeed, David Collins - the inaugural Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Van Diemens Land, not to mention founder of Hobart itself – is buried here.

Now, don’t get the wrong end the stick. Young lovers aren’t exactly lunching (or worse) on the graves or anything. That would be most inappropriate. No, the bulk of the headstones were carted off years ago, although some of the bigger ones remain for you to peruse as you eat your discount sushi.

But not to worry if you are a fan of old grave fields! The area of the park that adjoins the Supreme Court remains home to many of those headstones that used to litter what is now a lush public garden (if not the mouldering remains).

Thus, you can while away many an hour inspecting the particulars of particular people long since departed. Look at the tale of poor old Harriet Ann [below], I would wager that she did not enjoy her (brief) sojourn in the Apple Isle...


On a slightly more sombre note, there is no shortage of group makers like that of the unfortunate Lear boys [bottom]. The abundance of these ones should be reminder enough about the wonders of mass immunisation.

Comments

Anonymous said…
How much history you can find in those stones.
Julie said…
I admit to being a grave-yard tragic.
Sue said…
As we live a (grave?)stone's throw from a very old cemetery....I must admit to a morbid fascination with wandering through it and reading about the history of our town...which can be gleaned from some of the epitaphs inscribed on the decaying monuments.
As youngsters also, there was many an afternoon spent playing among the dead...and then frightening ourselves silly with scary tales as darkness fell !
Neva said…
I love to see how different parts of the world deal with gravestones. In one church yard in San Francisco, it was like a book was written on each stone.....here in our neighborhood we have a very old not currently used grave yard and it is names and dates, period. I am a fan of immunizations for children. This just reinforces one reason why.....
Kris McCracken said…
April, more history than you can poke a stick at!

Julie, there are worse things to be...

Sue, did you see any ghosts?

Neva, I also like how different religious denominations approach the tombstones. There is a real mix out there.
Rebecca Jane said…
this is pretty awesome

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